Things to do in Pembrokeshire: a family guide

Last Updated on 08/09/2026 by Ting Dalton

Pembrokeshire is the easiest sell for a family break in Wales. You get wide sandy beaches, castles the kids can actually run around, and a zoo, farm and funfair rolled into one, all within a short drive of each other. We spent five days here on a family trip through south-west Wales and barely scratched the surface.

The county sits inside Britain’s only truly coastal national park, and its coast was voted the world’s second-best coastal destination by National Geographic. With over 50 beaches and 186 miles of coast path, there is a lot to work with, whatever the weather. Here are the best things to do in Pembrokeshire with or without kids, all tried and tested by us.

Quick answer: the best things to do in Pembrokeshire

This guide is geared towards families, though most of these spots work just as well for couples. Give yourself four to five days to cover the highlights without rushing.

• Barafundle Bay for the walk-in beach that feels a world away
• Tenby for cobbled streets, three beaches and a boat to Caldey Island
• Folly Farm for a zoo, farm and indoor funfair in one, rain or shine
• Pembroke Castle for towers, tunnels and Tudor history
• Skomer Island for puffins between April and late July
• Heatherton for go-karting and outdoor activities for ages six and up

Where is Pembrokeshire and how to get around

Pembrokeshire is the far south-western corner of Wales, roughly a five-hour drive from London or under two hours from Cardiff. A car makes life much easier here. Attractions are spread out along country lanes, and while there are buses and a coastal shuttle in summer, you will want the freedom to chase the good weather from one beach to the next.

We based ourselves near Narberth, a small market town with a surprising number of good places to eat, and used it as a hub for day trips. Tenby, Saundersfoot and Folly Farm are all within a 20 to 30 minute drive.

Stackpole and Barafundle Bay

If you do one thing in Pembrokeshire, make it the walk to Barafundle Bay. This is a beach you cannot drive to. You park at the National Trust’s Stackpole Quay, then follow the coast path up over the headland and down a flight of stone steps to the sand.

The reward is a wide, quiet arc of beach backed by dunes and pine trees, with none of the car-park clutter you get elsewhere. We walked it on a cold, blustery day with the wind howling and our ears aching, and it was still worth every step. Have a cream tea at the tea room by the quay first, then set off.

Nearby Broadhaven South and Freshwater West are both close by if you want to string a few beaches together. Freshwater West is the wild, surf-battered one, so hold small hands.

Good to know

• Parking is at Stackpole Quay (National Trust, free for members)
• The walk is around 15 to 20 minutes each way, with steps at both ends
• No facilities on the beach itself, so pack what you need

Tenby

Tenby is the postcard town, and it earns it. Pastel-painted houses line the harbour, the streets are cobbled, and you pass under the town’s 13th-century walls to get into the old town. Wander the lanes past the mix of cafés, gift shops and galleries, then head down to the harbour.

The town has three sandy beaches, which is where families end up. North Beach sits below the harbour, while South Beach is the long, open stretch that leads towards Giltar Point and the start of the coast path. Grab fish and chips and eat them looking out to sea.

For history, the ruins of Tenby Castle sit on the headland above the harbour, and the Tudor Merchant’s House (National Trust) recreates life in a merchant’s home around 1500, with a shop and working kitchen the kids can poke around in. From the harbour you can also catch a boat to Caldey Island, home to a working monastery and its own quiet beaches.

Folly Farm

Folly Farm was our rainy-day saviour, and honestly it would have been a highlight in any weather. It rolls four things into one ticket: a zoo, a farm, an indoor vintage funfair and huge indoor and outdoor play areas. Much of it is under cover, so it works when the sky opens.

Do not let the word “farm” fool you. Alongside the barn animals, the zoo is home to over 100 species, including penguins, lions, giraffes and critically endangered black rhino. Our two loved the pedal tractors and the outdoor play area, then spent a happy hour going nowhere fast on the vintage fairground rides.

Good to know

• The site covers around 120 acres, so wear comfortable shoes
• Adult admission was around £25 in peak summer 2026, with children’s tickets less. Check the current price before you go
• Keep your ticket marked at the exit and you can return free within seven days, which is brilliant value for a longer stay

Pembroke Castle

Pembroke Castle is one of the largest and best-preserved castles in Wales, and it is a proper adventure for children. The birthplace of Henry VII, the first Tudor king, born here in 1457, it stands on a rocky promontory ringed by water.

A timber castle was first built on the site in 1093, with most of the great stone towers and walls you see today dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. Wall walks and passages run from tower to tower, you can climb the 75-foot Great Keep for views over the town, and there is a huge natural cave, the Wogan, hidden beneath the castle. Our two cared less about the Tudors and more about running through the dark stone corridors, which is exactly the point at this age.

Time your visit for one of the reenactment days if you can. We watched costumed figures bring the castle’s civil war history to life, and it held even the youngest’s attention for a while.

Heatherton World of Activities

Heatherton is an outdoor activity park near Tenby, and it is the one to save for older children. Entry is free, and you buy a book of credits to spend on activities: bumper boats, go-karting, archery, water zorbing, tree-top trails and crazy golf among them.

Our eldest was in his element on the go-karts, kitted out and zooming round the circuit lap after lap. Crazy golf was the one everyone could join in with, little ones included. Heatherton suits ages six and up best. Our youngest ran out of steam well before the rest of us, so bear that in mind if your group spans a wide age range.

Colby Woodland Garden

Tucked into a hidden valley near Amroth, Colby Woodland Garden is a calm, green change of pace from the beaches. It is a National Trust site with woodland walks, a walled garden and wildflower meadows, at its best for rhododendrons and azaleas in April and May.

There is real history under your feet here. The valley was part of Pembrokeshire’s coal industry from the 1790s, when landowner John Colby came to mine it, and the coal was carried to the coast and then by rail to Saundersfoot. The garden as you see it today began later, after Samuel Kay, a pharmacist from Stockport, bought the estate in 1873 and started planting. It came to the National Trust in 1979. The children made straight for the meadows while I lingered in the walled garden with its water feature and sculptures.

Saundersfoot

Saundersfoot sits within the national park and on the coast path, a cheerful little harbour town with a big sandy beach. You can walk the old tramway route that once carried coal down from Colby along the coast, then reward yourself in the town, which has a good spread of cafés, pubs and restaurants.

We drove in for a lazy family meal, picked up ice creams and walked the beach as the light dropped. Sometimes that is all a day needs to be.

See puffins on Skomer Island

Off the Pembrokeshire coast, Skomer Island is one of the best places in the UK to see puffins, along with razorbills, guillemots and seals. Tens of thousands of puffins arrive each spring to breed, and in 2026 the count topped 50,000.

The birds are on the island from April to late July, with May and June the peak, when the adults are busy ferrying sand eels back to their burrows. Most have left for the open sea by early August. Boats run from Martin’s Haven, and it is a short crossing, but landing tickets sell out fast. Booking for the full season opens on 1 December the year before, so plan ahead if you want a peak date.

Worth knowing before you commit with young children: landing on the island means climbing a steep flight of steps from the boat, and there is no café or shop, so it suits slightly older, sturdier legs. If landing feels like too much, shorter round-the-island boat trips let you see the birds from the water.

Best time to visit Pembrokeshire

Late spring and summer are the obvious picks. May and June give you long days, wildflowers, the best of the puffins and slightly thinner crowds than the school holidays. July and August are warmest and busiest, with the beaches at their liveliest. For quieter walks and lower prices, September is a lovely time, with seals and their pups appearing on the islands.

Whatever month you choose, pack layers and a waterproof. The coast here can turn on you fast, which is exactly why Folly Farm and Pembroke Castle are such useful cards to have up your sleeve.

Where to eat

You will not go hungry. Even little Narberth, where we stayed, had a handful of well-regarded restaurants, including a few in the Michelin guide, alongside plenty of family-friendly options. Tenby and Saundersfoot both do the seaside classics well, and fish and chips by the harbour is close to compulsory.

Where to stay in Pembrokeshire with kids

Pembrokeshire is really spread out, so where you base yourself shapes your whole trip. There is no single “best” spot, it depends on whether you want the beach on your doorstep or a quieter town to come home to. For a family, self-catering usually wins. A cottage with a kitchen and space to spread out beats a hotel room when you have young children, wet swimming things and an early bedtime to manage.

We booked a self-catering cottage near Narberth and based ourselves there for the week. Booking through a local, Pembrokeshire-based agency meant someone who actually knew the area on the end of the phone, which we appreciated. Here is how the main bases break down.

Narberth, for a central base and good food

Narberth is an inland market town in east Pembrokeshire, and it worked well for us as a hub. It is roughly central, so Tenby, Saundersfoot and Folly Farm are all a short drive, and it has a genuinely good run of independent shops, cafés and restaurants for its size. If you would rather explore widely than park on one beach, this is a sensible choice. Self-catering cottages in and around Narberth typically run from around £450 to £1,500 a week depending on size and season.

Tenby and Saundersfoot, for beaches on your doorstep

If your holiday is mostly about sand and ice creams, base yourself on the coast. Tenby puts three beaches, the harbour and plenty of family restaurants within walking distance, so you can leave the car behind for whole days. Saundersfoot is smaller and calmer, with its big beach and harbour, and sits handily close to Folly Farm. Both are popular, so prices run higher and book up early for the summer holidays.

St Davids and the north, for coast path and wildlife

Families more interested in walks, boat trips and puffins than funfairs might prefer the quieter north of the county, around St Davids and Newport. You are closer to the Skomer and Ramsey Island boats and some of the wildest stretches of the coast path, though further from the big-hitting family attractions clustered in the south.

A few things to check before you book

• Parking. Confirm the cottage has its own space. Tenby’s old town in particular is tight for cars in summer
• Distance to a beach. “Coastal” can still mean a 20-minute drive, so check the actual mileage
• Book early for school holidays. The best family cottages go months ahead for July and August
• Shoulder season saves money. Late spring and September bring the same coast at lower weekly rates

More places to visit in Pembrokeshire, on our list for next time

Five days was never going to be enough. We deliberately kept our pace slow rather than tearing round ticking things off, which means there is a whole second trip waiting for us. Here are the places we did not reach this time but would head for first on our return, based on where the guidebooks and locals keep pointing.

Bosherston Lily Ponds

This one stings slightly, because it sits on the same National Trust estate as Barafundle and we walked right past the turning. The Bosherston Lily Ponds are a set of man-made lakes, dammed back in the 18th century, now a national nature reserve laced with easy boardwalk paths. The draw is the carpet of white water lilies, which flower from June and are at their fullest in June and July. It is also otter and dragonfly territory, with dawn or dusk your best shot at a sighting. Paths run down to Broad Haven South beach, so you can fold it into a Stackpole day.

St Davids and its cathedral

St Davids is Britain’s smallest city, with a population under 2,000, which is a good pub-quiz fact and a lovely place besides. Its cathedral has been a site of pilgrimage since the 12th century and sits tucked into a hollow below the streets. The wider St Davids peninsula is prime coast-path and wildlife country, with boat trips out to Ramsey Island for seabirds and seals.

Carew Castle and tidal mill

Carew is the castle we wish we had swapped a beach day for. A Norman fortress that grew into an Elizabethan mansion, its stonework shifts from grim to grand as you walk round, and it overlooks a 23-acre millpond. Alongside it stands Carew Tidal Mill, one of the few restored tidal mills in Britain. Reviews from families flag a children’s trail, and it looks like a good bet for a mixed-age group. Check current opening times and prices before you go, as it runs a limited winter schedule.

A dolphin and porpoise boat trip

Harbour porpoises can be spotted from the coast, and boat trips head out into deeper water for the chance of bottlenose dolphins, with the summer months being busiest for sightings. As ever with wildlife, nothing is guaranteed, so treat it as a hopeful morning on the water rather than a sure thing.

Frequently asked questions