2 DAYS IN SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE ITINERARY: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE & BEST THINGS TO DO!
LOOKING TO PLAN A LONG WEEKEND IN SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE?
The South Pembrokeshire coast in Wales is undeniably one of the most scenic regions we’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting in the United Kingdom.
We recently visited here last minute for a much needed long weekend getaway, and managed to see so much of Pembrokeshire’s glorious south coastline in just a few days!
From our experience, we have now perfected and crafted this 2 days in South Pembrokeshire itinerary below for you to follow:
Planning your trip to South Pembrokeshire? Start here:
Booking.com ↗ for the best places to stay in South Pembrokeshire.
Our top suggestion:
Priory Bay Escapes(hidden gem!! 🤩) In Penally, 2 miles from Tenby. Immaculate 2 bedroom apartment with outdoor jacuzzi and stunning ocean / countryside views.
DAY ONE: CALDEY ISLAND & EXPLORING TENBY
BREAKFAST IN TENBY Arrive early into Tenby, park in the visitors multi-storey car park. This can be paid by cash or card at the meter.
Enjoy wandering the quiet streets before starting the day with a cooked breakfast at Ronni’z Lounge. Or, the Cornish Bakehouse next door sells delicious pastries.
Pictured: Start your day in Tenby with a breakfast at Ronnie’z!
CALDEY ISLAND Caldey Island is a tiny island situated a 15 minute boat ride from Tenby. Inhabited by Cistercian Monks for centuries, Caldey Island is calm, tranquil and serene.
To buy tickets, head to Castle Square next to Tenby Harbour. You can buy your Caldey return boat ticket from the official Caldey Island kiosk. Services are every 20 minutes from Tenby South Beach, between 10am-5pm.
Spend a wonderful 3 to 4 hours wandering this tiny, idyllic island. Active pursuits include headland walks from the lighthouse, wildlife spotting and woodland walks. For a relaxing experience, browse the Holy buildings, Village shops and lunch on the Green.
Top tip: Boat trips to Caldey Island run from Tenby everyday Monday to Saturday during the Summer months of May to September. There are no boat trips to Caldey Island on any Sunday.
Pictured: One of the seven MCA certified boats that take you across to Caldey Island from Tenby South Beach.
Pictured: The beautiful Priory Beach, the only accessible public beach on Caldey Island.
EXPLORE TENBY Arriving back to Tenby, the day is yours to explore! The prettiest place in Tenby is the colourful Sergeants Lane, where you can stop for a drink.
Walk down the quaint Quay Hill path before reaching the Tudor Merchant’s House. This is a National Trust attraction steeped in history, which you can explore inside for a small fee.
Or, make the most of Tenby’s two beaches (North and South), both close to one another. The South Beach is the larger of the two. Relax on the golden sands with an ice cream.
At South Beach (otherwise known as “Castle Beach”, you can walk out to St Catherines Island at low tide. At North Beach, this is where you will see Tenby’s iconic row of colourful houses.
Pictured: The colourful and quirky Sergeants Lane in Tenby – a must see on your Pembrokeshire itinerary!Pictured: The idyllic Quay Hill laneway (left) leading down to the National Trust’s Tudor Merchants House (right), which you can enter and explore for a small fee.
Pictured: The beautiful Tenby North Beach in Wales in the glorious sunshine, with the iconic Tenby rainbow houses in the background!
Pictured: Tenby South Beach at low tide, leaving St Catherines Island accessible for the public to explore! Tenby South Beach is where the boat trips to Caldey Island pick up and drop offs are based.
DAY TWO: BUBBLETON FARM SHOP, PEMBROKESHIRE COASTLINE & DOBBY’S GRAVE
BREAKFAST AT BUBBLETON FARM SHOP & CAFÉ There’s no better way to start Day 2 of your Pembrokeshire itinerary than at Bubbleton Farm Shop and Café. Enjoy a scrumptious cooked breakfast and coffee surrounded by glorious Welsh Countryside and bleating farm animals.
Open every day from 9am (except Wednesdays), arrive early to get a good outside seat at this popular spot.
Top Tip: There is both outside and inside seating available at Bubbleton Farm Shop and Café. You can also stay overnight here on the campsites, or go glamping in their yurts!
Pictured: The Bubbleton Farm Shop & Cafe outdoor seating area in the warmer months.
Pictured: The Bubbleton Farm Shop & Cafe outdoor area. There are also indoor seating available if the day you visit is a little chilly!
Pictured: Enjoy a scrumptious and freshly cooked breakfast at Bubbleton Farm Shop & Cafe before your day of exploring the South Pembrokeshire coastline begins!
BARAFUNDLE BAY BEACH From Bubbleton, drive 8.6 miles (20 minutes) West along the coastline to Stackpole Car Park for our first destination, Barafundle Bay Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Wales!
After parking, follow the signposts to Barafundle Bay. It is a relatively easy 10-minute walk across the headlands. Make your way down to the beach itself by stone steps.
Pictured: Follow the signposts to Barafundle Bay Bay. It takes 10 minutes to reach Barafundle from Stackpole car park, and is a relatively easy walk across. Photographs taken by Jordie.
Top Tip: The ticket machines at Stackpole Car Park only accept cash, however you can pay for parking by card with the National Trust volunteers in the small shop on-site too if they are there (we visited during the weekend, so not sure if they are there during the week too). We advise to bring coins with you just in case.
Top Tip: There are public toilets to use at Stackpole Car Park. This is the closest toilet facility to Barafundle Bay beach, which is roughly a 10 minute headland walk away.
Pictured: Jordie with the incredible vistas as you approach the steps to Barafundle Bay beach, one of most stunning beaches you will come across on your South Pembrokeshire itinerary! Photograph taken by Liam.
BROAD HAVEN SOUTH BEACH – ST GOVANS CHAPEL WALK Next, walk the 20 minute (1 mile) scenic coastal path from Broad Haven South Beach to St Govan’s Chapel before then returning back the way you came.
St Govan’s is a curious old stone chapel built into the side of the cliffs. Walk down the stone steps and through the chapel itself to see the rocky beach on the other side.
Pictured: Walking down the stone steps to St Govan’s Chapel (left), inside St Govan’s Chapel showing the entrance to the shore side (right). Photographs taken by Jordie.
It all depends on whether you want to pay for parking which way you do this return walk.
At Broad Haven South Beach, you’ll have to again pay for parking (cash only by meter or by card with National Trust volunteers inside on weekends / peak period).
By parking here, take immediate advantage of the free public toilets and more spaces, as it is considerably larger.
Pictured: The scenic vantage point of Broad Haven South Beach and Church Rock! This is just a minutes walk away from the Broad Haven South Beach car park. Photograph taken by Jordie.
You could reverse the walk, seeing St Govan’s Chapel first before walking to Broad Haven South beach to see Church Rock, and use the public toilets there before heading back.
Pictured: Jordie marvelling at St Govan’s chapel on the beach side (after walking through it). Photograph taken by Liam.
FRESHWATER WEST BEACH: DOBBY’S GRAVE If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you must not miss the chance to visit Freshwater West beach, just a 20 minute (8.6 mile) drive from Broad Haven South.
This is the exact filming location where Harry buries his dear friend Dobby in the “Deathly Hallows 1” movie. To this day, Dobby’s Grave remains a real place, surrounded by piles of tributes, including decorated stones and of course – plenty of socks! #dobbyisafreeelf #IYKYK
It’s quite amazing how much love is still shown for everyone’s favourite fictional house even all these years later!
Top Tip: This is the exact location of Dobby’s Grave on Freshwater West beach. It took us SO long to find it, including walking up and down sandy dunes, so we pinned it to make it super easy for you to find!
Top Tip: Freshwater West beach has a North and South car park (both free to park). The South car park, located roughly here, is the closest to Dobby’s Grave.
Top Tip: Another epic Harry Potter filming location for the Deathly Hallows movie is at the Malham Cove limestone pavement in the Yorkshire Dales.
Pictured: Dobby’s Grave is a real Harry Potter filming location that no fan of the movies can miss! To this day, there is still an outpouring of love for everyones favourite fictional house elf!
HERE FOR A 3RD DAY? HERE’S SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS TO DO IN SOUTH & WEST PEMBROKESHIRE:
• South Coast: Take a swim at Skrinkle Haven beach & Church Cove (accessible only on low tide).
• West Coast: The Blue Lagoon in Abereiddy. You can also explore the Blue Lagoon on this MUUK kayaking tour.
• West Coast: Day trip to Skomer Island to see the puffins! (Seasonal).
• West Coast: Visit St David’s town, Britains smallest city.
WHERE TO STAY IN SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE
When deciding on where to stay in South Pembrokeshire, we highly recommend staying a short drive away from Tenby (the main town) in the quieter coastal towns.
This way, you have quick access into Tenby but the delight of a quieter, more authentic Pembrokeshire experience. We have listed or top choices below:
Undoubtedly, the best way to get around South Pembrokeshire and complete this weekend itinerary is by driving your own vehicle. This gives you total freedom and allows you to explore whenever you want.
Need to hire a car? Take a look at the best rental car deals on DiscoverCars.com!
Top Tip: Some of the coastal roads in Pembrokeshire are tight, countryside lanes that can fit just one car. We would recommend the smaller your car, the better! Some of the roads are not suitable for large camper vans, for example.
This weekend in South Pembrokeshire itinerary is jam-packed with all of the key highlights that this glorious part of the country has to offer.
From the bustling seaside town of Tenby, tranquil offshore islands, golden sand beaches, headland walks, wildlife and even a Harry Potter filming location – it has a bit of everything!
Of course, if you wanted to slow the pace, we recommend splitting the itinerary across a few more days. However, as we have personally tried and tested this jam-packed itinerary, we can vouch it is perfect for those who just have the weekend free.
Either way, you will have the best time! We wishing you a weekend of sunshine to make it all the more special!
ALL “KNOW BEFORE YOU GO” QUESTIONS:
HOW LONG TO SPEND IN SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE?
If you are looking to book yourself a long weekend getaway, we would say a full 2 to 3 days in South Pembrokeshire is a great amount of time to visit.
There of course is West Pembrokeshire too, which hosts its own epic destinations. If you wanted to visit both South and West, we would recommend at least 4 to 5 days in total.
HOW DO I SPEND A WEEKEND IN SOUTH PEMBROKESHIRE?
From personal experience, we guarantee 2 to 3 days along the South Pembrokeshire coast is the perfect amount of time to exploring the key sights whilst also finding some time to relax.
This blog post was written by Jordie Flain!
Founder of TheFlainsTravel.com
A travel-obsessed Sagittarius creating honest, easy-to-follow guides. Powered by tea, chocolate and a slightly concerning amount of tomato ketchup.
Got a trip coming up? Look no further than:
Skyscannerfor the best flight deals Easy to compare, clean, uncluttered website.
Booking.comto stay somewhere amazing Most free cancellation on anything from glamping to luxury stays.
Viatorfor unforgettable experiences All the best tours & activities in one easy place! Free cancellation on most.
Jordie Flain is the owner and author of The Flains Travel, a travel blog with emphasis on ethical wildlife experiences, "seen to be believed" natural beauty and "real magic" phenomena, such as the northern lights. Jordie crafts every itinerary and post to perfection for travellers to follow and get the very most out of their time in a destination.
Booking.com ↗ for the best places to stay in South Pembrokeshire.
