One of our favourite things about staying with Haven at Kiln Park was undoubtedly the location, with direct access to Tenby beach and just a short walk to the town itself. Although Kiln Park had so many amazing facilities and activities for the children, we always try to see as much of the local area as possible and Tenby most definitely stole our hearts.

For those who haven’t been, Tenby is a harbour town and resort in south wales, known for its 13th-century town walls, the Tenby castle ruins, St Catherine’s Fort and expansive coast line with blue flag beaches. It’s one of those places that really makes you feel like you’re on holiday and we absolutely loved our time there.

The walk from Kiln Park to Tenby town centre took around twenty minutes, even with three young children, and it was a walk we all really enjoyed especially with the sea view. We had heard so many wonderful things about Tenby from those who visited every year without fail and from the very first day we visited we realised exactly why it’s such a popular seaside resort. There is so much to see and do, far more than we could ever squeeze into just one week, and we already have an extensive list of days out planned for the next time we visit.

Take a boat trip

At the harbour you will find a number of kiosks offering boat trips out to Caldey Island, seal spotting, the bird reserve at St Margaret’s island and various other routes. We decided to choose the ‘Islands Cruise’ tour with Tenby Boat Trips who were incredibly helpful and competitively priced. We booked our trip the day before but you can book online prior to your holiday to make sure you don’t miss out.

All of the boat tours depart from the beach where you queue for your particular tour and wait for the boats to come in. We had booked the 10am tour and people had already began to queue from 9.30am so I would definitely recommend getting there early if you are particular about where you want to sit on the boats.

The boat tour runs for one hour fifteen which felt like just the right amount of time with young children. There is nothing worse than being stuck on a boat tour with children who grow tired or bored and so this felt like the perfect amount of time on the water.

Tenby has such a beautiful and colourful coastline and so the boat tour is a really great way to take it the panoramic views as you sail out to sea. The boats set sail to the left of St Catherine’s Fort so you get a great view of this as you sail. The fort dates back to 1867 and has taken on many different purposes over the years. Most recently, in 1968, the fort was turned into a zoo and yet having closed in 1979 the fort has stood empty ever since. The island is still open to visitors although we didn’t get the chance during our trip.

As we took to the water the children were very excited to start seal spotting, seeing several seals basking in the sunshine on the rocks on each of the islands. The tour operators were fantastic at not only commentating throughout, but making sure they turned the boat so that everyone got the chance to take in the view regardless of where you were sat on the boat.

For keen bird watchers, the boat tours take you to St Margaret’s Island which is known for cliff-nesting guillemots, razorbills, gulls and puffins. It was really interesting to hear more about this on the boat tour and the children were all amazed at the number of birds perched on the cliff edge.

We thoroughly enjoyed our boat tour and it was a lovely way to spend a morning with the children in Tenby. If you are visiting Tenby I would definitely recommend checking out the different tour operators, there are even privately chartered RIB rides which looked like a lot of fun!

Castle Hill

As you get off the boat there are some steps to the right taking you directly to the top of Castle Hill. As the name suggests, Castle Hill was once home to Tenby Castle and, although the castle walls are still complete, all that remains on the hill is one small tower. Built in the 12th century by The Normans, the castle was captured by the Welsh in 1153 and you can find out more about this at the Tenby Museum & Art Gallery which is built on to a medieval domestic building, likely the castle’s hall.

Castle Hill is a great spot to take in panoramic views out to sea, St Catherine’s Fort, the beaches, and the town itself. And, as my children soon discovered, it’s also a great spot for some hill rolling! Gaz and I were more than happy for the kids to tire themselves out rolling down the hill whilst we sat back, enjoyed the view, and soaked up some summer sun.

There are still several cannons on Castle Hill which were restored and relocated in the 1960’s. The cannons date back to the 17th century and can fire a 5 inch, 15 pound cannon ball over 500 paces. The children were fascinated by that fact!

At the very top of Castle Hill you will find the Prince Albert statue, first created in 1864 as the Welsh National Memorial for the sudden death of the Queen’s consort who died of Typhoid Fever. The statue was originally commissioned at a cost of £500 Guineas, stands at 2.7 metres tall and is made from Sicilian marble. It’s a lovely spot to sit and watch the world go by and there is nowhere quite as lovely as Tenby to do just that.

Tenby Beaches

Tenby is known for having the most beautiful beaches – North, South and Castle beach – and in the sunny weather the beaches are filled with holiday makers, surfers and ice cream vans on the sand. Castle Beach is the most renowned beach in Tenby, voted the Sunday Times Beach of the Year 2019, which speaks volumes about how beautiful this seaside town really is.

During our week in Tenby the children loved playing on the different beaches – building sandcastles, eating ice creams, collecting shells and playing in the sea. Although there are some incredible attractions and days out in Tenby to enjoy as a family, for those who are looking for a budget friendly holiday, the beach really is all you need.

Tenby Town Centre

We absolutely loved Tenby town centre with its coloured buildings, little back streets, quirky shops and bakeries and food delights on every corner. Every time we come to Wales we comment on just how good the food is here and Tenby certainly did not disappoint. In the Summer months Tenby is a very popular town and the streets are bustling with people with music playing and street performers everywhere you look. For those who prefer somewhere a little less touristy there are some beautiful towns in the surrounding areas but for us, we absolutely loved the hustle and bustle after all of these months at home.

In the Market Hall we discovered the most lovely little stall where children can create their own necklaces, bracelets and key rings from a selection of beads and charms, starting at as little as just two pence. Although we were very lucky with the weather, had it been raining this would have been a really fun way to occupy the children on a budget so I would definitely recommend paying them a visit if you’re passing.

There are so many places to eat in Tenby, and our children devoured sausage rolls and pasties from each of the bakeries and still asked for more, but Gaz and I found this hidden gem in the Market Hall serving freshly cooked Malaysian food and their curries were absolutely delicious!

There is still so much of Tenby we want to see and the great thing is that, because it has so much to offer, you can return year after year and still have a very different experience each time. We made such lovely memories by the sea this Summer and I think we all left a little piece of our hearts in Tenby when we left.