Tenby is a seaside town in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, home to a pretty harbour lined with townhouses painted in various colours. It’s one of the most popular holiday resorts in Wales, but if you’ve yet to visit, here’s 6 reasons why you should…
In Welsh, Tenby is called ‘Dinbych-y-Pysgod’ which roughly translates to ‘Little Town of the fishes’.
1. THE FRESH SEA AIR
Pembrokeshire reaches out to thousands of miles of open Atlantic Ocean and Tenby’s headland is an ideal spot to sit on a bench, blow away the cobwebs and enjoy the coastal views.
2. THE FISH & CHIPS
In a town that has a long history with the fishing industry it’s practically essential to visit a local fish and chip shop while you’re here. Fortunately you’re not short of options to sample the catch of the day, such as the award winning D. Fecci & Sons on Lower Frog Street.
3. THE BREATH-TAKING BEACHES
The coastline near Tenby is home to some of the best beaches in Britain, like the tropical looking Barafundle Bay and Broad Haven South Beach. Tenby beach was named Beach of the Year by The Sunday Times in 2019, and it’s easy to see why as you step down onto the stunning stretch of golden sands, overlooked by St. Catherine’s Island.
Related: The pretty Italian-style village of Portmeirion, North Wales
4. THE LOCAL HISTORY
Tenby has the oldest independent museum in Wales, a 500 year old Tudor House, castle ruins and beautiful Victorian townhouses, many of which are now hotels and B&Bs. The town centre is a charming mix of gift shops and ice cream parlours that appear unchanged from decades gone by.
Tenby is also an ideal base to visit some of the epic castles Wales is known for, like Pembroke Castle, as well as St. David’s, Britain’s smallest city with a remarkable cathedral.
5. THE NEARBY ATTRACTIONS FOR FAMILIES
A big reason why Tenby is such a popular holiday destination for families is the abundance of places to visit in the area, such as Heatherton World of Adventure, Folly Farm, Manor House Wildlife Park and Oakwood Theme Park.
Tenby is surrounded by Pembrokeshire National Park, a beautiful area that contains 300km of nature trails. The seaside town is also on the Wales Coast Path, a path that encompasses the entire coastline of Wales.
6. IT’S LIKE BEING ABROAD
British citizens may be tempted to book an international flight for a beach break, but if you visit Tenby on a clear summers day you’d think you were abroad. The added benefit is that you only have to drive to the end of the M4 motorway to be within an hours reach of Tenby, which is probably a lot more appealing for a short trip or long weekend as there’s no hassle of airports and connections to contend with.
If you visit outside of the summer season you may not get hot sunshine in Tenby but you’ll avoid the peak season crowds and on occasions feel like you have the whole town to yourself.
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