| Coastal delights |
| Pembrokeshire offers more than 50 beaches. Some are ideal family spots, others are best for thrill-seeking surfers |
Whatever your choice, none of
Pembrokeshire’s beaches is more than an hour’s drive from the caravan parks we’ve noted in the following pages. During our trip we stayed at Moreton Farm Leisure Park, which is about four miles from Tenby. We were interested in checking out a number of the beaches, so we decided on a circular tour which took us as far as Whitesands Bay, west of St David’s.
1. Sandy Saundersfoot
Two options to start with. It is
possible to walk from Moreton Farm to Saundersfoot in about 20 minutes but the drive, naturally enough, is much quicker. On
leaving the site, turn left onto the A478 south towards Tenby and, after just over a mile, turn left again at a sign for Saundersfoot. This road leads into the town’s one-way system and to a car park behind the beach.
Saundersfoot is a 19th-century fishing port with three well-kept sandy beaches where children can play safely. There are also plenty of rock pools, as well as some pleasant walks along the coast. Boat trips and boat hire are both available at the harbour.
2. Untypical Tenby
Tenby is one of the most popular seaside resorts in Pembrokeshire.
To get there, retrace your steps from Saundersfoot, turn left again onto the A478 and drive for just under four miles. On reaching Tenby, follow the signs for the Town Centre car parks and enter another one-way system. Only
residents are allowed to take their vehicles into the town itself, which still retains some of its medieval walls. Before reaching a car park, however, we found a space on the Esplanade, overlooking South Beach. From here it is only about a 100-yard walk to one of the gates in the wall. It’s worth mentioning at this point that, during the high season, a park-and-ride bus service operates from the Salterns car park near the station.
In terms of size, Tenby isn’t on the same scale as many British
seaside resorts and it has resisted much of their candy-floss image. In the main town above the beaches there are the usual seaside
attractions, such as an amusement arcade and shops selling those gifts we all buy and then wonder why we did so when we get them back home. But in Tenby’s case, the paraphernalia of the typical British seaside resort has not encroached on the town’s intrinsic charm.
Below the town are two
magnificent beaches and a small, sheltered harbour overlooked by a disused fort. From the harbour, boat trips run three miles offshore to Caldy Island where a monastic community makes perfume and religious artefacts. These are also sold in a shop a few yards from one of Tenby’s oldest buildings, the Tudor Merchants’ House.
Those who enjoy a more active life than just sitting on the beach should walk through the gateway in the town wall and down the ramp to the South Beach. Halfway down you can sign up for more invigorating activities such as parascending and water-skiing.
Those who prefer more leisurely pursuits can stroll around the town in search of ‘blue-plaque’ houses
– there are plenty of them, too. One in particular is Castle Rock House, in the Paragon above the harbour. Its plaque states that Lord Nelson and Sir William and Lady Hamilton stayed there in 1802. And, from what history tells us, their visit could be described
as a ménage à trois.
3. Newgale – a surfer's paradise
From Tenby, retrace your steps along the A478, past Saundersfoot, to Templeton. Turn left at the Boar’s Head pub onto the A4115, and follow this for about 2.5 miles to a junction with the A4075. Turn right onto the A4075 for two miles until you come to a T-junction with the A40. Turn left, follow the A40 to Haverfordwest, then pick up the A487 to St David’s.
On the way to St David’s, we walked down a hill overlooking Newgale and realised how it got its name as the weather was certainly blowing a gale that day!
Like so many Pembrokeshire beaches, the one at Newgale is long – two miles in all – and when the tide is out, it’s wide, too. But this isn’t a beach for building sand castles; this is a beach for surfers.
There’s a car park on the left at the bottom of the hill. Don’t turn right unless you’re planning to ride the waves as the car parks in the village itself are reserved for surfers.
To give you some idea of the sea’s ferocity here, the road is
separated from the beach by a huge mound of stones about 30 feet wide at the base and roughly 10 feet high. It stretches the full length of the beach. If you’re still interested in surfing after seeing that, you can hire equipment at the Newgale filling station on the
outskirts of the village.
4. Fun for all at Whitesands Bay
From Newgale, continue along the A487 for seven miles to St David’s. Turn right onto the B4583 and head for Whitesands Bay. This is yet another magnificent beach, wide and sandy. At the end of the road leading to the beach there’s a car park which charges £2 per day – not unreasonable, we thought, given the location and the fact that the spot also offers toilets and a small café.
On a warm, sunny day, Whitesands Beach is a magnet for those with young families, but it is also a favourite with surfers – which means the big waves sometimes roll in. So while this is a good place to let the kids enjoy themselves, parents should keep a watchful eye on the state of the sea, which can quickly change. This word of warning is reinforced by the fact that, just around the headland to the south, there is an active lifeboat station.
It, too, is situated in a bay which on a calm, sunny day looks tranquil. So, as long as you take sensible precautions, Whitesands is a great place for having fun on the beach. |
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Distance 75 miles
Time 8 hours
Start/finish Moreton Farm
Leisure Park
Suitable for All the family
Refreshments
Tenby Pam Pam Restaurant
St David’s Samplers
Tourist Information
Saundersfoot
Tel 01834 813672
Tenby
Tel 01834 842404 Email Click here
St David’s
Tel 01437 720392
Email Click here
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