The seaside charmer
READY FOR ACTION: Tenby’s South Beach is overlooked by the remnants of a 19th- century fort on little St Catherine’s Island spoil. One of the most striking and cheery coastal towns in Britain, with a commanding cliff-top position surrounded by high medieval walls, the jaunty Welsh gem is near numerous family and historical attractions.
As the rain buckets down we head for nearby Folly Farm, one of the longestrunning local attractions that offers much more than its name suggests: as well as farmyard animals it boasts a zoo with Wales’s only giraffe and, more importantly for us, Europe’s largest indoor vintage funfair.
After navigating vast puddles in the car park we enjoy a dry morning on a host of different rides, the boys’ favourite being a whizzy set of dodgems and a ghost train.
Later in the week, even though the sun is shining, we enjoy another weather-proof day at the Blue Lagoon, a terrific indoor water park situated in Bluestone, a resort within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
Bright and tropical, the coracle-shaped park has a powerful indoor wave machine. We spend most of our time gently floating along the “lazy river” which sweeps you out into the open air. With a clear blue sky above us we imagine ourselves in the tropics.
No imagination is required, however, to marvel at the majesty and sweeping golden sands of Tenby’s beaches, a stunning reminder that Pembrokeshire boasts the only “coastal” national park, running for 186 miles.
They are also a reminder that no expense is necessary to keep your children entertained as the boys spend several hours playing on the sands and exploring the dramatic caves lining South Beach; strikingly overlooked by the remnants of a 19th-century fort on St Catherine’s Island.
Busy with local life, the beaches are and other island plants, which are sold on site or in the Caldey Island shop back in Tenby.
The town itself is a cosy huddle of independent shops, cafés and restaurants brimming with local produce.
We pop in to the Little Fishes coffee shop on St Julians Street where we pick up delicious home-made whisky-flavoured marmalade, Welsh cakes and some air freshener in sachets of re-cycled “sheep poo”.
Dining opportunities are plentiful. One favourite is Plantagenet House, a historic restaurant and bar boasting a 40ft, 12th-century Flemish chimney once used for baking bread and smoking fish.
Also, the Bay of Bengal Indian restaurant on Crackwell Street, with wonderful views of Tenby harbour.
With so much history in the air (a Norman keep overlooks the town from Castle Hill) we visit nearby Pembroke Castle, the magnificently preserved birthplace of Henry VII, which looms over Pembroke.
After a morning traversing the battlements and being spooked in the dungeon we finish our excursion with a visit to the adjacent brass-rubbing centre.
With its combination of history, seaside charms and nearby family attractions you can easily spend 10 days in Tenby and never have a dull moment. Who said the weather always spoils a British holiday?
GETTING THERE
North Beach Tenby (northbeach tenby.com) offers seven nights from £650 (sleeps four), self-catering. Tenby Sea Cruises (07980 864 509/ tenbyseacruises.com) offers a 60-minute Seal Safari from £15 per adult, £7 per child. Visit Pembrokeshire: 01834 842 402/ visitpembrokeshire.com Munthe, who first went to Capri in 1885. He built the villa on the ruins of a chapel dedicated to San Michele and wrote a world best-seller, The Story Of San Michele, about it. Adorning the garden are a Greek tomb and a granite sphinx that gazes out over the island.
Take a funicular train to the Piazzetta, Capri’s most famous square or spend a day on the beach in Marina Piccola bay on the sun-kissed south of the island with a view of the giant sea stacks of Faraglioni.
To find a cooler place to relax, visit the isle’s oldest building, the Carthusian monastery Charterhouse of San Giacomo, dating back to 1371. There’s a good selection of accommodation, from three to five-star, and superb shopping; including those famous Capri pants. Citalia (0844 415 1956/ citalia.com) offers five nights at the four-star Hotel Syrene from £649 (two sharing), B&B. Price includes flights from Gatwick and boat transfers. Capri Tourism: capritourism.com
TRISHA HARBORD