07/06/2026
🏕️ Use it or lose it: why YHA Manorbier matters to Pembrokeshire
Some places in Pembrokeshire do not make a big noise about themselves. They just sit quietly in beautiful corners of the county, doing something useful. YHA have "fallen out of favour" and aren't quite as hip and trendy as a yurt, glamping or treehouse, BUT! a stay in a YHA is far far cheaper, more engaging, communal and let's face it, downright fun meeting new people.
YHA Manorbier is one of those places.
Perched above Skrinkle Haven and Church Doors, close to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and only a short drive from Tenby, YHA Manorbier is based in a former Ministry of Defence building in one of the most striking coastal settings in South Pembrokeshire.
It is not trying to be a luxury hotel. That is the point.
It is practical, affordable, welcoming and full of character. It offers hostel accommodation, self-catering facilities, glamping, camping options, shared spaces, sea views and an on-site cafe. The cafe is also open to the public at certain times, including weekends and school holidays, with live music on some Saturday nights.
For many local people, it may come as a surprise that it is even there.
But YHA Manorbier is not just a place to stay. It is part of a much bigger story about access, community, young people, tourism and the future of affordable breaks in Pembrokeshire.
The Youth Hostels Association was founded on a simple idea: that people, especially young people and those with less money, should be able to explore the countryside, towns and cities without being priced out. YHA is a registered charity, and its purpose is not just accommodation. It is about education, health, recreation, independence and opening doors to new experiences. They matter!
Pembrokeshire is one of the most beautiful counties in Britain, but beauty can become expensive. Hotels, holiday cottages and peak-season breaks are not within everyone’s reach. Hostels help keep the county open to more people.
They give school groups somewhere to stay.
They give families a lower-cost break.
They give walkers and cyclists a base.
They give young people their first taste of independence.
They give community groups a chance to get away.
They bring visitors into villages, pubs, shops, cafes and local attractions.
They also provide employment, including seasonal work for local people and young people from around the world.
That is not just tourism. That is social value.
Pembrokeshire once had a much wider youth hostel network. Over time, that network has reduced. Some former hostels have closed, some have changed use, and some have moved outside the YHA system. Broad Haven, another important hostel site in the county, is currently on the market as an 84-bed youth hostel, with the vendor saying they would welcome proposals to continue it as a YHA partner hostel.
That is a warning sign.
Once places like this are lost, they rarely come back.
YHA Manorbier now has added importance because it remains a key YHA presence in South Pembrokeshire. Its location is extraordinary. From there, visitors can explore Church Doors, Skrinkle Haven, Manorbier Castle, the coast path, nearby beaches, and the wider Tenby and Pembroke area. For a school group, it is an outdoor classroom. For walkers, it is a coastal base. For families, it is a break that does not need to cost the earth.
And it is not just for visitors from outside the county.
YHA Manorbier is also ideal for local people who want to see another part of Pembrokeshire without the cost of a full holiday. You do not need to travel hundreds of miles to feel like you have gone somewhere. A family from Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Pembroke Dock, Fishguard, Narberth or St Davids can have a night or two away and still be close to home.
That is one of the lovely things about Pembrokeshire. North and south feel different. The coast, the Preseli Hills, the harbour towns, the villages and the beaches all have their own character. Many of us live here for years and still have corners of the county we barely know.
A hostel stay gives local families, youth groups, walkers and community groups a simple way to explore their own county properly. It lets children wake up near a beach they may only have visited once. It gives parents a change of scene without airport queues, long drives, or frightening bank statements. It lets Pembrokeshire people become tourists in Pembrokeshire, which is no bad thing at all.
There is also something refreshingly honest about a hostel. It is not polished to within an inch of its life. It is not pretending to be something it is not. It is about muddy boots, packed lunches, shared kitchens, sea air, new faces, and a bed after a day outside.
In an age of key safes, hot tubs and luxury lets, that feels almost radical.
YHA also runs support programmes to help young people, families, charities and community groups access residential breaks. That is important, because a few nights away can be life-changing for a child or young person who has never had that chance before.
A hostel is not just a building. It is a doorway.
It can be the first school trip away from home. The first time a young person sees a wild coastline. The first time a family gets a proper break. The first time someone realises that adventure does not have to belong only to those with deep pockets.
So perhaps the message is simple.
Go and see YHA Manorbier.
Visit the cafe. Walk to Church Doors. Look across Skrinkle Haven. Tell a youth group about it. Recommend it to a family. Book a night if you can. Use it as a base to explore the part of Pembrokeshire you keep meaning to visit but never quite get around to.
Because “use it or lose it” may sound like a slogan, but in this case it is also the truth.
Pembrokeshire’s youth hostels have already become fewer than they once were. If we value places that are affordable, useful, welcoming and rooted in the landscape, then we need to support them while they are still here.
YHA Manorbier is one of those places.
And it is right on our doorstep. Interested to know more? Click https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-manorbier or YHA Manorbier
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