When thinking about where to go on holiday this year we felt limited to the UK due to Covid restrictions. But that was okay as we really fancied a trip to Wales. We’d been on holiday in Tenby when the kids were young but that was about 25 years ago, so we decided it would be nice to holiday there again as an older couple without children. Holiday planning is always a bit different when there’s no kids! The accommodation is usually better (we camped last time), and the places we visit are usually different (less theme parks and more cultural excursions. And definitely more meals out at nice restaurants.
So if you’re thinking about taking a holiday in Wales as a couple without children, a holiday in Tenby should be top of your list.
Self Catering Tenby
There wasn’t much left to choose from when I booked our holiday but when I came across The Mayville holiday apartment in Tenby it looked lovely so I managed to book 7 nights in September 2021 for just £650. When we arrived I was a little put off by the outside of the building and the hallway leading up to our first floor apartment. It needed a little bit of sprucing up shall we say. But we were pleasantly surprised when we entered the apartment … it was pretty much as the photographs on the website had shown. It was clean and well equipped. The combined lounge/kitchen/dining area was ideal and had everything you needed for an apartment holiday. The bedroom was a little on the small side with not a lot of storage for clothing and the other bits and pieces you take with you on holiday, but there was a full length free-standing mirror which I thought was a great addition. Me and the hubby can be a bit fussy where beds are concerned and the double bed was a little small and not the most comfortable mattrass we’ve slept on. The bathroom has a bath with a shower over it, but again there was no storage for toiletries. However there was a dresser in the lounge area which I used as extra storage. There was also a door in the bedroom that opens out to a fire escape. The owners have put a small table and folding chairs out there if you fancy sitting outside or there is a shared patio area leading from a gate on the ground floor if you like a bit more space. All in all it was a pretty good start to our holiday in Wales. The best part about the apartment was that it was practically a stone’s-throw from the town centre.
Just a note about parking. There is no parking at the apartment, but there is a long-stay car park about a 5-10 minute walk away. It was only £20 for the week which I thought was very reasonable.
Here’s a quick video tour of the apartment. I forgot to make one specifically for the blog so I’ve had to take the sound off and it’s not the greatest quality but you get the basic idea!
A Seaside Town
Tenby is a lovely little seaside town with a busy harbour famous for its 13th century town walls and it’s beautiful sandy beaches. The town itself is quite compact with all the bars, restaurants, cafes and shops in quite a small centralised area on 3 or 4 streets. There are steps going down to the beach at one end and a fairly steep hill leading down to it at the other end so be prepared with comfortable shoes! And the views are spectacular so if you don’t fancy tackling the steps down to the beach there are plenty of seats at the top for you to relax and enjoy it.
Days out while you’re on holiday in Tenby
A holiday in Wales has to include days out to some of their must-see attractions. When we stayed in Tenby with our kids the attractions we visited were definitely child-friendly ones. This time we picked out three places WE wanted to visit. Caldey Island, Manor Wildlife Park (even without the kids we love an animal park) and Pembroke Castle. Of course you could definitely take children to these places but maybe they won’t enjoy them as much as you will (with the exception of the animal park).
Caldey Island
One of Britain’s holy islands, Caldey Island has been home to the Cistercian Monks since Celtic Times and is certainly an extremely beautiful and peaceful spot. There are daily trips to the Island (apart from Sunday) from April to October which cost £14 per adult You can certainly spend half a day here but the last boat leaves at 4.30pm so make sure you’re at the jetty in time!
And make sure you have comfortable walking shoes on as there are some spectacular views at the top of the hill. You can also get in some steps on your Fitbit by taking some of the short or longer walks available around the island.
As well as the spectacular views there is a beautiful old church called St Illtyd’s to explore and you can certainly feel the history there as you stroll around it. Just around the corner from this church is the Chocolate Factory where you can buy some of Caldey Island’s very own chocolate and fudge. The monastery itself is quite a grand structure towering over the village green. You get a good view of it from the outdoor seating area around the coffee shop, where you can relax with a packed lunch or grab a coffee and snack from the cafe. Also situated around the village green is a post office, perfume shop and gift shop.
You can’t take a holiday in Tenby without taking a visit to Caldey Island, especially on a sunny day as the views from the cliff top are really beautiful and it was worth it just to look around St Illtyd’s Church.
Manor Wildlife Park
We love a trip to the zoo when we’re away so when I saw a leaflet for Manor Wildlife Park we had to go. As we went in mid-September it was out of school holidays so it was pretty quiet, which was nice for us! An adult ticket costs £17.95. There was also opportunities to pay more for an ‘animal experience’ where you could get more up close and personal with some of the animals but as they started from £50 we gave it a miss.
When you pay for your ticket you’re asked if you want to buy food for the Wallabies which costs £2 for a small bag so we bought two. The first enclosure as you enter the park houses the Wallabies. These cute little animals roam free in this section and are extremely friendly and very keen for you to feed them. I could have spent all day with them. They also have a rare albino wallaby who was born during lockdown 2020. We were told he may be a little shy but he didn’t seem to be during our visit.
It’s a lovely circular walk around the animal park, allowing you to take in all the enclosures they offer. Again, it was a beautiful sunny day. There were several portacabin type toilets as we walked around just in case you get caught short. The park is home to llamas, rhinos, emus, monkeys, tigers, camels, lemurs, meerkats and many more. They also have an enclosure named ‘Warren Downs’ which houses some very tame Giant Flemish Rabbits. This was definitely a favourite of mine, along with the Wallabies. And as my husband’s name is Warren I couldn’t resist taking a photo of him next to the sign.
Manor Wildlife Park have a lovely outdoor play area (as well as an indoor play area) if you’re taking children with you, and we especially liked the Dragon Stage with this fab carved wooden dragon! Just next to the outdoor play area is the park’s cafe and there is plenty of seating outside to enjoy your snacks or packed lunch.
We probably spent about three hours in the Animal Park but you could definitely spend a full day here if you’re taking the kids. A great attraction to visit if you’re taking a holiday in Tenby.
Pembroke Castle
You can’t take a holiday in Wales without visiting a castle, and there are plenty to choose from. I vaguely remember visiting Pembroke Castle on our previous holiday in Wales when we took our children but I didn’t remember very much of it. And as Prembroke Castle was only a 30 minute drive drom Tenby we decided to visit again. We spent about three hours at the Castle and it was a fascinating visit. It costs £7 per adult and there is a free guided tour which we decided to take. It was definitely worth it. The tour lasted about an hour and the guide was very knowledgeable (and also fun), giving us some fascinating history of this castle where Henry VII was reported to have been born. After the tour we were left to explore on our own. There are several winding staircases with very narrow steps at Pembroke Castle … I can’t believe people used to run up and down these (maybe even in flouncy dresses) hundreds of years ago! It took some concentration on my part to get up and down them. But there are some fantastic views if you can manage to climb to the top of some of the towers. I didn’t climb the Castle Keep but Warren (who did climb it) assures me it was very steep, and very high so I’m pleased I didn’t try. I did manage to descend the winding steps to the cave beneath the castle where apparently they used to have a wine cellar back in the day. I wouldn’t have wanted to go up and down those every time I wanted a bottle of wine.
Like all attractions, Pembroke Castle has it’s own coffee shop and there was plenty of seating outside to stop for a rest and a snack. There’s also the obligatory gift shop outside the castle where you can pick up your souvenirs.
Food & Drink During Our Holiday in Tenby
Breakfast
We had a really good breakfast at The Dennis cafe down by castle beach. The menu listed a vegetarian breakfast so I opted for that. Warren went for the full English. Both breakfasts were superb, I really couldn’t fault them. We even went back again a second time so I highly recommend it. I’m sure I took photos of the breakfast but I can’t find them anywhere!
Italian
There are plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants to choose from in Tenby. We had an Italian meal at Florentino’s, just outside the harbour. The restaurant was very busy when we visited but they said they’d squeeze us in. It did feel like a squeeze as the tables are quite close to each other, so if you wanted to have a private conversation you’d need to speak very quietly. I ordered the mushroom taglietelle, which had lots of mushrooms and plenty of garlic, just what I wanted. Warren ordered the spaghetti carbonara which he said was okay. Usually when you order a spaghetti dish they give you a fork and spoon to make eating it a little easier but no spoon was offered, so I struggled on with a knife and fork. I could have asked for a spoon but they did seem very busy. They also didn’t offer extra parmesan or pepper as waiters normally do in an Italian restaurant. I’m not sure if this was because they were super busy or if it is normal practice there. We only went once but I would have given it another visit if we’d fancied another Italian meal.
Indian
A meal I really enjoyed was Indian food from the Bay of Bengal restaurant. We hadn’t booked beforehand so were offered a table on their balcony overlooking the sea. As the night was quite warm it was a lovely spot. The view was fab and as the night got darker it felt like being abroad. I ordered the onion bhaji and a Tandoori King Prawn. The bhajis were the best I’ve ever had. They were small and crispy with lovely chunks of onion. Normally I find them quite stodgy but these were delicious. Tandoori King Prawn isn’t something I usually have but they were really good. Warren ordered a selection of chutneys and poppadoms as a starter, which he said were tasty. He ordered the Chicken Madras with a Naan bread for mains. The Madras had a 2 pepper rating. He had been going to get something that had a 1 pepper rating but I convinced him to go for the two as he usually complains his food isn’t spicy enough. Unfortunately the Madras was really, really spicy … almost too spicy for him! He felt if he’d got pillau rice with it, it may have been easier to eat but he only got a Naan as he didn’t want to feel too ‘stuffed’. The Bay of Bengal restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol but does allow you to bring your own which I think is quite nice. I’d definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Tenby.
Drinks
There were lots of bars to choose from but we were drawn to The Lifeboat Tavern where there was a seating area right on the street. We love to people watch! We spent a few happy hours supping some Staropramen in the sun, watching Tenby go by. I have to say I’ve never seen as many people with dogs as I have there, almost everyone had a dog.
Another lovely view from our holiday in Tenby
As we walked along the sea front we could see what looked like the tower of a castle on a hill in the distance so we ventured along to climb up to it. After climbing some steps we passed the Tenby Museum and around the corner from there is the ruins of what was Tenby castle perched on top of what is now called Castle Hill. What’s left looks like part of a tower and has a small wooden door (probably not the original door). It’s still quite impressive and the views from the top of the hill are definitely worth the walk up to it. You can clearly see St Catherine’s Island with its 19th century fort from here. You can also visit St Catherine’s Island when the tide is out and browse around the Fort for the price of £5 per person. We kept saying we were going to visit but never got around to it.
Gift Shops
There are lots of gift shops around Tenby town but my favourite has to be Equinox. As well as the usual welsh souvenirs there is a myriad of gifts (and things for yourself) to choose from. Set out over two floors in several small rooms there’s everything from clothing to fragrances to jewellery to fantasy items and so much more. You could easily while away a couple of hours in here, so definitely worth a visit.
We thoroughly enjoyed our week in Tenby, it was the relaxing break we were most in need of. I highly recommend Tenby if you’re looking for a holiday in Wales, with or without children. It’s just a shame the drive from Gateshead to Tenby takes about 8 hours or I’d go more often! Next time I’d love to spend a day in Cardiff too!
If you enjoyed reading this holiday blog you may enjoy my blogs about our holiday in Crete or New Orleans.