Photo: Paul Farmer (CC BY-SA 2.0)A small village between Tenby and Manorbier, with a National Trust headland of sea caves and one of the county's biggest holiday parks.
Lydstep sits on the A4139 halfway between Tenby and Manorbier, a small roadside village with a church, a scatter of houses and two very different coastal assets below it. Lydstep Haven is a sheltered south-facing bay of clean sand, largely occupied by a long-established holiday park — the beach is accessed through the park, which is worth knowing before you plan a day there. Lydstep Point, immediately west, is National Trust land with a circular clifftop walk, wildflower grassland and views along the whole south coast.
The caverns under the point are the local curiosity: at low tide, and with care and local advice about the tides, you can reach sea caves cut into the limestone at the foot of the cliffs. The Coast Path here is excellent in both directions — east past Giltar Point towards Tenby's South Beach, west over the cliffs to Skrinkle Haven and Manorbier's castle bay.
As a base, Lydstep is genuinely well placed for the south coast: Tenby is five minutes by car, Manorbier ten, Freshwater East and the Stackpole estate twenty. The trade-offs are that the village has no real centre, the main road through it carries steady summer traffic, and beach access is not the open free-for-all it looks like on a map. Choose it for the walking, the position and the limestone cliff scenery rather than for village life.
The holiday park above Lydstep Haven dominates supply and suits families who want the beach, pool and on-site facilities in one place. For something quieter, look at cottages and barn conversions in the lanes inland towards Penally and Manorbier, which give gardens, parking and easy drives to several beaches.
On the A4139 between Tenby and Manorbier. The nearest stations are Penally and Manorbier, both small halts on the Pembroke Dock branch line, each a few minutes away by car.
Lydstep · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
Tucked in a farm setting at the centre of Lydstep this unusual property sleeps four guests and is perfectly suited to couples and small families. The heating is supplied by solar power making it an eco-friendly choice. The village of Lydstep is known for its sand and shingle beac
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Lydstep · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
Pack your swimming costume towels and a picnic and head over to beautiful South Beach for the morning. Stroll around the town centre in the afternoon or try nearby North Beach approximately 200m from this holiday apartment. Lace up your walking boots and follow the coast path 2 m
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Read the full guide: Where to Stay in Lydstep: The Private Bay, the Headland and the Cottages Behind
Not after a cottage? 3 caravan & holiday parks in and around Lydstep — every one we hold a record for, from open data.
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Our hand-picked stays above are cottages and holiday homes. For a hotel, a guesthouse, a B&B or a pub with rooms, this search covers what is bookable in and around Lydstep.
Opens Booking.com's search for Lydstep — add your dates to see live prices and what is actually free. Hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and pubs with rooms, which the cottage agencies don't list.
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Dogs all yearA wide sheltered south-facing bay between Tenby and Manorbier, sitting inside a private holiday park — check access before you go.
Dogs all yearRed sandstone drama east of Manorbier — a low-tide beach under toothed cliffs, earned by steps.
Dogs all yearThe gothic rock arch next to Skrinkle Haven — a tiny cove framed by one of the most photographed formations in the county.
Dogs all yearTwo limestone coves split by the Church Doors arch, reached by a long steel staircase — spectacular, awkward and tide-dependent.
Dogs all yearTenby South Beach's quiet continuation — the same mile of golden sand, minus the deckchairs.
Dogs all yearRed-tinged sand, a proper castle backdrop and a dependable beach break — the south coast's most characterful bay.
Compare all 16 beaches near Lydstep — distance, dogs, lifeguards, parking →
Pubs, restaurants, cafés, attractions and activities in and around Lydstep.
Everything to do in and around Lydstep, in one place →
Clifftop resort at Lydstep with a short golf course, spa and cottages — nine holes with sea views over Caldey.
The bar-restaurant inside Haven's Lydstep Beach Village — park dining above the private bay; open to park guests.
Limestone cliffs, a double cove with a rock arch, two military ranges to check, and an arrival into Tenby along South Beach.
7 miles · 3½–4 hours · Moderate
A short, sharp stage between two good beaches, taking in a bay you can only reach on foot and finishing under a Norman castle.
4.5 miles · 2½ hours · Moderate
A flat, waymarked circuit of the millpond with a castle at one end and the only restored tidal mill in Wales at the other.
3 miles · 1½ hours · Easy
Every walk starting near Lydstep — distance, ascent, parking →
Lydstep Haven is the nearest we list, about 400m away, followed by Presipe Bay (1.7km (1.0 miles)) and Church Doors Cove (1.8km (1.1 miles)). Distances are straight-line from the centre of the village, so allow more by road.
We list 1 shop in and around Lydstep — Minimart. Village shops keep short winter hours, so don't rely on one for a late arrival.
We currently list 33 places to stay in and around Lydstep. We show prices and availability from the booking provider rather than holding our own, so what you see is what they have.
Answers are generated from what we actually hold in our database and refreshed as it changes. Opening hours, dog rules and prices move — check with the venue before you travel.
Pembrokeshire's postcard town: pastel Georgian houses above three superb beaches, a working harbour and medieval walls — the classic Welsh seaside holiday.
Big sandy beach, busy little harbour and a proper seaside village centre — Tenby's more relaxed neighbour, three miles up the coast.
Britain's smallest city — a cathedral in a hollow, Whitesands Bay up the road, and the wildest, most beautiful corner of the national park all around.