5 of the Best Beaches in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
5 Minute Read
In September 2020, I walked the full 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The trail crossed through 58 beaches and 14 harbours in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. After seeing all this coastline, I decided to narrow it down to 5 of my favourite Pembrokeshire beaches for you to visit.
Overall, the route took me just under 2 weeks to hike and included 35,000 feet of ascents and descents which is equivalent to climbing the height of Mount Everest!
The Pembrokeshire Coast is in the south west of Wales and is one of the UK’s 14 National Parks. It is known for its extraordinary rugged coastline and secluded sweeping beaches.
Although these are my favourite Pembrokeshire beaches, there are so many along the coastline that I simply couldn’t name them all. Everyone will have their preference and you should explore the area to find your own favourites!
To get you started, here’s 5 of the best Pembrokeshire beaches – ordered from south to north along the coast:
- Tenby South and North
- Freshwater West
- Barafundle Bay
- Newgale
- Whitesands
See also:
How to Walk the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
Top 3 Brecon Beacons Walks
1. Tenby South and North
The beaches of Tenby South and North are less dramatic than some of the others along the coast. Visiting them is not so much about the rugged wilderness, it’s more about the lovely seaside setting. What makes them so special is their positioning. The beaches are nestled either side of the quaint multi-coloured town of Tenby.
Tenby is as charming as it is pretty. Aside from the 2.5 miles of beaches to walk along, make sure you stroll around the cobbled streets of the town and visit Tenby Castle. Explore some of the pubs and cafes on the beach front and if you have time, consider visiting the fortress on St. Catherine’s Island.
Tenby is much easier to get to than many of the other beaches in Pembrokeshire. There’s a train station in the town centre and it’s close to another busy fishing village that’s worth a visit called Saundersfoot.
Expect some crowds and be prepared that you likely won’t have the place to yourself. However, compared to Brighton or Bournemouth, Tenby has heaps more to offer and is far less busy.
2. Freshwater West
Freshwater West will likely seem familiar to you and for good reason. It was the filming location of THAT Dobby scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was also used in the Russell Crowe version of Robin Hood, amongst other Hollywood blockbusters.
As with many of the other Pembrokeshire Beaches, there’s often nothing nearby them. No concrete promenade, no beach hut selling overpriced toys and expensive refreshments, no dingy arcade, just the beauty of nature.
Freshwater West is a perfect example of the Pembrokeshire tranquility. There are a couple of grassy car parks, a lone road leading to them, and then nothing but fields folding into sand dunes followed by the wide sand beach.
Freshwater West is a popular spot for surfers and bodyboarders alike. It has consistently strong currents with curling waves and is considered to be one of the best surfing spots in Wales.
There’s a food van near the car park called Cafe Môr which serves fantastic seafood rolls, breakfast buns, and Welsh beef burgers. There’s also a great campsite, Gupton Farm, that’s only a 10-minute walk from the beach if you’re looking for somewhere to stay.
3. Barafundle Bay
If you’ve heard of any Pembrokeshire beaches, it will likely be this one. The National Trust owned Barafundle Bay is often cited as one of the most beautiful beaches in Britain, and for good reason.
With it’s golden sands fringed by picturesque heathland, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the most idyllic and photographic beaches in all of Pembrokeshire.
It’s an isolated beauty with the only car park and visitor centre being a 10-minute walk over the headland in a wooded creek. The beach itself is wedged between two craggy limestone cliffs that jut out into the turquoise sea.
Stop at The Boathouse Tea-room to get any snacks before you head up the trail to the beach. Once you arrive in Barafundle, it’s only the cliffs, sand, and waves around you so make sure to stock up on refreshments before your visit!
4. Newgale
Newgale beach is just enormous. Stretching 2-miles along the majority of St. Brides Bay it could easily take you 20-minutes or more to walk its length. One of my favourite things about this beach, other than its impressive scale, is the gorgeous views on the horizon.
From here you really get a scope of Pembrokeshire’s beauty as the sprawling coast stretches away from you far into the distance on both sides before hooking round into great headlands out to sea.
As it’s so large, the beach is a popular spot for kite surfers both out to sea and those land-boarding at low tide. Newgale is also popular for surfers due to the neat curling waves that break upon the beach.
I highly recommend you walk along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path at either edge of the beach and explore some of the caves nestled beneath the headlands. When you get up on top of the soaring cliffs the views are simply phenomenal.
5. Whitesands
The final on this list is also my favourite of the Pembrokeshire beaches. With its jutting cliffs, azure water, and golden beaches, Whitesands is like no beach I’ve ever seen. It’s located on St David’s Head, set against the backdrop of the 181m Carn Llidi, in a part of the coast that is so far removed from anywhere that it’s hard to believe you’re still in the UK.
The bay signifies the start of my favourite part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path which begins just after Whitesands in the rugged north of the National Park. Some of the best walking paths I’ve ever been on are along this section.
Whitesands is one of the best surfing spots in Wales, like so many of the beaches in Pembrokeshire. When the swell’s up, don’t be surprised if you see the water filled with the bobbing heads of eager surfers keen to catch the next wave.
There are multiple campsites around Whitesands which are perfect places to pitch if you want to be close to the beach. If you get the time, it’s also worth visiting St Davids, the UK’s smallest city, to see its impressive cathedral.
Whitesands Beach House is a great spot to get an ice cream and a hot chocolate if you’re looking for a break from the bracing sea air!
Special Mention: Marloes Sands
When I met people along the Pembrokeshire Coast, Marloes Sands was often mentioned as one of the best Pembrokeshire beaches. Unfortunately, when I walked past this section, there was a thick layer of sea mist blanketing the beach.
The mist was so dense that it completely obscured the cliffs, sand, and sea. All I could hear from my place on the path above was the lapping of the waves on the beach. For that reason, it gets a special mention but you’ll have to go for yourself to see what it’s like!
Before You Go
Thanks for reading my guide on the top 5 best Pembrokeshire beaches. If travel guides like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more!
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