Terrace Jacuzzi Villa in SaundersfootN°001
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
Sea View
From $930 per night
Britain's coastal national park, at an unhurried Welsh pace
Pembrokeshire occupies the far south-west corner of Wales, where the only coastal national park in Britain wraps golden beaches, limestone cliffs and harbour towns such as Tenby and Saundersfoot. Renting a luxury holiday home here gives families and groups space, privacy and a comfortable base for the coast path, with concierge support for the details.
- The Pembrokeshire Coast Path: 186 miles of cliff-top walking through the national park
- Tenby's pastel-painted harbour, walled old town and broad sandy beaches
- Barafundle Bay and Broad Haven South, regularly ranked among Britain's finest beaches
- Boat trips to Skomer Island for puffins and to Caldey Island from Tenby
- Spacious coastal homes with gardens and sea views, supported by our concierge
Known forPembrokeshire Coast National Park, the 186-mile coast path, Tenby's pastel harbour, Barafundle Bay, Skomer Island puffins and St Davids
Best time to visitMay to September for beach weather and long days; April to July for puffins on Skomer; autumn for quiet coast-path walking
Nearest airportCardiff (CWL), around two hours by road; Bristol (BRS) is a well-connected alternative
Ideal forFamilies, walkers, dog owners and multi-generational groups seeking a spacious coastal base
Poachers Cottage & Old Tom Cottage | Sleeps 12 | Dog Friendly | Pool, Tennis & Family FacilitiesN°002
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
SaunaGym
From $421 per night
Charming Five Bedroom Retreat in TenbyN°003
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
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Hall House Estate - 4 Properties- St FlorenceN°004
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
garden
From $374 per night
The Coach House - 3 Bedroom - Penally - TenbyN°005
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
Ocean ViewHot Tubjacuzzi
From $372 per night
Waters Edge - 2 Bedroom Apartment - TenbyN°006
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
Ocean ViewBalcony
From $364 per night
21homes available
2–6bedrooms
up to 14guests
Events not to miss in Pembrokeshire
- Early July
Long Course Weekend
Tenby hosts one of Europe's biggest multi-sport festivals, with a sea swim, sportive and marathon spread over three days. The town fills with supporters and the harbour atmosphere is at its best.
- September
Ironman Wales
One of the most celebrated races on the Ironman circuit starts with a mass swim off Tenby's North Beach. Even for non-competitors it is a spectacular day to be on the coast.
- Late May to early June
St Davids Cathedral Festival
Ten days of classical music in the soaring nave of St Davids Cathedral, in Britain's smallest city. A civilised excuse to explore the wilder north of the county.
- 26 December
Tenby Boxing Day Swim
Hundreds of costumed swimmers charge into the sea off Tenby's North Beach in one of Wales's best-loved Christmas traditions, watched by thousands on the harbour walls.
Pembrokeshire through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Puffins, wildflowers and empty paths
Skomer Island's puffins arrive in April and the cliff tops turn pink and yellow with thrift and gorse. The coast path is at its most beautiful before the summer crowds.
- Summer (June – August)
Beach days and harbour evenings
The warmest sea and longest days for Tenby, Saundersfoot and Barafundle Bay, with boat trips, coasteering and al fresco suppers in the garden of your holiday home.
- Autumn (September – November)
Golden light on the coast path
Quiet beaches, settled September spells and grey seals pupping in coves along the north coast. Prime weeks for walkers and photographers.
- Winter (December – February)
Storm-watching and firelit houses
Big Atlantic seas, bracing beach walks and the Boxing Day Swim in Tenby, with a warm, well-equipped house to return to at dusk.
The Area and Where to Stay
Pembrokeshire's holiday heartland is its sheltered south coast. Tenby is the flagship: a walled medieval town above three sandy beaches, with a working harbour and a lively summer season. A few miles north, Saundersfoot offers a gentler harbour-village feel, while Penally sits quietly behind the dunes of Tenby's South Beach and villages such as Jameston and Begelly, near Kilgetty, put you within a short drive of both coast and countryside. Our collection concentrates on this stretch, with spacious houses, gardens and sea views rather than cramped seaside lets. Further west lie the castle town of Pembroke, the beaches of the Stackpole Estate and, in the far corner, St Davids, Britain's smallest city, with its handsome cathedral. Wherever you base yourself, nothing in the county is more than about an hour away.
Things to Do
The coast path is the headline: 186 miles of National Trail running the entire county shoreline, walkable in easy sections from almost any front door. Beach days come in every register, from Tenby's town sands to the National Trust-managed Barafundle Bay, reached on foot over the headland from Stackpole Quay. Boat trips run from Tenby harbour to Caldey Island, home to a working monastery, while Skomer Island, off the west coast, hosts one of Europe's great puffin colonies from April to July. Pembrokeshire is also the home of coasteering, invented here, and surf schools, sea-kayaking and boat charters are easily arranged through your concierge. Castles at Pembroke, Carew and Manorbier, and the cathedral at St Davids, fill the days when the weather turns.
Food and Local Flavour
Pembrokeshire eats well off its own land and sea. Look for Pembrokeshire Early potatoes in spring, salt-marsh lamb, Welsh black beef and crab and lobster landed along the coast. Tenby and Saundersfoot hold the densest cluster of restaurants, from harbourside fish and chips to polished modern-Welsh dining rooms, and Narberth, a small inland town, has grown a reputation for independent food shops and delis. Farm shops and weekly markets across the county make self-catering a pleasure, and a private chef in your villa is an easy evening after a long day on the coast path. Your concierge can arrange deliveries, chefs and tables at the coast's most sought-after kitchens.
When to Visit
High summer, from June to August, brings the warmest sea, the longest days and the busiest beaches; book well ahead for July and August. May, June and September are the connoisseur's months, with settled spells, quieter sands and comfortable walking temperatures. Spring is the time for wildlife, with puffins on Skomer from April and wildflowers thick along the cliff tops. Autumn suits walkers and photographers, while winter has its own drama, with big Atlantic seas, empty beaches and firelit evenings in a well-equipped house. Pembrokeshire weather is genuinely changeable in every season, so pack layers whenever you come.
Getting There
Most guests arrive by car. From the M4 the A477 and A40 carry you into south Pembrokeshire, roughly two hours from Cardiff and four and a half from London. Direct trains run from London Paddington and Cardiff to Tenby, Saundersfoot and Pembroke via Swansea, a scenic if unhurried journey. The nearest airports are Cardiff (CWL), around two hours away, and Bristol (BRS), which offers the widest route network. A car is strongly recommended once you arrive, as the county's beaches and headlands are scattered, and your concierge can arrange transfers or hire.