Pembrokeshire's Best Secret Beaches

Pembrokeshire's best-known beaches can sometimes get a little overcrowded. So why not head off the beaten track and visit some of the most beautiful, secret spots.

Here are some of our favourite hidden beaches in Pembrokeshire – some are only accessible by foot so plan ahead!

1. Ceibwr Bay

Miles from Bluestone: 31

Ceibwr beach is reached from Moylegrove where there is free parking for about 20 to 25 cars. It’s caught in a little, narrow inlet surrounded by cliffs and has a wild feel to it – almost inhospitable in winter – but undeniably beautiful. You might even spot a porpoise. It’s shingly and pebbly with a little sand. Just down the coast path is a dramatically collapsed cave known as the Witches’ Cauldron.

2. Porthmelgan

Miles from Bluestone: 28

Surrounded by cliffs, the beautiful sandy cove of Porthmelgan is best viewed from the top of Carn Llidi, the craggy tor which presides majestically over St David's Head. It’s tucked between St David's Head at the northern tip of Whitesands Bay, and is surrounded on three sides by protective cliffs so is a virtual sun trap.

It’s got a smattering of rock pools and is good for crabbing.

3. Skrinkle Haven

Miles from Bluestone: 14

A mixture of sand and shingle, getting to Skrinkle Haven, near Manorbier village, isn’t easy – but it makes for more of an adventure. Once you negogiate the long flight of steps you get to a welcoming beach with a little cove with two caves at one end.

4. Conigar Pit Beach

Miles from Bluestone: 13

Conigar Pit is a secluded little bay about 20 minutes from Manorbier, a mixture of rocks and a sandy beach tucked behind Old Castle Head. The crags of rock form little coves – but you’ll have to come at low tide otherwise the beaches disappear. The beach, in a little cove called Presipe, is a happy hunting ground for fossil collectors – a great way to while away the afternoon with children. The views are also stunning, with Lundy Island and the Devon and Somerset coasts often visible.

5. Marloes Sand

Miles from Bluestone: 21

A bit of a trek from Marloes Mere, it’s well worth the effort. You’ll go through the countryside and along a clifftop before the path takes you down to the lovely long curved stretch of sand.

6. Swanlake Bay

Miles from Bluestone: 13

This beach, full of shingle, sand, and rock pools, is only accessible from the coastal path and guaranteed isolation with the best nature has to offer. You can only park at Manorbier, so you know only a handful will find their way to beautiful Swanlake.

It’s best visited at low tide when the golden sand is revealed. There’s plenty of wildlife (but no swans!).

7. Nolton Haven

Miles from Bluestone: 17

Just down the coast road from the popular Broad Haven near Newgale, Nolton Haven might be smaller but it's well worth a visit. If you look carefully when you stand at the top of the beach, you’ll see the two headlines look a bit like faces looking across the beach at one another.

8. Porthlysgi Beach

Miles from Bluestone: 27

Now this is a hidden one. It can only be reached from the Coastal Path which is about a mile west of Porthclais. Golden sand and rockpools are revealed at low tide, and the sea is perfect for swimming.

9. Monkstone Beach

Miles from Bluestone: 10

Two miles north of Tenby, Monkstone Sands is a long beach with safe swimming and plenty of rockpools. Access to Monkstone Sands is easy off the coastal footpath via a farm, down some steep steps to the remote location.

10. Traethllyfn

Miles from Bluestone: 25

Traethllyfn is a lovely, sheltered beach with golden sands accessible only from the coastal path high above it. You have to make your way down 133 steps – not for the faint-hearted!

But once you get there its worth the trip – lovely firm sand, swimming, and rockpooling.

11. Watwick Bay

Miles from Bluestone: 23

The sloping beach of sand and shingle is a sheltered sun trap in summer, complete with rock pools and plenty to keep the children amused – including a few spooky caves.