By the Seaside: Guide to Tenby’s Beaches

“With its unique blend of medieval and Tudor architecture, sweeping beaches and quaint harbour, Tenby is a gem on the Pembrokeshire coastline. Spend a weekend exploring the ruins of the castle or head out to the fort on St Catherine’s Island. Back in the town, there are galleries and, of course, fish and chip shops aplenty. Not to mention four beaches, which include the crescent-shaped North Beach below the harbour and the rugged South Beach just steps from that.

North Beach
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With the harbour to one side, Tenby town above it and Goscar Rock standing tall in the middle of the sands, North Beach is postcard perfect. Lifeguards watch over the Blue Flag by during summer, and if you want to amp up the adrenaline, you can get out on the water on a jet ski. For a more serene day, explore the rugged coastline by canoe. As one of the most popular beaches, it can get crowded, but the more spacious South Beach is just over the harbour.

### Facilities

North Beach has public toilets and showers for after a swim. Plus, you can hire deck chairs and look into boat hire too. The tourist information is just up by the harbour, where you’ll also find plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

### Getting Here

North Beach is central to Tenby town, just steps from the harbour. The car park can get extremely busy during the summer, so consider using the park and ride at Salterns or The Green, instead. A free shuttle will then drop you at South Parade, an eight-minute walk from the beach.

South Beach
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Two miles long, South Beach is just a ten-minute walk from the harbour. You can get to it during low or high tide, and there’s plenty of room for beach sports and sandcastle building. The clear waters are swimmable, and this Blue Flag beach has a lifeguard on duty between May and September. Towards the harbour, you can easily walk to Castle Beach, or out to St Catherine’s island when the tide is low. At the other end, the landscape becomes more rugged as it joins the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path.

### Facilities

Within easy reach of the sand are toilets, deckchair hire and an ice cream van during peak season. You can arrange sea-angling trips as well as surfing, wind surfing and canoeing, giving you more opportunity to get out on the water.

### Getting Here

South Beach has its own car park, but it’s small and can quickly get crowded. There’s a second private car park on The Esplanade, or you can use the town’s park and ride service.

Harbour Beach
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Framed by Tenby’s medieval castle walls, this small sandy beach is perfect for families. Here, you can make sandcastles by the shore, paddle in the warm waters of the sea of take a boat trip out to Caldey Island – a holy island home to Caldey Abbey. The Georgian buildings around the harbour provide plenty of seaside charm for that family photo, too. Steps lead back up to Tenby town, giving you easy access to restaurants and cafes.

### Facilities

The beach has toilets nearby, and there are shops, cafés and a place to hire a fun boat, too.

### Getting Here

Harbour Beach is just a ten-minute walk from Tenby town centre. The town is pedestrianised 11am-5:30 am 1 July-mid-September, so park at the town’s multistorey car park and walk down to the harbour.

Castle Beach
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Tenby’s smallest beach has shallow waters and the ruins of Tenby Castle overlooking it. It’s a Blue Flag beach with lifeguards on duty June-September. It joins South Beach, so you can easily walk there if the tide is coming in, or you find the sands overcrowded. At low tide, walk out to St Catherine’s Island to see the WWII fort there.

### Facilities

Castle Beach has its own toilets and a café. Just up the hill is the tourist information office as well as museums and restaurants.

### Getting Here

The easiest way to get to Castle Beach is to take the park and ride to South Parade. From there, the walk to the sands takes less than ten minutes. Or you can park in the multistorey car park in the town, also just a short walk away.

### Plan Your Tenby Trip

Get ready for a stay by the sea and find Tenby hotels with Expedia.”