Historic Manor House in Tenby, WalesN°001
Penally, United Kingdom
Heated poolSea view
Nov 2 – 5 · $5,057 for 3 nights
Photo by Jan van der WolfA quiet Pembrokeshire village above one of Wales's finest beaches
Penally is a small village on the south Pembrokeshire coast, set on a hillside above a vast sweep of golden sand that runs all the way to the walled harbour town of Tenby. Staying in a private holiday home here gives you sea views, space for the whole family and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park on your doorstep, without the summer bustle of the town next door.
Updated October 2026
- A huge sandy beach stretching from the village to Tenby's South Beach
- The Pembrokeshire Coast Path passing directly through the village
- Boat trips from Tenby to Caldey Island and its working monastery
- Links golf at Tenby, one of the oldest golf clubs in Wales
- Spacious holiday homes with sea views over Carmarthen Bay
Known forA long golden beach linking to Tenby, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, links golf, views to Caldey Island
Best time to visitMay to September for beach weather; spring and autumn for quieter walking on the coast path
Nearest airportCardiff (CWL), around 1 hour 45 minutes by car; Bristol (BRS) is an alternative gateway
Ideal forFamilies, walkers, golfers and multi-generational groups seeking a classic British seaside holiday
Barn Conversion - Hot Tub - Penally - TenbyN°002
Penally, United Kingdom
Hot tubGardenFireplace
Oct 26 – 29 · $910 for 3 nights
The Coach House - 3 Bedroom - Penally - TenbyN°003
Penally, United Kingdom
Ocean viewHot tubJacuzzi
From $301 per night
3homes available
3–14bedrooms
up to 25guests
Penally in pictures
What's on in Penally
- November
Tenby Blues Festival
A well-established weekend of blues in the pubs, halls and hotels of Tenby's old town, and a fine excuse for an off-season escape of music, sea air and log fires.
- 26 December
Tenby Boxing Day Swim
Hundreds of fancy-dressed swimmers charge into the sea off North Beach in one of Wales's best-loved Christmas traditions, cheered on by thousands. A bracing spectacle at the very least.
- 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 coast road through Penally fills with riders and spectators, and the atmosphere is superb.
- September
Ironman Wales
One of the most celebrated races on the Ironman calendar starts with a mass swim off Tenby's North Beach and draws huge crowds along the course. Book early or plan around it, as the whole area fills up.
Penally through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Wildflowers and seabirds on the coast path
The cliff tops turn pink and yellow with thrift and gorse, and boat trips resume to Caldey and to Skomer Island, where puffins arrive from April.
- Summer (June – August)
Long days on a vast golden beach
Warm sea, boat trips from Tenby harbour and evenings on the terrace: the classic British seaside holiday at its best, with Penally keeping you clear of the crowds.
- Autumn (September – October)
Golden light and quiet sands
The crowds go home, the sea stays relatively warm and the coast path is at its atmospheric best, ideal for walkers, golfers and photographers.
- Winter (November – February)
Storm watching and firelit evenings
Big Atlantic skies, empty beaches and cosy pubs define a Pembrokeshire winter, punctuated by the Tenby Blues Festival and the Boxing Day swim.
All 3 villas in Penally
Every home in Penally that can be booked with Smiling House, as a plain list.
Smiling House also offers a concierge for private chefs, transfers, ski instructors, yachts and cars, a VIP Club with first access to new residences and member rates, chalets for sale in the Gstaad region through its real estate division and instantly bookable homes with live availability.
The Area and Where to Stay
Penally sits within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Britain's only truly coastal national park, on the hillside above Carmarthen Bay. The village itself is a cluster of stone cottages, a mediaeval church and a village green, with its own request-stop railway station on the Pembroke Dock line. Its great asset is position: the beach below merges seamlessly into Tenby's South Beach, so the pastel-painted harbour town, with its town walls, boat trips and restaurants, is a flat half-hour walk along the sand. Staying in Penally rather than Tenby itself buys you calm, parking and sea views, particularly welcome in the school holidays. Our holiday homes here suit families and larger groups, with gardens, generous living space and the coast path running past the door towards Lydstep and Manorbier.
Things to Do
The beach is the main event: miles of clean sand for swimming, sandcastles and long walks, with Caldey Island floating offshore. From Tenby harbour, boats cross to Caldey in about twenty minutes, where Cistercian monks still make chocolate and perfume, and seals haul out on the rocks. Walkers have the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in both directions, with the limestone headlands of Lydstep and the Norman castle village of Manorbier a short distance west. Golfers can play the historic links at Tenby, founded in 1888, which borders the village. Further afield lie the tidal wonder of Barafundle Bay, the lily ponds of Bosherston, the cathedral city of St Davids and boat trips to see puffins on Skomer Island in early summer. Surf lessons, kayaking and coasteering, a sport invented on this coast, are all easily arranged.
Food and Local Flavour
South Pembrokeshire eats well and without fuss. Tenby, a stroll along the beach, has the area's widest choice, from harbourside fish and chips eaten on the wall to smart bistros working with Pembrokeshire crab, lobster and sea bass. Look out for local specialities: laverbread and cockles at breakfast, Welsh lamb and salt marsh beef, Caldey Island chocolate, and Pembrokeshire early potatoes in late spring. Farm shops and butchers around Sevenside and St Florence supply excellent produce for self-catering, and a private chef can be arranged for special evenings in your holiday home. Village pubs in Penally and neighbouring St Florence offer proper Sunday lunches after a morning on the coast path.
When to Visit
July and August bring the warmest sea, the longest days and the busiest beaches; a house in Penally keeps you a pleasant step removed from peak-season Tenby while leaving it within walking distance. May, June and September are many regulars' favourite months, with settled weather, wildflowers or golden light on the coast path and far fewer people. Autumn and winter suit walkers and anyone drawn to big Atlantic skies, log fires and empty sands, and Tenby stays lively year-round with its November blues festival and famous Boxing Day swim. The Gulf Stream keeps this coast comparatively mild, so there is no bad season, only different moods.
Getting There
Penally is at the far south-west of Wales but simpler to reach than the map suggests. By car it is around one hour and forty-five minutes from Cardiff and its airport (CWL) via the M4 and A477, and about three hours from Bristol (BRS), which offers a wider choice of flights. Direct trains run from Swansea along the scenic Pembroke Dock branch line, and Penally has its own small station a few minutes' walk from the village, with Tenby one stop away. Once here, most of a classic holiday, beach, coast path, golf and town, is on foot; a car is useful for exploring wider Pembrokeshire, and private transfers can be arranged.