When you plan to walk the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in Wales in its entire length, preparation is key. Besides practicing long walks and packing, part of the preparation is where you’ll sleep at night as you walk from one village to the next. Because I Iove planning, I booked my Pembrokeshire Coastal Path accommodation in advance.
As I felt the services available, didn’t give us enough flexibility and were quite frankly above our budget, I decided to book everything myself. Because it took me numerous hours online, planning and reading, I decided to make things easier on you and list the bed and breakfast at the Pembrokeshire Coast and the Pembrokeshire hotels we booked for our trip.
I paid for everything in full myself. I was not paid or sponsored. All my opinions and experiences are my own.
Probe around the Globe does use affiliate links. If you decide to follow one of my links and make a purchase, I’ll earn a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you.
Where to stay when walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path?
Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
In November 2018, my boyfriend and I decided we’d use our May vacation to go to Wales and walk the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. He previously hiked the Kungsleden Trail in Sweden and I love to go for long walks in the Netherlands.
We decided we needed the challenge to lose weight and get fitter. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path sounded perfect for us.
Although my boyfriend likes to go camping, taking his tent and just pitching it wherever he feels like it, I knew this wasn’t an option for me. I need a real bed to rest my head and preferably a long hot shower at the end of a long day of walking.
And I love to plan things. So I did an assessment if we’d be able to walk the 300 km (187 miles) of the PCP in the time available to us and what it would cost.
Hiking Pembrokeshire Coast Path in video
What is it like to hike the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in Wales? We walked the full Coastal Path from Amroth to St.Dogmaels in springtime and I recorded a video of each hiking day. Check out a compilation of the best, the most beautiful, and the worst moments on the trail!
Find more video’s about my travels on YouTube. Make sure to follow me to get a notification when I upload new videos.
Finding the best Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Accommodation
Turns out, it was a lot harder to find and reserve all our desired Pembrokeshire hotels in advance. Partly because I didn’t want to spend 300€ a night, but mostly because accommodation along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is limited in some sections. It took me a lot of hours in the evening, but finally, I managed to book our last accommodation in Pembrokeshire.
I’ll list them below, so if you feel like walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, you can just copy and paste.
For convenience, I’ll list the different accommodation types and options first with some of the ones I’ve looked at. In the end, I’ll list the hotels and B&B’s I’ve selected for our Pembrokeshire Coastal hike.
Accommodation in Pembrokeshire
But why is it so hard to find the right place to sleep in Pembrokeshire? You have to keep in mind a few things:
- Pembrokeshire is a popular vacation destination in Wales. Many hotels and other forms of accommodation cater to holidaymakers and family vacations. This might not always be right for you when you’re walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
- Minimum Stay. Because of the above reason, the
minimum time to stay might be too long. I found amazing places to sleep and holiday homes, but they all require a minimum of 3 or even 7 nights booking. - Remoteness. Some of the villages along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path are really remote and only have one pub or one place to stay. If that single one is above your budget or fully booked, you need to look at other options.
- Online presence. I found not all B&B’s and Inn’s can be found online. I zoomed in exhaustively on google.maps to find listed places along the trail.
But luckily for you and me, there is plenty of accommodation to be found in Pembrokeshire and along the Coastal Path. It is just a matter of finding the right ones for your needs and budget. Let’s see what is available.
Pembrokeshire Hotels
What is not to love about hotels after a long day of walking? You check-in, get a key, put your stuff in the corner and dive into the freshly made bed. Crisp, bright and available. No limited reception hours and plenty of facilities like breakfast, laundry service, information about the town and bus routes, wake-up calls and maybe even room service!
I booked a couple of hotels in Pembrokeshire for our hike. Mostly in the bigger places as they offered the best value for money and options. Below are some beautiful, amazing hotel options along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path:
- Hamilton Lodge in Fishguard. They have shared rooms but also deluxe rooms with ensuite facilities. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any availability when I wanted to stay, otherwise, this would have been my top pick in Fishguard.
- Lord Nelson in Milford Haven. Big, bright, and bold, this Inn or Hotel has sea view rooms and very affordable prices. Again, already fully booked for my dates.
- St. Theresa’s Hotel in Tenby. Overlooking the castle grounds of Tenby, this hotel was an old convent and it shows. Full with charm it has a variety of rooms available for those who’d like to spend a little bit more.
- Atlantic Hotel in Tenby. A bit pricier option in Tenby, the Atlantic Hotel offers you sea view rooms and indoor pool facilities. If you stay here when walking the coastal path, it might feel more like a holiday.
- Llys Meddyg in Newport. Old farmhouse converted to a boutique-style hotel with a number of rooms, all decorated in Wales-style furniture and fabrics. It looks lovely and snug. It was slightly over my daily budget, otherwise, I’d happily sleep here.
- Best Western Lampey Court Hotel and Spa. Oh, this was a tough one. I absolutely fell in love with this hotel. Luxury hotel and spa, but still somewhat affordable for a night. I figured it would be the perfect stay for a mid-walking holiday retreat and pampering. In the end, the price and location made me decide to book a more affordable option.
- Roch Castle in Roch. A bit off the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path but might be very much worth it as you get to sleep in an actual castle. Princess for one day, the Roch Castle has royally sized suites for you to stay in!
- Twyr y Felin in St. Davids. Old windmill turned into a contemporary art hotel. Big rooms with sultan-sized beds (there is no way to describe how big those beds are). This hotel is truly one of kind. So is the price but it does give you something really special.
Bed and Breakfast on Pembrokeshire Coast
B&B’s or Bed and Breakfast are perfect for your walking needs. A local touch to your accommodation, usually in the smaller villages on the trail AND breakfast is always included (duh!). I’m looking very much forward to those Wales Breakfasts!
Cute, snuggly, charming and plentiful, despite all this, the Bed and Breakfast on the Pembrokeshire Coast do have some drawbacks. Things to consider when making reservations for your B&B on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path:
- B&B’s are often small and only have a few rooms available. Book ahead in high season or in any season for that matter, to secure your room.
- B&B’s are often run by locals. They might not have a website to find them and might not answer within 1 hour. Be patient when booking a B&B and when needed, call them on the phone to confirm your booking.
- Prepayment and cancellation fees. I’m spoiled because I usually book my accommodation via booking.com. I always select hotels and B&B’s for their cancellation policy and no prepayment needed. With the Bed and Breakfast on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, this might not always be possible. Check the B&B’s policy and arrange payment in time.
- Limited check-in hours. Or check-out for that matter. As you’ll be walking the PCP, you might not always know when you’ll arrive at your next accommodation. Keep this in mind when making reservations for B&B’s.
A few charming Bed and Breakfast right on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path are:
- Tabor House B&B in Newport. Located in the national park, this B&B is family-run and offers bright spacious en-suite rooms. A lovely place to stay at night.
- Osnok B&B in Tenby. Nearly located on the beach, this B&B received raving reviews and is a very good option in Tenby.
- The Old Vicarage B&B in Cardigan. Crisp bright room but with some historic decorum. This old vicarage oozes charm and cleanliness. Slightly over my budget, but I’d love to stay here in the future.
- Bethsaida B&B in Saint Dogmaels. One of the
very few accommodations in Saint Dogmaels, this renovated baptist chapel might be the perfect place to sleep before you start your Pembrokeshire walk or to finish it.
Pub’s and Inn’s along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
No matter how remote the villages in Wales are, it seems that every single one of them has at least 1 local pub. Pubs are a great place to rest when you’re walking the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path and to have lunch or dinner. Or end-of-the-day-celebratory-drinks. Or all of the above at once.
But some pubs also offer a few rooms as accommodation. When a local pub is the only available accommodation on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, it might not be the worst place to rest your head.
Check before booking if the pub includes breakfast in the room rate and if they have shared or ensuite facilities. Below are a few local watering holes I’d happily rest my head at night:
- Victoria Brewhouse Inn B&B in Roch. Working brewhouse with B&B type rooms. And a drink at the end of your walking day. What more do you need?
- The Ship Inn in Solva. Great location for this Inn with nostalgic rooms and a touch of grandma here and there as you’d expect from an old inn.
- The Lobster Pot Inn in Marloes. Perfect for those early mornings Skomer Island boat trips or a hearty meal at the pub. Book super early as I lucked out and couldn’t book it anymore.
- Hibernia Inn in Angle. Book way ahead if you want to sleep here as the local watering hole is in high demand.
Camping and Glamping in Pembrokeshire
I totally see myself crawling into my luxurious boho-chic glamping tent at night. Posting Instagram pics of the Christmas lights (?) casually wrapped around the poles of the tent, while I sit, coffee mug in hand (with inspirational quote), staring into the sunset.
I found some amazing looking camping and glamping spots on the Pembrokeshire path. I wanted to secure our spot for at least one night. Ok, make that two. Unfortunately, I found all the options to only take 3 or 7-night bookings.
Carefully weighing the option to stay longer and commute to and from the trail for a couple of days, I decided, in the end, it was too much of an inconvenience for us. But oh, how I’ve loved to have stayed at the following
- Stackpoleunderthestar near Stackpole. Yes, I fell instantly in love with their website and lovely glamping pods. I’d happily take a detour to stay there and take Instagram pictures. But with a minimum stay of 2 nights and check-in only on certain days of the week, this seemed impossible to fit into our itinerary. Maybe you’ll have better luck?
Ideawood Glamping. A mandatory 3 nights stay is a bit much when you’re walking the Pembrokeshire trail but thisglamp -site looks 100% Hygge and natural.- Trellyn Woodland Camping for Glamping in a Yurt. Too bad they only have weekly rates for their yurts but they look so lovely!
- Fishguard Bay Resort has a campsite, caravan park, and super cute camping pods. Too bad they were already fully booked for my dates, otherwise I’d stay here in a heartbeat.
- Mill Haven Place Glamping in Talbenny. They offer yurts and camping tents for you to rest for one or more nights. With BBQ facilities so make sure to bring your steaks or corn cobs.
- Beavers Retreat Glamping just inland from Manorbier. Geodome with a hot tub. If that doesn’t scream glamping in style then I don’t know what does. Maybe the price tag because that was the only reason to not book it.
Budget accommodation on Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
Truth be told, I tried to book budget-friendly guest houses, B&B’s, and hotels in Pembrokeshire for our walk. But, when you add everything up, I got a mild heart attack because of our accommodation costs.
If you’re looking for more budget-friendly options, don’t mind sharing a room and self-catering, then here are some budget tips for you:
- YHA Wales Hostels. Scattered along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, the YHA has 6 hostels available to you. Bunk bed shared dorm rooms or private rooms, these are your biggest money savers.
- Campsites. Bring a tent and pitch it. It seems Pembrokeshire is very camping friendly, you just need to bring all your gear.
- Try Airbnb and find the most budget-friendly places to stay.
- Try Couchsurfing. Where there are people, you’ll find couches. If you say you’ll be walking the Pembrokeshire coastal path, you’re sure to find some places to crash.
Should you book your accommodation on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in advance?
In my opinion: Yes! Here are my 5 reasons why:
- Availability. Wales and Pembrokeshire are very popular for a weekend away or longer holidays. When demand goes up, so do prices and availability goes down.
- Focus on walking the PCP. It seems like my worst nightmare to barely make it to the end of the long day of walking and then have to occupy yourself with finding a place to stay and haggling for (last-minute) prices. With the next village maybe 8 miles out, your options to look elsewhere are limited.
- Budgeting. When you prepare by booking your accommodations in Pembrokeshire in advance, you’ll know what you’ll be spending. You can set a feasible budget and stick to it as the biggest expense is already arranged.
- Being picky. Yes, some might call me picky. I like a spacious bed, a nice room, an ensuite bathroom and if it’s not too much trouble, to have a cleanroom. I like the place to be at an excellent location and have raving reviews from other
travelers . Searching and booking in advance online gives me the option to compare and disregard certain accommodations. And be as picky as I want to be. Showing up will leave you with limited options. If you’re not picky, this might work for you just as well. - Excitement. As if walking and training for the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path isn’t enough excitement. I like to plan. I am a planner. And I get excited when accommodations are booked and arranged.
Is it for you?
I know that my need to plan and lock-down my trips is not for everyone. Especially with a long-distance walk like the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, it doesn’t leave room for alterations, unexpected events or setbacks. I am aware of that.
With my planned walking itinerary, we will have the pressure to end the walking day in a certain place. We cannot stop when we’re tired or fed up or even take an impromptu rest day when we feel like it. Because that will mess up our other bookings. If we don’t like the place I’ve booked for 3 nights, we have to suck it up and stick with it.
To me, these are all things I rather have than not knowing where we’ll sleep at the end of a day’s hiking. But you might think otherwise, but then you’ve probably stopped reading anyway.
Still there? Ok let’s book some Pembrokeshire hotels and accommodations then!
Our Pembrokeshire Coastal Path Accommodation List
In the end, I booked all our Pembrokeshire Coastal path accommodations in advance. Mostly, the decisive factors were price and location and availability. In some places, there were not many options for us.
I made a balanced list of one-night stays and multiple nights stay when possible. While trying to manage my budget and the possibility to book in advance.
As we’ll walk from Amroth to St. Dogmaels, the list is in that order. I’ll briefly describe the decision-making process for each of these accommodations.
- 3 Nights in Tenby at Ivy Bank Guest House. Tenby had so many accommodations to offer, it was really a pick-and-choose game. In the end, I choose the Ivy Bank Guest House because it was close to the train station which would be ideal for arriving and heading out the trail each day as we’d be staying 3 nights. Their family room looked adorable so I selected it.
- 1 Night at St. Govans Country Inn in Bosherston Village. This one was a bit harder to find. I searched the map to find accommodation and then looked for a booking form. All links turned into a dead-end but in the end, I found an online reservation tool and managed to book a stay in their family room. Make sure to taste their Cawl, the perfect meal after a full day of hiking.
- 1 Night at The Coach House Hotel Pembroke. I figured that after a couple of days, it’d be nice to stay in a hotel in a semi-bigger town. As we’d have a rest day here, it might be nice to explore Pembroke too. Their location and value for money drew me in. They also do laundry service, which is super convenient!
- One night in at B&B Springfield in Milford Haven. I found most options in the surrounding area way too expensive so picked this B&B in Milford Haven. They have shared facilities but I figured for one night that would be ok. Ron is an excellent host and he’ll go above and beyond to help you, in any way he can.
- 1 Night at Broadside B&B in Dale. This seemed the only affordable place for miles but they were quite unresponsive. After filling out their contact form a couple of times, they finally replied that they had space. Yea!
- 2 Nights at Anchor Guest House in Broad Haven. This one was a harder nut to crack. I wanted to stay in Marloes for a night but nobody replied or was already fully booked for our dates. As I moved further north on the map, I decided we’d use the excellent bus services and stay longer in Broad Haven, taking the busses south. This was absolute golden as they have an on-sight Italian restaurant that serves amazing food! Make sure to secure yourself a table.
- 1 Night at the Cambrian Inn in Solva. In Solva, there were a few options. All a bit on the pricier side for me, but in the end, the Cambrian Inn had such great reviews, I decided to book there. Their breakfast is near Michelin star. I wish we’d eaten here for dinner too. A bit on the pricey side but definitely worth it.
- 3 Nights at The Grove Hotel in St. Davids. The bigger town of St. Davids had enough options available. As we’d stay for 1 rest day and use the bus for another walking day, I wanted a good location in the center of town. Again the lovely look of the hotel and the raving reviews drew me in!
- 1 Night at Seaview Hotel in Goodwick/ Fishguard. Hardly any options available, non-responsive reservation form and guesthouses that told us they don’t take bookings anymore in Trefin, I decided to book the Seaview Hotel. The name promised quite some nice things but I’m curious if it can live up to the name.
- 1 Night at The Golden Lion Hotel in Newport. Good reviews, central location, not that many options. Sometimes the math is not that hard. Book it! I absolutely loved it here. Make sure to book a table for dinner while you’re at it as their food is superb! Had one of the specials on their board and it was finger-lickin’ good. A bit noisy when they have live music, so bring earplugs (or join in the fun!)
- Last night at Llety Teifi Guesthouse in Cardigan. For our last night, hopefully after completing the Pembrokeshire coastal path, this would be our last accommodation to book. Maybe it was the bright pink color that drew me in, or the excellent reviews, or the fact it was better priced than many of the other options? Who will tell? I’m happy to book it for our last night! They have a hot tub, which is the perfect reward after 2 weeks of walking.
Click the links above to find more information, prices and availability for the accommodation you’re interested in. Or find the best Wales accommodation here.
Accommodations on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
As you can see, it was quite a logistic puzzle and weighing of budget and location and availability. If I’d have all the money in the world, it might have been a bit easier but staying in guesthouses and hotels in Pembrokeshire for over 2 weeks, will be expensive enough.
If you plan to walk the Pembrokeshire Coast Path independently, planning the duration of your day’s hike and finding a place to sleep to match it, might be the hardest job. That and actually walking the trail. I hope I’ve made the planning process a bit easier with a few options and ideas in the right direction.
- The guide book by Manthorpe and McCrohan is an excellent guide to help you plan your Pembrokeshire Coast Path walk. Purchase your copy here.
- Take care of blisters and treat them easily with Compeed Blister Care Plasters. Purchase them here before you go hiking.!
Tell me, do you have plans to walk the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path? Or even the Wales Coastal Path in its entire length? Where do you plan on staying and sleeping? Please share your experiences in the comment section below. I’d love to read them. If you found this guide useful, please share it on social media.
Hi I want to hike the path in early August starting from St Dogmaels and camp in my solo tent along the way. I know there are many camping grounds but do you know if they cater to the walk-up backpacker? I wont really know where I will be each night as weather will factor in, and may do anything from 10-20 miles a day. It looks like many places take bookings but they don’t specify whether they cater to the walker who just shoes up with tent on back!
Honestly Melanie, I don’t know. I don’t have personal experience with this. But August is quite a busy period and what happens if the camp ground is full and the next place is 15 miles out? In my experience, the public transport is quite manageable so you could pick a campground and stay there for 2 or 3 nights and take the bus to the place where you left the day before. In that way, you still have some flexibility with how much you’ll walk each day (limited to bus schedules and bus stops) and still have a certain place to stay each night. I hope you’ll have a fantastic trip. I saw many backpackers hiking from St. Dogmeals and we found quite a few campgrounds on our way but I didn’t ask about their policies.
Great article. Just starting to plan entire walk for September 2020. Single female,any advise appreciated
Hi Dee. I actually just got back and still processing the amazing sights and places we’ve seen. Stay tuned as I plan to post a lot of Pembrokeshire content in the coming weeks. On my FB you can find the first pictures and videos too!
Hi Naomi, I plan to walk the path in the summer of 2020. So many questions, so little information 🙂 Can I walk it as a solo female (I am fit, and have walked the Camino twice). I don’t want to plan my accommodation ahead of time, as I want to linger at places I like. Would I be able to find a place to sleep easily? Thanks for replying.
Hi Anne, I think there is absolutely no problem as a solo female but I have more detailed information in 3 weeks. I booked all my accommodation in advance and some dates were already sold out. In summer, the places in high demand might have already been fully booked. Do you have a back-up like camping gear with you?
HI there,
Please could you say the name and location of the beautiful blue cliff top property on your “Where to stay” picture please.
Smashing article!
Hi Clare, the picture is from Tenby, Pembrokeshire, the house tower over Castle beach.