Pembrokeshire has some of Britain’s loveliest beaches, yet tends to whisper quietly about them. The coastlines are as ravishing as those in Cornwall, but with precious few crowds outside of peak season, and the national park and 186-mile coastal path (which takes in the full sweep of the coast) keep things marvelously unspoilt.
Follow that country lane or gorse-trimmed trail and you’ll stumble across everything from broad sandy beaches with pounding surf to pebbly coves with rockpools for dropping a net in, and off-the-radar, cliff-backed coves where seals hang out. Yes, the water can be nippy (wetsuits are advisable), but if you like your beaches wild and your walks bracing, croeso – welcome!
For further inspiration, discover our guide to Pembrokeshire and the best hotels, restaurants, nightlife and things to do in the area.
South Pembrokeshire
Barafundle Bay
Perhaps it’s the thrill of reaching this tucked-away bay on foot over cliffs and pine-dotted dunes, but Barafundle is something else. Often coming tops in polls of Britain’s best beaches, this perfect golden crescent, hemmed by rugged cliffs, shelves into a startlingly turquoise sea. The half-hour walk from the nearest car park deters many, and thank goodness for that! If you’re here in summer, combine beach time with a visit to the nearby Bosherston lily ponds.
A bite to eat: Go for lunch at the Stackpole Inn, with fish specials on the menu and an appealing beer garden for warm-day imbibing.
Getting there: Park at Stackpole Quay National Trust car park (postcode SA71 5LS) and follow the signs. All-day parking costs £5 (cash only).
Freshwater West
There are two Freshwaters (East and West), but this is the surf-battered fave. Surfers come for the consistent Atlantic swells, but there’s a lot to love about this broad expanse of sand, fringed by fragile dunes. It gets rockier at the southern end, where seaweed-bedraggled rockpools are exposed at low tide (indeed, the edible Welsh laver variety is dried in a shack close by). Freshwater West has often appeared in films too, among them Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, where it was the backdrop for Dobby’s Shell Cottage. Dogs are permitted year round.
A bite to eat: Head over to Cafe Môr, a funkily converted fishing boat serving super-fresh seafood and laverbread, just a few minutes’ drive west of Freshwater West at The Old Point House on the Angle Peninsula.
Getting there: The beach is on the B4319 just northwest of Castlemartin. There are two free car parks that fill up quickly on sunny weekends and bank holidays.
Marloes Sands
Jagged sandstone cliffs and rock formations subdivide this broadly curving, mile-long beach into smaller, more secluded bays when the tide is up. Reached via a half-mile walk on a sandy track from the nearest car park, it’s a beauty, with views out across the wild Celtic Sea to outlying islands like Skokholm. Children can have fun splashing around in rockpools and hunting for fossils. On Wednesdays and Saturdays in September and October, the National Trust arrange guided walks with a ranger to see the seal pups.
A bite to eat: Pack a picnic as there are no facilities on the beach itself, or go for lunch or tea and cake in the sea-facing courtyard at hiply converted farmhouse, the Runwayskiln.
Getting there: Park at the National Trust car park (all day costs £5) just south of Marloes.
West Pembrokeshire
The Havens
Indenting the southern stretch of St Brides Bay are the Havens: a quartet of pretty coves and bays, each with its own personality. First up driving south to north is sand-and-rock Little Haven, with fishing village charm, starfish-studded rockpools and cracking views from The Point. With care you can walk around the headland to the wider beach of Settlands and Broad Haven (bigger and sandier at low tide). Next up is more secluded Druidston Haven, with some impressive cliffs, natural arches and caves to explore, followed by nicely secluded Nolton Haven.
A bite to eat: Saint Brides Inn in Little Haven is a cracking choice for a pub lunch or dinner. Or grab lobster brioches, crab sandwiches, great coffee and seaweed ales to go from LOBSTER AND MôR.
Getting there: The Havens are connected via the coastal B4341. Parking is available but it’s a squeeze at popular times.
With three miles of broad, pebble-backed sands and fizzing surf, and cliffs tapering away on either side, Newgale is a Blue Flag stunner. It’s a breezy beach for being active, whether on a low-tide ramble in search of caves, rockpools and foraged finds, or out at sea surfing, kite-surfing or bodyboarding. It’s ideal for children and dog walkers, too, with so much space it rarely ever feels crowded. The further you venture, the more you’ll have it all to yourself.
A bite to eat: Drive a couple of miles north to Solva for creative welshcakes and day specials at retro-cool MamGu, or a takeaway seafood platter from Mrs Will the Fish.
Getting there: Newgale is just off the A487. There are pay-and-display car parks along the front.
Abermawr & Aberbach
Slightly north of the little harbour in Abercastle (popular among coasteerers and sea kayakers) is Abermawr and its sidekick, Aberbach, which still feel like a well-kept secret. A lush, wooded valley, stippled with bluebells in spring, gives way to these peaceful coves flanked by low-rise cliffs and smooth pebbles. They’re best when they broaden at low tide, and at very low tide you might glimpse the stumps of a forest that was flooded 8,000 years ago.
A bite to eat: Nearby Melin Tregwynt woollen mill has an appealing tearoom serving light lunches, cakes and decent coffee.
Getting there: There’s limited parking on the roadside above the bays, which are right on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
North Pembrokeshire
Newport Sands
Tucked between headlands and backed by dunes, this wide, mile-long stretch of sand on the Nevern Estuary attracts a mix of families, dog walkers, canoeists, kayakers and, in summer, swimmers (safe zones are marked by flags and lifeguards are present from June to September). Called Traeth Mawr (Big Beach) in Welsh, it’s a good launchpad for a hike around Dinas Island or a visit to nearby Carreg Coetan Arthur, a Neolithic burial chamber dating to 3,000 BC.
A bite to eat: The artsy, pretty town of Newport has lots of choice: try cafes like Blas at Fronlas and Tides Kitchen, both on Market Street.
Getting there: The beach car park is two and a half miles from the A487 that runs through Newport.
Ceibwr Bay
Commanding dramatic views from its spectacularly buckled and contorted cliffs, remote Ceibwr Bay in northern Pembrokeshire is invigoratingly wild and redolent of smugglers past. The inlet of rocks and sand is totally unspoilt, so much so that you might find yourself all alone with Atlantic grey seals and seabirds such as fulmars and choughs. There are some enticing walks along the cliffs, including a 40-minute one to the geological oddity of Pwll y Wrach (the Witches’ Cauldron), a striking collapsed cave.
A bite to eat: Bring a packed lunch and enjoy the crumbs and silence.
Getting there: There’s a car park in nearby Moylegrove or more limited roadside parking closer to the cove.
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