scenic, lovely beaches, attractions for all the family
Disadvantages:
competitive urination isn't my thing
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
We've just got back from our holidays. For the first time ever I ventured further west into the Principality of Wales and we got as far as the seaside resort of Tenby. We were staying in a tent (yes, myself, Mrs Nolly and our two small children all cramped in a tent for five days!). The park we were staying at was a mile north of the town of Tenby, and I intend to discuss different facets of our trip....
The Journey ==========
Well, we live in deepest darkest Herefordshire, and so we headed east towards Brecon on the A438 and then on to the A40. The distance was 120 miles for us. If you are coming from the South, just keep on going to the end of the M4 and follow the signposts for Carmarthen, St Clears and Tenby! Our way meant we stopped for lunch in a very pleasant town called Llandeilo.
The Park =======
The park we stayed at was called Wood Park. It caters for users of static caravans, touring caravans. motorhomes and tents, and you can have an electric hook-up if you so wish. We didn't and it cost £85 for the week, which is certainly cheaper then a B&B or a self-catering apartment in high season! There was a play park close to our tent, so our 4 year old loved it, but the youngest child wanted to make a break for freedom at every conceivable opportunity!
The Town ========
The town looks very pleasant. I must admit I have a very jaundiced view, and I wish to explain why. We visited Tenby for the first time on the Saturday evening. We parked in the car park (the main car park next to South Beach is £2 per day), and walked down to the steps (access to the beaches is either by steps or walkways, they aren't at road level). I was just about to take Eleanor down a set of steps when I noticed a man standing there relieving himself of excess bodily fluid quite brazenly and in the middle of the steps! Needless to say I did not stay to thank the gentleman for his friendly gesture, and moved on.
The town itself has three beaches - North, South and Castle. Of the three I would recommend South Beach, with its long stretch of golden sands. Each of the three beaches has lifeguards and the usual deckchair, lounger and parasol rip-offs, sorry, concessions. You can also buy ice-creams and other assorted refreshments. One word of warning, though. In the heat of the day (yes, we did have sunshine), the baby changing part of the public convenience at Castle Beach had obviously not been cleaned, and the resulting stench was on the nauseating side of disgusting, along with added flies!
In terms of shops, there are the usual assortment of chainstores, as well as gift shops selling everything from windmills emblazoned with the Welsh dragon, to models of a VW camper van (don't ask me why!). For the food lovers among you, we sampled two fish and chip emporia, Fecci's and The Spinnaker. Of the two I would recommend the former, as it was slightly less greasy. There are lots of food and drink shops, pubs and restaurants, but my only recommendation would be to avoid a Saturday night if you are with a young family, as at 7pm the security guards were already stationed outside the pubs. For ice-cream parlours, Fecci's also has a very nice one.
Excursions ========
Well, off the coast of Tenby is Caldey island, which has a monastery and a lovely beach. Boat trips are regular, but the return trip (40 minutes) won't give you much change out of £20 for a family of four. There are other trips, seal watching or just cruising around the bay.
Nearby are some lovely beaches. If you want slightly touristy, there is Saundersfoot, which is a village 3 miles to the north. Again this has a lovely beach and all the amenities normally on offer in a seaside resort.
Wynchwater Bay is glorious and can only be reached on foot. It has a sandy beach and lovely caves and rockpools at low tide. I like it because it has no refreshment stalls or deckchair concessions.
We also visited Manorbier Beach and Castle, which is a few miles west, again it is much less commercialised and is reasonably sandy.
Our absolute favourite was about one hour's drive away. On the headland to the west of Milford Haven is a piece of land owned by the National Trust. Maloes Sands is a gloriously unspoilt and beautiful beach. It is reach along a half mile footpath and is so beautiful I want to go back there tomorrow. It isn't a bucket and spade type of beach, rather a watch the waves rolling in kind of one. It also has a view of Skoholm island which, along with neighbouring Skomer, is home to a lot of birds including Puffins and Gannets. In Summer boat trips leave neighbouring Martin's Haven and if you want something a little quieter, this may well be for you.
On the way back from Marloes, we stopped off at Pembroke Castle (£8 for the four of us, so good value), where we explored the birthplace of Henry VII, and it was a really nice place to visit.
Overall Conclusion ===============
So, I guess you could say that this area has something for everybody. It has the touristy beaches that a lot of people like. It has shops and outlets, and also offers things off the beaten track for those who prefer a bit more peace and quiet.
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