Best things to do on Caldey Island

What to do on Caldey Island

One of the best things to do in Tenby, Caldey Island is a serene retreat off the Pembrokeshire coast, steeped in spiritual history and natural beauty. Known for its Cistercian monastery, visitors search for a peaceful getaway flock to this sacred site. With Caldey Island Monastery and Caldey Island perfumes crafted by the monks, it’s also famed for Caldey Island chocolate and unique crafts. Nature enthusiasts seeking Caldey Island wildlife can explore lush green paths while history buffs delve into ancient Celtic heritage. Visit Caldey Island for a tranquil escape amidst the quiet beaches of Caldey Island, a truly divine experience.

Here are some of the best things to do on a visit to Caldey Island

St Illtyd’s Church and the Old Priory

Atmospheric St Illtyd’s church, linked to a twelfth-century priory, is still a consecrated church and is thought to be the oldest church in Britain still used for Catholic worship. It is noted for its floor of pebbles from the nearby beach, its impossibly twisted spire and the sixth-century Ogham Stone that has been carved with the ancient Ogham script which originated in Ireland.

Caldey Island Chocolate

Just beyond the Old Priory the chocolate-making room, more like a large kitchen, is where the ‘Abbots Kitchen’ chocolate bars are hand-made and wrapped in their luxurious gold foil. Visitors can buy chocolate and fudge and glimpse the process from a small viewing and sales area, as well as smell the rich heavenly scent of these sweet delights. This is also the only place where you can buy Caldey fudge.

Caldey Island Monastery

A working monastery with the Cistercian, or Trappist, monks. The current Italianate building was constructed in 1910 and is the home of fourteen monks who follow the Rule of St Benedict with vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Devoting their lives to the service of God, they live to an austere set of rules set to a demanding timetable of prayer, study and work. They attend seven services a day, the first at 3.15 a.m. and observe a twelve-hour silence from 7.00 p.m. The monks farm alongside the other forty or so islanders and produce a range of home-grown items including tomatoes, chocolate, ice cream, milk, butter, clotted cream and yoghurt. They eat communally in the Refectory, an imposing oak-panelled hall with timbered roof, and the cloister for contemplation is set around a central garden. Monastery tours are available for men and the church service is open to all.

St David’s Church

On a small hill just outside the island’s main settlement is the medieval stone chapel of St David, the parish church of Caldey. It is worth a visit to see its impressive round-arched Norman door and the unique stained-glass windows – the Fish window and Tree of Life window. The church courtyard contains simple graves of monks and islanders marked with weathered wooden crosses.

Best beach on Caldey Island

Adjacent to the landing quay the wide, golden sandy beach of Priory Bay is backed by low dunes and makes a tempting place to spend your whole time on the island. Never busy and generally considered safe for swimming with just a short walk to the nearby village – it doesn’t get more perfect than this.

Scramble down to Drinkim Bay

Drinkim is a small sandy cove on the eastern side of the island. The beach is backed by high cliffs and a gap in the rocks on the northern side leads to the smaller cove of Little Drinkim. Under dry conditions the sand at this beach makes a squeaky sound when walked on. There is no official path to it and access requires a scramble down a very steep path which descends a small gully at the back of the beach. Several ropes have been fixed alongside the path as aids. Swimming is not advised here due to strong currents offshore.

Caldey Lighthouse

Built in 1829 the light had the dual purpose of helping coastal traffic trading limestone and coal to Mid and North Wales as well as helping the North American traffic identify the Bristol Channel and avoid confusion with the English Channel. The superb views on a clear day extend east to Worms Head on the Gower Peninsula; west to St Govan’s Head along the Pembrokeshire Coast; south to Lundy; and north to the Preseli Hills. Below, at the base of the cliffs, is a popular spot for basking seals.

Caldey Island walks

With so many places of interest, tranquil wooded paths, spectacular coastline, beaches to swim and glorious views from every angle, taking a walk through the island is the best way to experience this island to the full. At only 2.4 kilometres long and 1.6 kilometres wide, most of the island’s paths can easily be covered in half a day. The island provides a map illustrating the permissive paths and the areas private to the monks.

Views to St Margaret’s Island

Adjoining the north-west tip of Caldey Island, this small rocky tidal islet is home to the UK’s largest colony of cormorants as well as cliff-nesting guillemots and razorbills and great black-backed, lesser black-backed and herring gulls. Its spectacular vertical western cliffs are the southern outcrop of the famous South Pembrokeshire Syncline. The southern slopes are shattered and eroded, and there are several high sea stacks to the south of the island. There are signs of past quarry workings and the ruins of houses and a one-time medieval chapel. The islet, which has a high point of forty metres, can be readily viewed from the north-west coastline of Caldey Island but crossing the low tide isthmus to the island is discouraged due to safety and the sensitive nature of this bird reserve. 

So although Cadey Island it’s only a short boat trip from Tenby it is a world apart, full of spiritual solace, with history resonating through the ancient stones of its monastery and the timeless sands of its peaceful beaches. It’s more than a visit—it’s an experience that stays with you, long after the tides have turned.