Tenby is a picture-perfect Welsh coastal town, with a rich heritage

A walled town with brightly painted buildings, Tenby is well worth a visit. This is true despite half the main attractions being closed when we visited. And it was cold and wet.

We visited Tenby in December 2024, as part of our Twixmas trip to Kilgetty (where we also saw Pembroke and Carew Castles) for some fresh air and I had hoped, a good selection of local museums. Sadly many of the local museums were closed, but there were a lot of CASTLES! So almost as good.

I won’t be linking the Air BnB as it was ok, but not worth recommending (equally not worth avoiding, it really was just ok). We drove, but there are also trains to Tenby from many parts of the UK.*

Anna had told me Tenby was beautiful, but I was not quite ready for the natural beauty and well-manicured town which awaited us. The downside of visiting off season (things closed) was balanced by the lack of people, which for me is a real bonus.

Tenby’s medieval town wall

The Tenby town walls show its strategic importance during the Middle Ages. The walls were commissioned by the Earl of Pembroke and were built around 1264. This was after an attack by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llywelyn the Last). The walls are made of stone and were designed to protect the town against Welsh uprisings and pirate raids. Sadly there is no pirate statue there. Walls didn’t only keep out unwelcome visitors but showed a town was important from a trade perspective and were the mark of an affluent medieval town.

The Five Arches of the wall are a key feature of the town. There is even a car park named after them. Thats where the comparison ends, the car park doesn’t share the beauty. These arches are part of the southern gateway and are among the best-preserved sections of the wall.

A stunning harbour

The working harbour in Tenby is found between the old medieval wall and the castle hill. There were loads of options for boat trips (to see seals!!) and to other small Islands for tourist season, so it’s a great place to head to if you have a few hours. Oh and if the tours are running. If you’re attending off season, then it is still a beautiful bay to walk around, it will just take less time and is still a good reason to visit Tenby.

Biodiversity of Tenby beach

Tenby is home to two beaches, known as North and South beach (imaginative as you can tell). We spent the most time on the South Beach as it was fascinating. Not only were there lots of shells and small sea creatures, but the patterns in the rocks were testament to the rain and weathering. There were stunning caves (even though they were overrun with pigeons) and little rock pools. We spent over an hour exploring these, despite the perishing wind.

The North beach in Tenby is really well set up for watersports.* There were some brave (foolish) people kitesurfing and the visibility was less than a metre. The beach itself was also less good for walking on than the South Beach as it was quite stony.

St Mary’s Church

A quick stop for many, St Mary’s Church on Tenby High Street is over 800 years old and is enormous (in fact, Britain Express cites it as one of the largest parish churches in Wales). This is a site in Tenby really worth visiting.

There are many estimates as to when the church was built. There are lots of different architectural styles in the church and different stones and bricks used. It is generally accepted that the main church was built in the fifteenth century. It is believed the tower base is from the thirteenth.

So, the weather was really bad. This was NOT however a reason for the people huddled in the entrance eating an egg and bacon sandwich. Even if it’s raining, don’t do this. I was pretty enraged. Eating in churches is a big no and it’s just not on. Even in the entrance.

The Covered Market

Opened in the 1860s, the covered market is a mash up of different parts of British life – from discount beauty to Malaysian Food, to sheep skin slippers. The independent stalls in the market complement the shops on the high street well, where you can buy a selection of Welsh treats, clothes and gifts.

What I was not able to see in Tenby

I’m sure the Tenby Museum and Tudor House are great. I wouldn’t know as both venues were closed. The pamphlet for the museum built it up so I was genuinely disappointed when I found the locked doors. Equally if you’re keen to go seal watching, then December is not the time to visit Tenby.

Beyond Tenby and worth a visit… Manor Wildlife Park

Ok, so this is technically stop number 6 for the list, but it isn’t technically in Tenby, and I’m in a pedantic mood.

Manor Wildlife Park was a stong start to the day – with an entry charge of £21.50, Anna loudly declared “this better be worth it” as she handed over her card. The next conversation with the kiosk was, “would you like to spend £1.50 on Wallabee food?”. This was a very quick “yes” and the Wildlife park was clearly quickly worth it. We were able to wander into the Wallabee enclosure and feed them.

I’m not a mega zoo fan, but I am also not against them in the way many are, however Manor Wildlife Park was great. There are not many animals there, but you can get quite close to some (Pigs, Goats, Lemurs, Wallabees and Rabbits). The animals also have a lot of space – more than at most zoos. Equally the areas where you can interact with the animals are very well staffed. The staff are on it. They keep you to the path and really do ensure children don’t scare the animals.

*Denotes affiliate link. In this post, these are options, but not experiences I have personally enjoyed, as they were closed.

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