So you have booked a week or two in Tenby and you probably want to explore the surrounding area too. There are so many beautiful places to admire and explore an hour or so from Tenby. Here are a few days out in Tenby for you to consider.

There are so many wonderful places to explore when taking a day trip from Tenby. If you’re planning your next trip or itching to get there, here are a few for you to admire or consider. Don’t worry if you don’t have a car, we’ve included a couple of tours too that include hotel pick-ups. Here is a quick guide to days out in Tenby.

Simply explore the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Tenby is located in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. This is the only coastal national park in the UK and although it is one of the smallest of the UK’s National Parks it is brimming with stunning landscapes. It is backed by rolling hills, estuaries, valleys, and woodlands to explore. Perfect for you if you love a good walk! The coast path stretches 186 miles (299 km) from St Dogmaels to Amroth. There are over 200 circular walks available on the National Parks website in a variety of lengths and difficulty to suit all abilities.

St Davids

Visiting St Davids is one of our favourite days out in Tenby. It’s the smallest city in Great Britain and has a really unique charm. There are many pretty shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants to enjoy. St Davids is around an hour from Tenby, there is plenty here to enjoy a day trip.

St Davids Cathedral is beautiful and worth a visit and Oriel y Parc is a visitor centre. It often runs events and holds exhibitions by local artists and the National Museum Wales. There is a gift shop here selling books, prints, and local crafts. There is also a lovely café, and parking with links to the coastal bus services. Fancy a boat trip? There are plenty of island boat trips from St Davids such as Voyages of Discovery and Thousand Island Expeditions where you can get up close to sea life and spot seals, porpoises, dolphins, puffins, and gannets and of course admire truly stunning views of the coastline. Feeling adventurous? Try out coasteering, invented in Wales, with Celtic Quest Coasteering they also offer a range of other adventure activities.

Bosherston Lakes and Stackpole Court

The Bosherston Lakes and Stackpole Court site and Lodge Park Woods form the most complete and famous part of Stackpole’s designed landscape. This is a gorgeous place to lose a few hours and feel totally at one with nature. Only around 30 minutes from Tenby the Stackpole Estate has a Grade 1 listed landscape and the parkland that was created by The Cawdor Family that surrounded their home.

You might have heard of Bosherston lily ponds, they are a main focus of the grounds and are well known for the stunning annual display of waterlilies. Watch out for wildlife here, including otters! Nearby you can find Lodge Park Woods which is another fantastic place to explore. It also features a summer house, walled garden, and ice house. There are many paths and they are mainly flat making it accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs. A picture-perfect family day out!

Aberglasney Garden

The garden that got lost in time is around an hour from Tenby located near Llanarthne in Carmarthenshire. The 10-acre gardens include Cloister Garden, Asiatic Garden, The Alpinum Garden, Upper, and Lower Walled Gardens, The Pool Garden, and the 18th century Yew Tunnel. Here you can also wander around the ground floor of the grade II listed mansion. There is a pretty tearoom available on site.

Pembroke Castle

Around just 20 minutes from Tenby, Pembroke Castle is a wonderful place to immerse yourself in history for a day out. Nestled on the banks of the river estuary, this fortress is largely intact, and secret endless passages, tunnels, and stairways are so much fun to explore, plus there are really interesting exhibitions, telling you all about its medieval story!

Even if history isn’t quite your thing you can spend a day here enjoying the surroundings, and picnic on the pristinely kept grounds. While there why not visit the Brass Rubbing Centre and make a souvenir to remind you of your trip for very little expense. Complete your visit with a walk around the medieval town walls and spot local wildlife at Upper Mill Pond.

Stackpole Beaches

Barafundle Bay, Broadhaven South, and Freshwater West have become very famous for their beauty and their great locations.  Just 30 minutes from Tenby is the lovely Barafundle beach. Barafundle beach is picture-perfect with its secluded location, a great place to snap some photos. Only accessible on foot, perfect for an adventure. It’s a great spot for children to play and enjoy a day out. If you’re planning to visit, check out the tide times to make sure you’ve plenty of sand to play on and that you don’t get cut off by the incoming tide.

Nearby Broadhaven South is a great family-friendly beach, close to its adjacent car park it’s a wide sandy bay backed by dunes that lead from The National Trust owned Bosherston Lakes. Freshwater West is a paradise for surfers and its dramatic and rugged landscape makes it one of the best beaches to visit all year round. Located a little further from Stackpole but well worth jumping in the car to get to.

Most of the famous beauty spots at Stackpole are accessible to get to on foot. Barafundle, Broadhaven South, Stackpole Head, and Mowingword are all within easy reach of the Boathouse tea-room which is a lovely spot to enjoy some refreshments.

Find more information here.

Dolphin and Whale Watching in New Quay

One and a half hours from Tenby is the wonderful New Quay, perfect for a day exploring the bays or in particular Dolphin and Whale watching. In Cardigan Bay, it’s a daily occurrence in summer to see a dolphin! We never get tired of it. You’ll also see seals and usually porpoises. If you’re lucky sometimes you can see orcas, basking sharks, and other types of whales.

Dolphin Watching Boat Trips in Cardigan Bay Wales

SeaMor offers a few different trips, including a wonderful sunset trip. They have a popular one-hour guided Dolphin Watching Boat Trip, leaving from the picturesque fishing village of New Quay, West Wales. Learn about the local history, geology, and wildlife from their marine biologist guides and knowledgeable skippers.

1 Hour Dolphin Watching Boat Trips

A slightly shortened version of the most popular Wildlife Explorer cruise. They travel along the same route, through all of the local dolphin hotspots and past the massive bird colonies and sea caves, they just don’t lift the lobster pots on this trip. They take it nice and gently to maximise the chances of seeing wildlife, and if it’s dolphins you want to see, this is the trip for you.

Excellent for all ages. Educational and informative, without overloading you with information.

Find more information about their trips here.

Explore with Pembrokeshire Safari Tours

Pembrokeshire Safari Tours pickup and drop-off service is a must for anyone wanting to make the most of their time in Pembrokeshire and whatever you do, don’t forget your camera! Here’s a tour they offer.

The Classic Tour

5 hours (Approx.) | Hotel pickup offered | Good for avoiding crowds

This flagship tour is a must for anyone wanting to make the most of their time in Pembrokeshire. Departing from Tenby, it follows the breathtaking coastline as well as the rural side of the county. Expect to see world-class beaches, magnificent coastal views, wildlife, local produce, heritage, and sights of interest. They use the legendary Land Rover Defender 110, equipped with six forward-facing seats for added comfort and viewing height. The vehicle holds a full Private Hire License from Pembrokeshire County Council. Don’t forget your camera!

What’s Included?

• Bottled water
• Snacks
• Binoculars
• Parking Fees

Find more information here.

Have you tried any of these day trips? Let us know in the comments.