Swanlake Bay
Swanlake Bay beach is located in South Pembrokeshire and the only way to get here is to walk down the Pembrokeshire National Park Coastal Footpath. The closest car park is in Manorbier, so although it takes some effort to get here, it is more than worth it for those who make the journey.
As you would expect, the beach is never busy and is something of a hidden gem in the area. Most of the beach is made up of shingle, but at low tide you will see a long expanse of sand.
The beach is actually separated into two sections, an eastern side which is lined with golden sand and sits in the shade of high cliffs and a western side which is covered with rock pools.
This area is popular with fishermen as the waters here are said to teem with sea bass. There is also plenty of birdlife to see with species here including curlew, whimbrel, redshank, and godwit.
You will find some majestic caves to the west and east which are part of the East Moor Cliff. If you want to go for a walk then you can take a path to Manorbier Beach which is bigger than Swanlake and easier to access.
The beach is well known thanks to the writings of Gerald the Welshman who was a priest from the 12th century who was born in the area. He wrote a series of books about this part of Wales and by all accounts used to spend his days as a child building sandcastles and exploring the rock pools of Swanlake.
Type of beach
Shingle
Lifeguard service
No
Dogs friendly beach?
Dogs allowed
Pembrokeshire dog friendly beaches »
Activities
- Good fishing
- Swimming/bathing
- Rock pooling
Nearest town
Postcode
SA70 8QP
OS grid ref.
SS 0451 9800
Parking
There is no parking close to the beach.
Water quality
Awards
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Swanlake Bay Reviews
Glorious. Watched birds shining in the sun.
Pontylad
Mar 22nd 2022The beach is a bit like a smaller version of Marloes and nearly as scenic .Not really shingle for the most part but more gritty sand above mean high tide mark then flat sand .Like Marloes best visited at low tide .There is an easier inland route along a public footpath best taken from one of the laybys on the road up from Manorbier but you miss out on the coastal views but worth considering as part of a circular walk .
Just Stunning
Tina
Nov 07th 2021We have only been on this Swan Lake Bay beach twice, each time has been absolutely stunning..
We parked the car at Manorbier and walked approximately for 50 mins along tbe costal path to get to the beach.
I am 60 years young and as long as you can walk up hill and dont mind cliff drop views, then you will really enjoy this walk, it is a bit of a climb on the way back from the beach as it is uphill for a while but the beach itself is breathtaking.
Now about the nudists, we saw a young couple enjoying a swim in their birthday suits, and the previous time before that 2 elderly couples sunbathing.. but the beach is large enough to cater for all, and unless you got a pair of binoculars on you, you really can’t see anything at all… these people were very private and were hidden behind rocks, the only reason we saw them was when walkjng to a spot to sit down ourselves, they certainly weren’t expeditionists.
Take a book, a blanket and a cold drink and enjoy you will not be disappointed ????