Best Beaches in Pembrokeshire
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches in Pembrokeshire are Skrinkle Haven Beach, Monkstone Beach, Swanlake Beach, Newgale Beach, Wooltack Bay, Conduit Beach, Stackpole Quay and Caerfai Beach.
Pembrokeshire has one of the loveliest coastlines in Britain, a run of golden coves, limestone cliffs and wide surf beaches wrapped in a national park and traced by its long coast path. The variety is exceptional, from busy, family-friendly sands with car parks and cafes to hidden coves reached only on foot at low tide.
There are big, open surf beaches like Newgale in St Brides Bay, where lifeguards patrol in summer, and tiny hidden coves such as Skrinkle Haven and Swanlake Beach, where you may have the sand to yourself. Some spots are less about swimming than scenery, from the tidal harbour of Stackpole Quay, gateway to Barafundle Bay, to the exposed headland of Wooltack Point with its views to Skomer.
There are rock pools at Monkstone Beach, purple-red cliffs at Caerfai Beach near St Davids, and quiet, little-known corners like Conduit Beach on Milford Haven. Some need care with the tide and the steep paths down, so plan ahead and check the times.
Here are eight of the best beaches to seek out in Pembrokeshire.
Skrinkle Haven Beach
Photo: Ian S via Geograph.org.uk
Skrinkle Haven Beach is a small, secluded cove of golden sand ringed by high limestone cliffs on the south Pembrokeshire coast, between Manorbier and Lydstep. Wide sand opens at low tide, and next to it is Church Doors, a cove named for the great door-shaped arch worn through the cliff.
The way down is steep, and the old steps to Skrinkle itself have eroded, so the cove is now reached through a rock archway from the neighbouring beach, passable only for a couple of hours either side of low tide. There is a clifftop car park and picnic area, but no facilities on the sand.
Seek it out at low tide for a hidden cove and its striking cliff arch.
Monkstone Beach
Photo: M J Roscoe via Geograph.org.uk
Monkstone Beach is a small, secluded sandy beach on the west side of the wooded headland of Monkstone Point, about midway between Saundersfoot and Tenby. Fine pale sand with rock pools shows at lower tides and shrinks away as the water rises.
There is no road to it: the way down is on foot, across a farm and then a steep flight of steps, or along the coast path, or across the sands from Saundersfoot at low tide. Roadside parking sits back near the farm, and there are no facilities on the beach.
Seek it out for a quiet, wooded walk down to sand and rock pools.
Swanlake Beach
Photo: Alan Hughes via Geograph.org.uk
Swanlake Beach is a secluded beach on the south Pembrokeshire coast, between Manorbier and Freshwater East, reached only on foot. Shingle at high tide gives way to a wide stretch of golden sand and rock pools as the water falls, backed by low cliffs with caves, and there are no buildings or facilities anywhere near it.
The way in is a walk of twenty minutes or more along the Pembrokeshire coast path and down across a field from Manorbier or Freshwater East. Its remoteness keeps it quiet even in summer.
Seek it out for an empty beach and the reward of a proper walk in.
Newgale Beach
Photo: Simon Mortimer via Geograph.org.uk
Newgale Beach is a two-mile west-facing sandy beach in St Brides Bay, one of the biggest and most popular surf beaches in the county. A tall bank of storm-piled pebbles runs along the back, shielding the coast road and the village behind it, and the sand stretches out at low tide before shrinking as the water rises.
Strong surf and open space draw surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers. There are car parks, toilets, a pub and a cafe at either end, and lifeguards patrol in summer.
Seek it out for wide open sand, reliable surf and easy facilities close by.
Wooltack Bay
Photo: Gareth James via Geograph.org.uk
Wooltack Bay centres on Wooltack Point, the exposed western tip of the Deer Park headland at the end of the Marloes peninsula, beside Martin's Haven. It looks out across Jack Sound to the islands of Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm, and an old coastguard lookout on the point is now staffed by the National Coastwatch Institution.
The Deer Park behind it, despite the name, never held deer; it is coastal heathland grazed by ponies, with a large Iron Age fort whose rampart still shows. Martin's Haven, just to the east, is the National Trust cove where boats leave for Skomer.
Seek it out for headland walks and island views rather than sunbathing.
Conduit Beach
Photo: M J Roscoe via Geograph.org.uk
Conduit Beach is a small rocky cove at Hakin, on the edge of Milford Haven. A lane leads down from the houses above to a shore of rock and rock pools, used by locals for scrambling and paddling.
It looks out over the waterway of the Haven. It is a low-key, little-known spot rather than a visitor beach.
Seek it out if you want a quiet local corner and a bit of rock-pooling away from the tourist trail.
Stackpole Quay
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Stackpole Quay is a tiny stone harbour tucked between low limestone cliffs on the National Trust's Stackpole estate, said to be one of the smallest harbours in Wales. Built in the late eighteenth century by the Earl of Cawdor to ship out limestone, it now shelters a few small boats, with a pebble and rock beach uncovered at low tide.
It sits on the Pembrokeshire coast path and is the usual starting point for the short clifftop walk to the beautiful sands of Barafundle Bay. There is a car park, a tea room and toilets.
Seek it out as the gateway to Barafundle and a charming little harbour in its own right.
Caerfai Beach
Photo: Jonathan Wilkins via Geograph.org.uk
Caerfai Beach is a small cove on the Pembrokeshire coast, just south of the little cathedral city of St Davids. It is enclosed by cliffs of striking purple-red sandstone, and at low tide a broad stretch of sand is uncovered at their feet, with rock pools and caves to explore.
The purple stone here is well-known: the same distinctive rock, quarried from this coast, was used to build St Davids Cathedral nearby. A steep path and steps lead down to the sand from the cliff top, where the coast path runs along the headland.
The beach faces south and catches the sun. Seek it out for coloured cliffs and clear water on one of the loveliest coasts in Wales.
FAQs
Which Pembrokeshire beach is best for surfing?
Newgale in St Brides Bay is one of the biggest and most popular surf beaches in the county, a two-mile west-facing sweep of sand with strong surf and open space that draws surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers.
Are any of these Pembrokeshire beaches cut off by the tide?
Yes, a few. Skrinkle Haven is reached through a rock archway passable only for a couple of hours either side of low tide, and Monkstone Beach and Swanlake Beach shrink or vanish as the water rises, so check the tide before you go.
Where can you find beaches with facilities and lifeguards?
Newgale has car parks, toilets, a pub and a cafe at either end, with lifeguards on patrol in summer. Stackpole Quay has a car park, a tea room and toilets, while many of the smaller coves have no facilities at all.
Conclusion
Pembrokeshire really does have a beach for every mood. There are big, easy surf sands with car parks, cafes and summer lifeguards at Newgale, and quiet coves like Skrinkle Haven, Monkstone Beach and Swanlake Beach that reward those willing to walk in and watch the tide.
Some of the finest spots are more about scenery than swimming, from the tiny harbour of Stackpole Quay and its walk to Barafundle Bay to the headland views at Wooltack Point and the rocky local cove at Conduit Beach. Caerfai Beach adds coloured cliffs near St Davids to the mix.
Several coves are cut off by the tide or reached by steep, eroded paths, so plan ahead and check the times before you set out. For golden sand, dramatic cliffs and a coast path that ties it all together, these are the best beaches to seek out in Pembrokeshire.
