I found a £25 budget holiday in the town they call the Welsh Riviera, you won't beat it

Wales Online

8 hours ago

I found a £25 budget holiday in the town they call the Welsh Riviera, you won't beat it
This budget-friendly hostel, situated in a former military installation, provides glamping and camping facilities and costs under £50 for a private en-suite room for two
Located right on the craggy Pembrokeshire coast, the hostel is the perfect launch pad for hiking adventures
(Image: YHA )
Think hostels are all grotty bunk beds and dodgy shared showers? You may need to raise your expectations. Wales is home to some seriously cool hostels that are perfect for budget-savvy travellers who don't want to fork out a fortune on accommodation or compromise on comfort.
One of my favourite Hostel stays is the YHA Manorbier near Tenby. This budget-friendly hostel, situated in a former military installation, provides glamping and camping facilities and costs under £50 for a private en-suite room for two (YHA members pay even less).
Here's why you should embrace the hostel life and enjoy an affordable break in Tenby this summer.
The location
If you have a car, the popular seaside resort of Tenby is just a 12-minute drive away.
(Image: Portia Jones )
The hostel is located on the craggy Pembrokeshire coast, making it the perfect launch pad for hiking adventures through wildflower meadows and along the Wales Coast Path.
If you have a car, the popular seaside resort of Tenby is just a 12-minute drive away.
With picturesque beaches just a short stroll from the lively town centre, quaint cobbled streets that could rival those in Italy or the French Riviera, and a collection of eye-catching, brightly-coloured houses that many towns across Britain would envy, it's hardly surprising that this coastal jewel consistently tops the list of the "best" seaside towns in the UK.
The 'jewel in the crown' of the 'Welsh Riviera', Tenby has long been a tourist hotspot and is one of Wales' most popular seaside towns. Here, you'll find a picturesque harbour, Victorian houses, sandy beaches, independent cafes and coastal walks along the charming shorelines.
Stepping beyond its historic 13th-century walls, you'll be greeted by sun-drenched beaches and dramatic cliffside vistas over the sea towards the mesmerising Caldey Island.
You're also just a short hop from the ethereal Church Doors beach with its striking rock arches and Skrinkle Haven, a sweep of sand where you may spot a seal.
Access to Church Doors is only possible at low tide via the Pembrokeshire Coast Path or by sea kayak for experienced paddlers. If you're walking to the cove, you'll need to lace up your hiking boots and hit the trail to reach this scenic spot.
You have to spend some time on Church Doors Cove before heading to Skrinkle Haven Beach
(Image: birdsonline Getty Images )
Once you reach Church Cove, you can access the beach at low tide by walking down steep concrete steps and a metal stairway to the picturesque bay.
Feeling adventurous? Head for Skrinkle Haven, a beach only accessible via Church Doors Cove. If you're an experienced outdoor swimmer, there are some cracking spots for a wild swim here, but don't forget the golden rule regarding tides.
In the roughly six hours between low and high tide, steer clear of the middle two when the water's shifting fastest. You don't want to be the hapless tourist who has to be rescued by the RNLI.
The Hostel
The hostel also has camping pods
(Image: YHA/ Matt Selby Photography )
Accommodation options include affordable private rooms (YHA members pay even less), unique American Airstreams, cute camping pods, and pitch-up camping.
I stayed with my obliging husband in a snug, extremely clean, private en-suite room for just £45 for the two of us (I'm a proud YHA member, so we had 10% off).
Yes, the room has limited space for large luggage and is what estate agents might call 'bijou' and what normal people might call 'compact.' However, for just over £20 each, it's a genuine bargain, especially in the pricey Pembrokeshire area.
Let's be honest; you're not checking into a YHA expecting a concierge, Egyptian cotton sheets, and a robe monogrammed with your initials. You're here for the vibes. A community-spirited atmosphere fostered by shared kitchens, mismatched mugs, and conversations over wine in the lounge.
Now, I've spent my formative years in $3-a-night hostels across the globe, many of which felt more like low-budget hostage situations than accommodations.
We're talking dingy 28-bed dorms where the sanitary conditions would alarm the Red Cross, 'free breakfast' comprised three stale crackers, and the ancient dorm beds had a whiff of typhoid. Hostels, where someone called Skye (real name: Brian) played a hand-painted ukulele at me. Seriously.
YHA Manorbier, mercifully, is none of those things. It has zero dreamcatchers, barefoot philosophers, or driftwood signs imploring you to "Explore. Dream. Discover." I mean, in this economy?
The licensed on-site cafe bar has a surprisingly solid menu.
(Image: YHA )
Instead, it's bright, breezy and well-maintained. There's free parking, complimentary Wi-Fi, a clean communal kitchen, a cosy lounge area for unwinding and sharing stories with fellow Pembrokeshire explorers, and a small conservatory with houseplants and paperbacks, perfect for sipping wine and relaxing after a day of exploring (visiting cute coastal pubs).
Keep an eye out for special events too, as the hostel has a range of live music gigs coming up to add an extra sizzle to your summer stay.
If you can't be bothered to cook, and frankly, why should you when you're on holiday and the nearest shop is miles away? The licensed on-site cafe bar has you covered with a surprisingly solid menu.
Pizzas hover around the £10–£12 mark, burgers cost £13, and mains range from £9 to £13. Frankly, I'm not sure how they're turning a profit unless someone's nan is in the back, hand-tossing pizza dough out of sheer love.
Consider this is a clifftop accommodation. In Pembrokeshire, perched above one of the most stunning stretches of coastline in Wales. And yet, somehow, you're paying less for a hot meal here than you would for a sad ham sandwich at an M4 service station. Madness.
This is why I adore hostels. You get fed without being ripped off. None of that boutique hotel nonsense where a 'Foraged Mushroom Arancini' starter is £17.
Here, it's just decent, fuss-free food for a fair price. In the morning, there's an unlimited breakfast for less than a tenner, because of course there is.
Camping
Outside the main building, a range of budget-friendly camping options is available on-site, including American-style Airstreams, bell tent, camping pods, and pitch-up camping with your own gear.
(Image: YHA )
Outside the main building, a range of budget-friendly camping options is available on-site, including American-style Airstreams, bell tent, camping pods, and pitch-up camping with your own gear.
Dogs are welcome to stay on the campsite and in the Airstreams, camping pods, and bell tents for a £10 charge per dog per night. Alternatively, you can bring your dog for free if you are camping in your own tent. Bargain.
Swish Airstreams are an absolute steal at £100 a night, which, in today's cost of living crisis, is roughly the going rate for a Premier Inn with a broken hairdryer and a view overlooking the A465.
YHA Manorbier has become my favourite budget stay in Wales
(Image: YHA )
But here, you're getting the full glamping get-up. Proper bedding, heating, USB charging points, actual lighting, storage space and use of a campfire with a free bag of kindling thrown in.
It's camping, but for people who don't want to endure the character-building misery of a soggy tent.
So, there you have it. A hostel that doesn't smell like regret and damp socks. A private room for the price of a pub lunch. Clifftop views, affordable pizzas, and not a drum circle in sight. Frankly, it's everything you never dared hope for from budget accommodation in Wales.
YHA Manorbier has become my favourite budget stay in Wales, and I must admit I'm a little reluctant to share it with the masses. But, let's face it, travel writers can't keep secrets. Not if we want to keep the lights on and Blossom Hill on the table.
So, consider this my reluctant gift to the internet: a banging Welsh hostel that hasn't yet been overrun by TikTokers doing sunrise yoga on the lawn. Go now before the price increases and selfie-takers arrive.
For more information and booking click here
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