Why You Should Make Tenby Your Next Holiday Destination

The seafront is lined with houses coloured and purposed to every taste and palate; one walk dominated by a line of hotels; the other defined by rows of homes and shops only a few steps from the harbour. 

As more and more people have begun taking holidays within the UK, locations like this Welsh town have reached the forefront of many travel guides, and it’s easy to see why! 

Sandy beaches wrap around the edge of town and at low tide it is possible to walk directly from one end to the other; alternatively, you can explore the caves and crevices lining the cliffside.

The centre of town has a wide range of shops and restaurants, many of which come with  high recommendations such as the newly opened Town Crier, the Japanese restaurant Umi and the Harbwr Brewery Tap and Kitchen. 

The vast majority of establishments advertise as being dog friendly and this welcoming attitude widely extends to the character of the local populace who are consistently friendly and helpful; staff are happy to answer questions or give advice on the area. 

Tenby is also historically rich.

Built around the ancient walls of Tenby castle (remains of the original castle sit alongside a more recent statue of Prince Albert), Tenby is also home to the Tudor Merchant House and only a short boat ride away from Caldey Island whereupon can be found Caldey Abbey. 

Boats from the harbour to Caldey Island only tend to operate from May to September (with the exception of Sundays), after which travel opportunities become infrequent. 

Although the Abbey opened in 1912, the tradition of monks inhabiting the island has been a constant since as far back as the sixth century! 

Currently, the island is open to visitors who can wander its grassy hills and even offers chocolate made by the local monks.

Whilst Tenby is a viable destination at any time of the year, its most popular months tend to be from July to August; at this time the sea is at its warmest and the centre of town is completely pedestrianised (though motor activity in this area tends to be infrequent year round).

Potential visitors should also be aware that the people of Tenby take Halloween quite seriously with ghost walks and crowds of costumed trick or treaters wandering the streets on Halloween night, so if this spooky season is your time of the year, then Tenby is certainly the place for you!

                              Other Nearby Activities For Your Holiday

Of course, there is only so much time that you can spend in one place; so what else is there around Tenby to occupy your time? 

About an hour's drive north west will bring you to the little City of St Davids; never was the adjective ‘little’ more deserved for it is in fact the UK’s smallest city, taking up a land area of just under 18 square miles (only 0.23 of which are designated as ‘urban’ spaces). 

The main draw of this city is its namesake, St Davids Cathedral, which still acts as a functional cathedral to both the local and wider community. 

When no services are being held, its grounds are open to the public, free of charge, who can explore both the historic cathedral (already adorned with informative boards detailing the legacy of the building) and the adjoining structures dotted around the gardens.

Other attractions can be found just up the road in the centre of the city such as a local chocolate shop and a rather lovely independent bookshop.

Slightly nearer to Tenby, both the town of Pembroke and Pembroke Docks can be found approximately twenty-five minutes to the west. 

The main attraction here is Pembroke Castle, the birthplace of Henry the seventh. 

Upon admittance visitors are welcome to explore the walls and the exhibitions hidden within them as well as Wogan Cave which is buried deep beneath the grounds; the site of a recent excavation which has yielded rare evidence indicating the habitation of the area as dating all the way back to the last ice age. 

Guided tours are offered every couple of hours and are highly recommendable to any keen castle-goer. 

The rest of Pembroke offers further shops and restaurants such as ‘Wisebuys Ltd’, a delightful little shop on the main street in the style of a 1940’s corner shop. 

A further twenty minute drive will take you to Freshwater West beach, which, whilst also being a spectacle in its own right boasting dunes, admirable waves and spectacular views, is home to Dobby's grave as seen in Harry Potter.

Of course, any vacationers driving to Tenby from Hampshire would pass by the cities of Swansea and Cardiff, both of which are worthy of a visit in their own right.

So the next time that you find yourself booking a holiday you can skip Spain, pass over Puerto Rico and ignore Iceland, for we already have everything that you could want in a vacation destination here in Britain: in Tenby.