None, although perhaps a long drive for those not close to the M4 motorway
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Tenby in Pembrokeshire is a bustling holiday town, plenty of shops for those who need a bit of retail therapy, plenty of pubs and eating places at prices to suit every pocket. As a bonus, Tenby is a seriously scenic resort, with Blue Flag beaches, lots and lots of sand, and boat trips to Caldey Island or just around the bays nearby.
We travelled from Shropshire, and the journey was around 165 miles, no motorway travelling involved, so it was literally a cross country journey. Although the journey was over three and a half hours the scenery more than made up for the time taken.
Most of the shops, pubs and eateries are situated inside the old walled town, there are the usual touristy gift shops, but there are also the shops which I would class as “different” such as clothing shops which are stocked with unusual and good quality designs, there is a leather shop which has a really good selection of bags, purses, belts and oddments, with prices I consider reasonable and in some cases very competitive. You might want to be decadent and treat yourself to an ice cream in the Italian Ice Cream Parlour, run by Fecci’s who also run a really good Fish & Chip shop in the town!
The town often host’s festivals throughout the summer, music festivals, food festivals, and cultural festivals, often with street entertainment provided, the atmosphere is good and very enjoyable.
First things first though, car parking is top of the list as it is unlikely you will find a free spot in the town during the peak holiday season. If you follow the one way system and drive along the cliff top road you will find a car park there, quite a large one which charges £2 per day. Good value if you plan to spend the most part of the day either in town or at the beach. Beware if you are not too good on your legs because to access the beach from this car park and indeed most of the others you have to go downhill quite steeply, not so bad until you need to get back up when you have quite a climb ahead of you. Another car park for a shorter visit is the Multi Storey car park, two hours on the short stay will cost 35 pence, or you can opt for the long stay at £1.65 for 3 hours plus. The Multi Storey is next to Somerfield supermarket; if you plan to grocery shop there you can claim some of your parking fees back provided you spend £15.
There are a few places where you can park in the side streets just outside the main shopping area, again though; you need to be prepared for a walk to the town which is usually uphill!
Children will love the play park next to the cliff top car park, and the bouncy castle and trampolines situated on the beach below. Parents will need to be watchful of boisterous children who have an urge to climb walls, as some of the walls have pretty sharp drops on the other side. It is easy to get complacent when in holiday mode, and drop your guard, don’t get me wrong, Tenby is great for children, the beaches especially are clean and spacious, just watch the little darlings when walking near the cliff top walls.
Food in local pubs is very good and priced reasonably; there are a couple of pricey eateries but most do meals starting at around the £4 -£5 mark.
Down in the harbour you can purchase tickets for sea cruises or perhaps a trip across to Caldey Island.
Caldey Island is very peaceful, with a tiny population, and a Monastery, which is the home to Cistercian Monks who have seemingly always had a place there. There is the old priory church, and inside you can see the Caldey Stone, thought to date from the sixth century. Part of the Priory Church is blocked off, for safety reasons, but well worth a visit, as it is so old. Unfortunately women are not allowed into the Monastery, but the men can go and look around. The Monks on Caldey make perfume, chocolate and other items which you can buy from the small shop, there is a post office, a café with seats outside, public toilets, a woodland walk, a lighthouse (steep path to climb) and St David’s church. It is a special place and it would be a shame to miss it whilst in the Tenby area. You can also take a trailer ride from the landing jetty to the middle of the island for a return fare of £1, a small price to save your weary legs the walk, although it is not very far. The trailer trip includes a little commentary about Caldey Island.
I can recommend Tenby to anyone who wants a bit of everything from his or her holiday, although it may be a bit limiting for the disabled in terms of the hilly terrain.
Daily budget was a difficult one, as it can vary greatly depending on what you do to entertain yourselves!
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