We woke up on Saturday Morning and having showered and dressed made our way downstairs to the dining room for breakfast. After such a large meal the night before in Tenby, we struggled a bit to manage the full English breakfast on offer.
The sun had “put his hat on” and it was looking like we could have a lovely sunny day ahead in which case we decided to head back down to the beach in Tenby before popping to the nearest supermarket to buy a picnic to take on our travels with us that day.
We always keep an electric cool box in the truck with us when we go on a road trip in the UK along with a plastic picnic set with plates, bowls, cups and cutlery. We also have a pair of matching picnic chairs with their own fold out tables and a small calor gas burner along with a kettle so we can basically stop anywhere en route.
Tenby South Beach:
Having explored the North Beach in Tenby the previous afternoon we headed straight out after breakfast to walk along the South Beach.
Stretching for a mile and a half, the golden sweep of sand felt very inviting now the sun was out and we could feel it warming up our bodies as we walked.
It wasn’t too busy, as you can see from my photo below, we shared the beach mainly with fellow walkers and the occasional dog. There are a few restrictions from May 1st to September 30th each year so it is worth checking these out on line if you intend to bring your pooch with you.
The beach with its golden sand stretches broadly from the St Catherine’s Island/Tenby end towards Giltar Point and Penally, with dunes backing much of the beach. At low tide, South Beach also connects with Castle Beach, creating an impressive roughly two-mile continuous stretch of sand.
It was definitely a refreshing start to the day, feeling the slight sea breeze in your face as you walked.
Having completed this three mile walk we decided to head back to the car park.
Barafundle Bay:
Barafundle Bay is a remote, slightly curved, east-facing sandy beach, near Stackpole Quay in Pembrokeshire and, armed with our picnic, only a 30 minute drive West from Tenby.
Managed by the National Trust the Stackpole Quay car park is chargeable unless you are a NT member.
The Boathouse Tea-room and toilets are also sited here so its worth ensuring you have made all your preparations before setting off from the car.
Tucked away on the Pembrokeshire coast, Barafundle Bay is often described as one of Wales’ most beautiful beaches – and its reputation stretches far beyond Wales. With its crescent of golden sand, crystal-clear water and sheltered setting beneath the cliffs, it has repeatedly featured among Britain’s and the world’s best beaches.
In 2026, Time Out placed Barafundle fifth among the best beaches in Europe, while Tripadvisor currently ranks it as the No. 1 beach in Pembrokeshire.
Reaching this little slice of paradise involves a walk along the coast path from Stackpole Quay, but that sense of being slightly removed from the outside world is very much part of its appeal and we were happy to load up our picnic chairs and cooler to walk the half a mile across the headland before descending down onto the beach itself.
The descent is clearly marked by this wonderful brick archway. Be prepared to have to give way to those walking up as it is quite narrow.
The steps on the other side lead comfortably downhill on to the beach itself
As you can see it wasn’t overcrowded when we arrived. The golden sandy beach is backed by dunes and pine trees and sits within the Pembrokeshire National Park.
There are many walks available in the area, notwithstanding the fact that the beach sits on the Wales Coast Path which is an 870-mile continuous walking route that follows the entire coastline of Wales, stretching from near Chester in the north to Chepstow in the south. I have previously mentioned this in my post about Swansea.
We were more than happy to set our chairs up on the beach alongside our picnic box and just chill out and relax. Both being avid readers our Kindles were never far away!
We did venture down to the sea but only to paddle, I have to admit the water was freezing!
The afternoon disappeared quite quickly and we made sure we were back in the car park before the tea-room closed so we could finish our day off with a hot drink and a piece of cake 🍰😊
Seeking Harry Potter:
On Sunday morning we packed up our belongings and after breakfast thanked our hosts before setting off in search of another beach.
Freshwater East
Freshwater East is about a 20 minute drive west from Tenby slightly closer than Barafundle and I wanted to go there to see ‘Dobby’s Grave”. Being a massive fan of the Harry Potter books and subsequent films it was a bit of a pilgrimage for me. My intention being to spend the morning at the beach before heading home at lunchtime.
However I have to confess that on this occasion I didn’t do my research quite thoroughly enough as there are two “Freshwater” beaches, East and West.
Having walked the length of the beach and not found my treasured landmark I realised I was in the wrong place and had to sit on the beach to discover my error on my phone!
Notwithstanding this mistake the beach with its broad, mile long, sheltered sweep of golden sand backed by rolling dunes and low red sandstone cliffs is less secluded than some of Pembrokeshire’s more famous beaches.
It has a relaxed, family-friendly feel, with plenty of space at low tide for beach games and swimming. A small stream that winds its way across the southern end of the beach, adds an appealing natural touch.
Behind the sand lies The Burrows, an extensive dune system that has been carefully restored and is now an important haven for wildlife.
Freshwater East also has a fascinating past: once a popular Victorian bathing spot, the bay was also associated with coastal smuggling, while at exceptionally low tides the remains of a submerged forest can sometimes be glimpsed in the sand.
Freshwater West:
Having awakened our senses with a bracing walk along “the wrong beach” we headed back to the truck and set off to Freshwater West.
Another 25 minute drive further west I was still determined to reach my final destination of our weekend trip.
Freshwater West has a very different character from the sheltered beaches further along the Pembrokeshire coast, it is wild, windswept and undeniably dramatic.
Its broad sweep of golden sand is backed by an extensive system of dunes, while rocky outcrops and small bays add to its rugged appeal. The beach is particularly renowned for its surfing, with powerful waves and strong currents making it a favourite with experienced surfers.
Freshwater West also has a rather more magical claim to fame hence the reason I made this pilgrimage. It provided the backdrop for scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, including Dobby’s death and burial, while Shell Cottage was built here specially for the film before being removed after filming.
Today, a cairn in the dunes marks what has become known as Dobby’s Grave, created by Harry Potter fans at the location where the burial scene was filmed. The cairn is an accumulation of pebbles and stones that avid fans have laid in his memory along with socks to mark him” as a free elf”. Some have been decorated in advance;
Whether you are a Potter fan or not, it is a memorable addition to this spectacular stretch of coastline and a wonderful tribute to a movie character that stole every one of Harry Potter fan’s hearts including mine ❤️
Final Thoughts:
Our weekend in Tenby and Pembrokeshire had turned out to be a wonderful combination of coastal walks, beautiful beaches, good food and, for me, a little Harry Potter pilgrimage thrown in for good measure.
From the broad sweep of Tenby South Beach to the beautiful seclusion of Barafundle Bay, and finally the wild coastline of Freshwater West, each beach had its own very different character. Even my unintended visit to the wrong Freshwater beach became part of the adventure – and gave us another lovely stretch of coastline to explore along the way!
Most importantly, we had managed to pack a lot into a relatively short weekend without ever feeling rushed. With a few more corners of Pembrokeshire still waiting to be discovered, I have a feeling this won’t be our last visit.
If you’ve enjoyed coming along on our little Pembrokeshire adventure, I’d love to hear from you. Have you visited any of these beaches, or perhaps discovered another favourite in the area? Or maybe you are a Harry Potter fan?
Please feel free to leave a comment below and, if you enjoyed the post, a like is always much appreciated. 😊
So so beautiful!
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Thank you 🙏. It is a lovely part of the world
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