Lydstep Haven Beach

On the south coast of Pembrokeshire, situated between Manorbier and Penally, lies Lydstep Haven Beach. Privately owned by holiday park giants, Haven Holidays, who operate a caravan site backing the beach, the bay at Lydstep is a great spot for many watersports and seaside activities.

Just three miles along the coast from Tenby, Lydstep Haven Beach offers incredible views of Lydstep Point to the south, Giltar Point to the west and out over the sea towards Caldey Island. It is a picturesque family-friendly inlet, flanked by limestone cliffs on either side and backed by a sea defence wall of boulders.

A half-mile-long crescent of golden sands and shingle, you’ll find beachgoers enjoying traditional seaside hobbies, adventures exploring sea caves and boaters decorating the shores with a variety of sea vessels.

Activities

Traditional beach activities enjoyed at Lydstep Haven Beach include sunbathing, sandcastle building and sea swimming. During the summer months, the water here is sectioned into zones; one of which is dedicated to bathers only creating a safe area for all to enjoy a paddle. This zone is to the left on the Penally side of the bay.

Another designated zone here is the powerboating zone, so expect to see views of jet skis and water skiers whooshing through the waters, plus there is a mooring here for larger boats to anchor. In these waters, you’ll see all manner of different boats including sailing boats, dinghies, powerboats and recreational sea craft. Smaller sea vessels are also popular here; canoes and kayaks. The coastline in this region is a wonderland of sea caves and natural arches just waiting to be explored.

Speaking of caves, Lydstep is so well-known for its coastline of caves that many have nicknamed it “The Bay of Caves” within the caving community. The Lydstep Caverns are a series of non-sea caves meaning they are accessible via foot, mostly only during low tide. The most epic cave to be discovered here is known as Smuggler’s Cave, a large cavern with three entrances totalling some 300 feet in length, whilst another is The Droch, a cave made of various-sized chambers over 120 feet in length.

The caves and rockpools here offer a wealth of wildlife, with sea creatures to be discovered in their natural habitats along the shoreline. Search through the seaweed, underneath rocks and in the nooks and crannies of the caves for sea snails, starfish, anemones, little octopus and more.

Watersports are a great pastime at Lydstep Haven Beach. Lead young children out onto the shore with their bodyboards for an afternoon of splashing in the smaller waves, whilst older beings will likely want to try their hand at surfing here. You might also see seasoned enthusiasts spending their time windsurfing here.

This South Pembrokeshire beach is a top choice for sea anglers, particularly after stormy weather when more fish can be found inshore. Fishermen casting their rods off here have been known to catch sea bass, whiting, flatties and dogfish – if you’re really lucky you might even find a lobster! Experienced fishermen and families can also enjoy a spot of crabbing at Lydstep; head to the harbour wall for the best location.

Subaqua adventures at Lydstep Haven Beach are recommended if you love to snorkel or are a passionate diver. Visibility is some ten feet or so in places and the underwater sights you’ll see are truly mesmerising. Expect a seabed sprinkled with corals and sponges, with triggerfish and flatfish swimming past. Between April and June, you might even find a hoard of spider crabs as they make their way inland for mating season.

Whether you’re exploring this bay by swimming, walking, diving or sailing, you’re likely to stumble across a variety of wildlife. Dolphins and porpoises are often sighted along this stretch of the coast, with the occasional otter spotting too. Overhead you may find fulmars, chough and peregrine falcons, for closer views head for higher viewpoints.

To the right of Lydstep Haven Beach lies Lydstep Point, the high limestone headland flanking one side of this bay and to the left, a stretch of craggy cliffsides reach all the way out to Giltar Point, a prominent headland near Penally. You can join the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in either direction from this beach and expect incredible sea views backed by grassy terrains, hedgerows blossoming with wildflowers plus bees and butterflies creating a hypnotic natural buzz in the landscape.

Facilities

Backed by a large Haven Holidays site, you’ll find a good selection of facilities and amenities at Lydstep Haven Beach. A car park lies at the top of the hill, free during the winter but charges are imposed seasonally during the summer when demand is higher. The beach also has a slipway available for use, but permission is required.

Along the seafront, you’ll find public toilets, access to drinking water plus a small beach shop and café – everything you might need for a daily trip to the beach as there’s no need to pack a picnic, and you can rest assured knowing there’s somewhere to fill up your reusable water bottle.

The site also has an activity centre where you can hire equipment such as kayaks and canoes, as well as book RYA training courses. You can also arrange seal safari boat trips around Caldey and book a visitor mooring for your boat during your stay.

A visit to Caldey Island is well worth the trip

Further inland is the Celtic Haven holiday complex, now part of the Haven Holidays site. At Celtic Haven, you’ll find an onsite spa offering pampering packages including massages, facials and body wraps, and the resort is home to tennis courts and a 9-hole golf course making it a great alternative place to spend the day if some members of your party don’t fancy a day beside the beach. You will also find Waves Clifftop Restaurant here, an ideal spot for an evening meal after your day by the seaside.

There is one sole pub in the village, The Lydstep Tavern. This countryside inn offers quality homemade meals for all the family with weekly Sunday lunches. Call in here for one of their curry nights or catch a sports game on the television screens, they also host regular special events such as quiz nights throughout the year.

The nearby villages of Penally and Manorbier both have small convenience stores for you to pick up day-to-day groceries, whilst Tenby has a larger choice with supermarkets, gift stores and retail shops.

Access

If travelling from Tenby to Manorbier, take the left turn after The Lydstep Tavern to reach the beach. Along this road, you’ll spot a clear blue signpost point the turn to the car park, continuing along the road will take you directly to the beach so you can drive down to drop off those with mobility struggles for instance but bear in mind, there is no public parking at the beach.

Follow the tarmacked road downhill and you will reach the beach clearly visible on your right. Along the stretch of the bay, there are three or four sets of steps from the promenade onto the shingle-backed beach. Wheelchairs and those with mobility difficulties can take the slipway located near the centre of the beach, but bear in mind this is steep. 

Bear in mind, if you are planning to use the slipway to launch your boat then you will need to hold an RYA certificate. This will then need to be presented to reception for authorisation before launching.

Is Lydstep Haven Beach Dog Friendly?

During the summer months between 1st May and 30th September, Lydstep Haven Beach puts a partial dog restriction in place. This means that all dogs are forbidden from using one half of the beach, the stretch to the left of the slipway on the Penally side. The right half of the beach nearest Lydstep Point remains dog friendly all year round.

You should also be aware that dogs must be kept on leads when walking along the promenade backing the beach at Lydstep.

Award-Winning

Lydstep Haven Beach has recently been awarded the Blue Flag Beach and is also on the list of recommended beaches compiled by the Marine Conservation Society. 

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