Best Places to go in Pembrokeshire with Family and Children
This blog will give you a quick guide to Pembrokeshire’s most family friendly places to spend your precious holiday days.
Whether you’re looking for fantastic outdoor activities, filled with adventure or lazy afternoons by the sea with happy, sticky ice cream covered faces, Pembrokeshire always delivers. At Penally Abbey, we welcome families every year and give them the inside scoop on the best places to go, play and eat in order to provide you and your family with magical memories for years to come.
Here are our top five personal recommendations...
5 Best Family Days Out in Pembrokeshire
1) Caldey Island | Tenby
Is there anything more quintessentially British than a day out at the seaside?
A family day trip to Caldey Island adds an extra sparkle to the traditional British day at the beach and the magic starts as soon as you walk through the cobbled streets of Tenby. Jump aboard the Caldey boat in the harbour (or Castle beach if the tide is out) and enjoy a jolly trip across Tenby bay towards the pretty little island. Once you have stepped ashore, vast, empty beaches await you along with the chocolate factory, monastery and café, where you can enjoy an afternoon tea or spot of lunch.
Whether you spend your time on the island exploring the monastery and learning about the life of the monks, lazing on the glorious Priory beach or walking along the grassy headlands, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Prices: Adult £14 | Seniors £11 | Children £7 | Family ticket £35
Opening Times: Saturday 13thApril to Friday 11thOctober (No sailings on Sundays)
Parking: Tenby multi-storey car park – then walk through the cobbled streets of Tenby to the harbour (about a 10 minute walk )
2) Folly Farm | Narberth
Folly Farm is the perfect place to head to for a day where all of the organised fun is done for you. The enormous, impressive zoo has over 750 different animals to visit, a barn full of feathery farmyard friends to feed, pet and hold, a large fair ground and eight different play areas. There is not a chance any child, or adult for that matter, will get bored.
Whether you fancy feeding a giraffe, spotting the sea from the top of the big wheel or milking a cow, Folly Farm gets children back to nature whilst educating them about the fascinating creatures in the world. There is also a bar that serves wine (I told you this was for ALL the family!) and a number of great cafes and food spots. Everything has been thought of for this fabulous day out!
Prices: Adult £16.50 | Child (3-15yrs) £14.50 | Toddler 2yrs) £10.50 | Under 2 – free
Do note that by buying a day ticket online you can save 15% off all of the above prices.
Opening Times: During the Summer holidays Folly Farm is open 10am – 5.30pm every day
Parking: Free parking at the farm
3) Good Trails | Saundersfoot
When holidaying in the Pembrokeshire it only seems right to enjoy a family day out on the water. Coppet Hall beach is a sheltered, picturesque little bay just round from Saundersfoot. Here you will find the very friendly Alan and his team at the perfectly located Good Trails.
Whether you want to hire a Kayak and go off on your own family adventure or learn to paddleboard from an experienced, fun teacher, Alan and Caroline are experienced, qualified instructors who will make you fall in love with the Pembrokeshire coastline. There is nothing quite like an afternoon of sea air to ensure everyone goes to bed happy at the end of a great day.
Prices: Sup Safari Session: £35 per person & £15 per child (8 – 10 years old)
Includes all of the kit – wetsuit, buoyancy aid, paddleboard and paddle.
Kayak & Sup Hire – 1 hour - £12 | 2 hours £20 | 3 hours - £25 | 1 day - £40
Opening Times: 9am – 7pm (Lessons around the tide – see website for more info)
Parking: Coppet Hall beach car park – pay and display
4) Coasteering with TYF | St.Davids
A day with the energetic and experienced guys at TYF Coasteering guarantees unlimited amounts of adventure, adrenaline and fun. From scrambling around pristine cliffs, swimming between rocks and jumping from the land into the ocean, you will have the most fun you've had in years. Whether you want a fast paced adventure or a slower meander around the coast, the folk at TYF can adjust the day to meet your levels and requirements. Keeping safe and exploring the coast in the most adventurous way is what they do for their guests all year round.
This day out is perfect for children of 8 years and up and is a brilliant way of connecting with your slightly older or teen children in the great outdoors. TYF provide everything you need to keep safe, from helmets, buoyancy aids, winter wetsuits and wetsuit boots and hats to stay warm in the chilly welsh waters.
Prices: Family Classic Coasteering : Children £40 | Adult £60 | Duration 3.5 hours
Opening Times: 9am - 7pm Monday - Saturday | 9am - 5pm Sunday
5) Pembrokeshire Safari Tours | Penally
Booking a day out with Joe is the ONLY way to see Pembrokeshire if you’re here for a limited amount of time. Heading out on one of his tours in his fantastic land rover means that you’ll see the best, most magical, most wonderful bits of the breath taking coastline all in the space of a day.
With insider knowledge about where the best coastal viewing spots are including the best, world class beaches and the best places to stop for lunch, booking a Pembrokeshire Safari tour is a foolproof way of getting the most out of your trip. It’ll keep the whole family entertained as you are taken from one fabulous spot to another!
Prices: £50-£65.00 per person | A maximum of 6 people for each tour.
Opening Times: Tours start at 10am (between 5-6hours)
Parking: Pick up point is at The Green Car Park in Tenby where there is all day parking or if you are staying at the hotel (Penally Abbey Hotel), Joe can pick you up right outside our front door.
5 Best Beaches for Families in Pembrokeshire
There are a few things that you need to know when heading to the beach for the day with children, parasols and buckets and spades in tow. For example: is there plenty of parking and are there accessible loos? Do life guards patrol the beach and is there a café for ice cream and emergency snacks? Here is the round up of our absolute favourites...
1) Broad Haven South Beach
Parking: National Trust Car Park | £5 for the day OR £2 after 2pm
Café: Paternoster Farm street food van is parked at the beach car park and serves ice creams, coffee and delicious, daily food specials from their own farm reared meat. Also, Bosherston café is located in the village just a 5-minute drive from the beach and serves afternoon tea, sandwiches, salads and amazing cheese on toast. Please note: both are cash only and the nearest cash point is 8 miles away in Pembroke.
Toilets: Yes, there are loos at the car park.
Lifeguards: No.
2) Manorbier
Parking: Pay and display car park | £5 for the day, £3 for 3 hours, £1 for 1 hour
Café: There is a café, local shop and pub located in the centre of the village just a 5 minute walk up the hill from the car park.
Toilets: Yes, there are loos at the car park.
Lifeguards: No.
3) Tenby South Beach
Parking: Pay and Display car park | £5 for 24hours, 0.50p for 1hour, £1 for 2hours, £3 for 4hours
Café: On the beach itself is Beach Box, a street food pop-up, which serves drinks, ice creams and delicious burgers salads and sandwiches. South Beach Bar & Grill is also right on the beach but we would only recommend it for cocktails or glass of wine with a lovely view.
Toilets: Yes, there are public loos in the car park.
Lifeguards: Yes, this beach is patrolled by RNLI lifeguards during the summer holidays.
4) Saundersfoot
Parking: Pay and Display parking | £10 for 8 hours, £4.50 for 3 hours, £1.50 for 1 hour
Café: There is a brilliant street food pop-up called Cwl Box right on the beach which does delicious salads and lunches. The beach is right in the town so there is an abundance of fish and chip shops, cafes and pubs located within a few minutes’ walk of the beach.
Toilets: Yes, there are public loos at the car park.
Lifeguards: Yes, the beach is patrolled by RNLI lifeguards during the summer holidays.
5) Freshwater West
Parking: Free car park
Café: The famous, award winning Café Mor is located in the car park at Freshwater West and serves delicious burgers, breakfast buns, lobster rolls, fish specials, ice cream and teas and coffees. Also takes card!
Toilets: Yes, there are public loos in the car park.
Lifeguards:Yes, the beach is patrolled by RNLI lifeguards during the summer holidays.
1) Top Joe's Tenby | Website | Phone: 01834 218089 | Opening: 12-3pm and 5pm -10.30pm
For fresh, homemade pizza and delicious pasta dishes – perfect for families in the heart of Tenby. Also does takeaway.
2) Bubbleton Farm Shop | Website | Phone: 01834 501871 | Opening: 9am -5pm
Cozy farm shop and café where you can sit outside whilst your children feed the sheep and play amongst the chickens. Lovely little oasis and incredibly child friendly.
3) Y Gegin | Website | Opening Times: Fri, Sat & Sun, 10am – 10pm
A wonderful food hall in a beautiful old building in Pembroke Dock. Pop-up chefs serving various delicious dishes all day. Perfect for all the family as it has a child’s play area, table tennis for the slightly older ones and an incredibly relaxed atmosphere.
4) Park Road Fish and Chip Shop | Phone: 01303265134 | Opening: 11am – 9pm (Sundays 12-5.30pm)
Tenby is inundated with Fish and Chip shops so here is the best of the best for you. Perfect after a long day playing on the beach. Rain or shine, Park Road chip shop is the one. If you’re in a rush to get the family home, call ahead and order as they make their fish fresh to order.
5) Cafe Mor | Website | Phone: 07422 535345 | Opening: During summer holidays - 9am -7pm (Easter - Summer holidays: 10am-4pm)
Home to some of the best fresh street food in the country, award winning Cafe Mor is perfect for all the family. Whether it's just for an ice cream during a busy day on the beach or a delicious post surfing/bodyboarding/sand castle making burger or fish roll. Guaranteed to make everyone smile.
5 Best Places to Stay for Families in Pembrokeshire
