Barafundle Bay in Pembrokeshire is one of the best beaches in the UK.
That’s not just my opinion, Barafundle Bay is frequently awarded Best Beach in the UK and Europe. If you are looking to visit the best beaches in Pembrokeshire, Barafundle Bay is a must-see. Read on to find out all you need to know about Barafundle Bay.
The 15 minute walk to Barafundle Bay is just as spectacular as the beach itself, taking you across a grassy headland with amazing views.
With it’s bright blue waters and pristine golden sand, Barafundle Bay is undoubtedly one of the best beaches in Pembrokeshire, but it’s by no means the only one! Pembrokeshire has so many stunning beaches to choose from, check out my article on South Pembrokeshire’s best beaches to discover more beaches you have to visit whilst in Pembrokeshire.
Barafundle Bay: FAQS
Barafundle Bay can be found on the southern coast of the Pembrokeshire National Park. Barafundle Bay is located in between Stackpole Quay and Broad Haven South beach. Barafundle Bay is contained within the Stackpole Estate, a beautiful nature reserve in Pembrokeshire.
If you are visiting Stackpole for Barafundle, you should also take the time to explore the Stackpole Estate further with a visit to Bosherton Lily Ponds and Broad Haven South Beach.
You begin at Stackpole Quay car park, following some stairs upwards. Then you reach a big grassy field on the headland, giving you fantastic views of the bright blue water across Barafundle Bay. Finally, you come to a series of stone steps that will take you down to Barafundle Bay.
All in all, the walk to Barafundle Bay from Stackpole Quay will take an average of 15 minutes, depending on your walking speed.
Stackpole Quay National Trust car park is the closest car park to Barafundle, although it’s not a huge car park and does get very busy in peak season. The Stackpole Quay postcode is SA71 5LS.
If you are planning a day trip to Barafundle Bay in the school summer holidays, it’s definitely best to go early to make sure you get a parking space. Failing an early start, your next best bet is to arrive mid-afternoon and nab a parking space as earlycomers are leaving.
You can purchase a parking ticket at Stackpole Quay for £3 for 3 hours, £5 for all day parking, or £2 after 2pm. (Do note that it is cash only at the car park for Barafundle Bay).
Barafundle Bay is absolutely worth visiting. Barafundle Bay has been included in the top 12 beaches in the world, and has also been voted Best beach in Britain. The best thing is that Pembrokeshire has so many breathtaking beaches that Barafundle might end up not being your favourite!
Barafundle Bay is not a pushchair-friendly route due to the stairs at the beginning and end of the walking route from the car park. You can take a pushchair to Barafundle Bay if you are prepared to carry it up and down the sections of stairs, but it’s not the easy option.
We took a baby carrier for our four week old, and once down at Barafundle Bay, he slept inside our sun tent.
Due to it’s popularity and reputation for being one of the best beaches in Pembrokeshire (and the UK!), Barafundle Bay is one of the busier beaches in Pembrokeshire. If you are visiting on a nice day in the school holidays, expect Barafundle Bay to be busy. Outside of these times, it’s much less busy.
There are no toilets at Barafundle Bay itself, the nearest public toilets are located at Stackpole Quay which is a good 15 minute walk away.
Swimming is allowed at Barafundle Bay. As Barafundle Bay is protected by a cove, it’s actually a great beach for swimming as the waves tend to be a lot more gentle here.
There are no lifeguards stationed at Barafundle Bay.
Your trip to Barafundle Bay begins at Stackpole Quay, where the car park for Barafundle Bay is. Stackpole Quay has a small stony beach, a boat jetty, a National Trust cafe called The Boat House Tea Room, and toilets. There are picnic benches overlooking the quay
Stackpole and Bosherton are the closest villages to Barafundle Bay. The town of Pembroke is a 15 minute drive from Barafundle Bay. It will take you 40 minutes to drive from Tenby to Barafundle Bay.
Pembroke is the nearest train station to Barafundle Bay.
If you would like to get public transport to Barafundle Bay, there is a bus to Barafundle Bay from Pembroke town.
The 387 bus goes from Pembroke to Stackpole Quay, which is the nearest bus stop to Barafundle Bay. The bus route takes approximately 1 hour. Alternatively, a taxi to Barafundle Bay will take approx 15 minutes.
Barafundle Bay is owned by the National Trust and is part of the Stackpole Estate. Barafundle Bay was owned by the Cawdor family of Stackpole Court for 260 years, before the Stackpole Estate was purchased by the National Trust in 1967. The stone steps and wall at Barafundle Bay were built by the Cawdor family.
Yes, Barafundle Bay is a blue flag beach, and has also been awarded the Green Coast award.
Yes, dogs are allowed all year round on Barafundle Bay. Pembrokeshire is a very dog-friendly place, with dogs being allowed on the majority of Pembrokeshire’s beaches all year round.
Bosherton Campsite and Trefalen Farm are the nearest campsites to Barafundle Bay
