Caldey Island
Duration: 4 1/2 hours
Tour Code: MLH-004
Travel to diminutive Caldey Island and explore this idyllic setting in Carmarthen Bay, where monks have lived in relative solitude for nearly 1,500 years.
Depart from the pier and enjoy a leisurely, scenic drive across southern Wales to Tenby, a fashionable harbor town, parts of which are still surrounded by a medieval wall. Here, you'll embark on a small ferry boat for the short cruise to Caldey, one of Britain's holy islands.
For centuries, various orders of monks have lived on this secluded island, including Cistercian monks who inhabit Caldey Abbey today. Your time here is at your leisure and some of the sites you might wish to visit are the Old Priory where Benedictine monks resided in medieval times, and St. David's, the small parish church that stands on a hill just above the village. In the 1920s, one of the monks designed the church's beautiful stained glass windows, one of which depicts St. David, the patron saint of Wales.
Other attractions include a lighthouse built in 1829, pristine Priory Beach, Caldey Post Office and Museum, and St. Philomema's, a spiritual retreat for visitors. Wildflowers grow in profusion throughout the island, which inspired the monks to start making perfume in the early 1950s. They have since converted one of the buildings into a perfumery, and their products are sold in the shops on Caldey, along with chocolates and shortbread.
Later, during a brief stop in the village video center, you'll learn more about life in the monastery before re-boarding the ferry and tracing your route back to Milford Haven.
Please note: Walking on this tour is mainly at the guests' discretion during free time in Caldey; however, there will be uneven surfaces and steps to negotiate within the town and steps to negotiate to enter and exit the ferry. The ferries may be open-air with no covered seating. The tour is not available to wheelchair guests and may not be suitable for those with mobility concerns who are cautioned to carefully evaluate their personal level of stamina and ability. Casual, weather appropriate clothing to include water-proof outerwear; sun cap; sunglasses; and flat, sturdy walking shoes are recommended. This tour does not operate on Sundays.