CLAMBERING through a narrow, sloping tunnel carved by the sea in the rock, there’s a sense of adventure and exhilaration as we reach the wide, deserted beach where we plan to picnic in peace.
On the wild Welsh coast, there’s a clandestine cove that’s only accessible for a few hours every day – a place where you can easily feel cut off by time and tide to get away from it all.
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It seems like we’re miles from anywhere as we strip off to swim in the sea, explore huge cave formations where we can imagine smugglers stashing their contraband and tuck into tasty treats with barely a soul in sight.
But we’re actually only a few miles along the Pembrokeshire coastal path from Tenby and there’s a hostel where we can stay for less than £40 for a family of five just minutes away.
It’s easy enough to spot the steep steps heading down to Church Doors Cove from up here, but the tunnel through the headland to Skrinkle Haven Beach is less obvious.
There are some old steps that once took beachgoers down to Skrinkle Haven, but they’re no longer safe to use so the tunnel is the only way in or out.
If you miss the low tide, you’ll be stuck there for eight hours until the sea goes out again. We’ve arrived just as the tide is turning, but there’s still an hour or so for our beach adventure.
We begin our descent, laden with picnic bag, buckets and spades, through a tree tunnel to the top of the stairs down to the sand.
Scrambling over stones and through the tunnel, there were two ways to go down – climb down into a shallow tidal pool below us or clamber over a rocky outcrop.
You’ll need to be fairly sprightly to travel through the tunnel safely, but we managed it with our four-year-old, so it’s possible for little legs.
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There are warning signs about getting cut off and the uneven levels you’ll encounter, so use common sense and research tide times to keep safe.
Beyond the tunnel, Haven is certainly a good name for it with its sheltered sides and inviting golden sands welcoming us in.
It really feels like a place that time forgot, but we don’t have the luxury of setting time aside and all too soon, we need to climb back up the tunnel before we’re stranded by the tide.
Even as we head back through the headland, we can see the tidal pool behind us being reclaimed by the sea.
The boys are soaked and sandy but happy as clams as we climb up the steps to the nearby hostel, YHA Manorbier – a futuristic former military building.
Paying just £38.25 for us all to spend the night, we added on an extra £17 for unlimited breakfast for the entire family.
Converted into a youth hostel in the late 1980s, the YHA been renovated inside since with private family rooms as well as well as glamping and camping options.
It has a cafe and bar open to the public until 8:30pm, although there is also a self-catering kitchen for guests.
It even has an internal courtyard, games room with table tennis and pool, and laundry and drying room for soggy swimwear.
Time and tide wait for no man, and Skrinkle Haven stands testament to that.
But there’s certainly a warm welcome awaiting visitors to this hostel and its hideaway haven.
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