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Where to Stay for the Tenby Boxing Day Swim
Swimmers in fancy dress run into the sea off North Beach every 26 December. Where to stay, where to watch from, and what is and isn't yet known about the 2026 swim.
By Pembrokeshire Guide editors · Updated 27 September 2026 · Facts last checked 27 September 2026
Every year on 26 December, swimmers in fancy dress run into the sea off North Beach in Tenby for the Boxing Day Swim. The swim has run for more than fifty years. It was started by the family of the president of the Tenby Sea Swimming Association and is a charity swim, not a race. In 2026, 26 December falls on a Saturday.
The 2026 swim has not been announced yet. When we last checked, the event's own website still showed the 2025 arrangements, so we are not giving a 2026 start time, entry process or fee. Check the organisers' announcement nearer Christmas, and we will update this page once it is published.
The swim in numbers
- 2025 was the 53rd swim, with 1,125 swimmers. It raised more than £5,500, which was shared between Tenby RNLI, Tenby Sea Cadets, The Old Chapel, Sandy Bear, Tenby Surf Lifesaving Club and Tenby Rowing Club.
- 2024 set the attendance record, with 1,150 swimmers.
- The organisers say the swim has raised close to £300,000 over its history.
Watching
Watching is free, and you don't have to go down onto the sand. The Croft, Castle Hill and the harbour all look down on North Beach, which puts you above the crowd with a clear view of the whole thing.
Dogs are allowed on Tenby's beaches in December. The council's restriction runs only from 1 May to 30 September, so North Beach is open to dogs on Boxing Day. Our North Beach page has the full rules.
Getting there: assume you will drive
In the most recent festive timetable, Transport for Wales ran no trains and no rail replacement buses on 26 December. The 2026 Christmas timetable has not been confirmed, but plan on arriving by car. Tenby's car parks, with their locations, are on our Tenby car parks list.
That makes where you stay more important than usual. If you are staying within walking distance of North Beach, you don't need to worry about parking on the day at all.
Why to book early for this one
Christmas is one of the harder times of year to find a place in Pembrokeshire. Fewer properties are open over the festive period, and the ones that are often ask for longer minimum stays than they do in the rest of the winter. If you want to be within walking distance of North Beach on Boxing Day, that is the reason to book early. It is a matter of supply, not any claim about how fast places sell.
Tenby itself is the obvious base; see our Tenby guide for the town area by area.
Stay near Tenby
Hand-picked places to stay within a mile or so, nearest first. Our picks are data-driven — we haven’t stayed — and we earn a commission when you book through a partner link. How that works.
Tenby · Sleeps 6 · 3 beds
- 0.1 miles away
- Best for: Families with a dog · old-town Tenby on foot
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Tenby · Sleeps 2 · 1 bed
- 0.1 miles away
- Best for: Couples · sea views
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Tenby · Sleeps 6 · 2 beds
- 0.1 miles away
- Best for: Families in the old town · car-free weekends
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Saundersfoot, ten minutes up the coast, gives you a second swim a few days later (below) and a quieter base with a drive in on the day.
Stay near Saundersfoot
Hand-picked places to stay within a mile or so, nearest first. Our picks are data-driven — we haven’t stayed — and we earn a commission when you book through a partner link. How that works.
Saundersfoot · Sleeps 9 · 5 beds
- 0.1 miles away
- Best for: Large groups · three-family holidays
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Saundersfoot · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
- 0.2 miles away
- Best for: Couples · small families
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Saundersfoot · Sleeps 2 · 1 bed
- 0.2 miles away
- Best for: Walkers · couples
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Other winter swims
- The Saundersfoot New Year's Day Swim has started at 12:30, and swimmers need a ticket.
- At St Davids, there is also a festive swim at Whitesands.
Tenby's other fixed-date weekends
Ironman Wales is in September and Long Course Weekend Wales is in early July. Both fill the town the same way on dates you can plan around.
Booking the practical bits
Paid links
Where a partner covers a place badly we leave it out rather than pad the list.
- Check the Christmas train timetable at Transport for Walesvia Transport for Wales
In the most recent festive timetable no trains ran on 26 December. If you are coming by rail and staying over, check which days around Christmas the trains do run before you book.
We earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. We have not been paid to place them and no partner can buy a position here — they are on this page because the page is where the question comes up. Prices, availability and terms are the provider’s, not ours; check them before you book.
