We’re off to Pembrokeshire in the spring and thought I’d crowdsource some good suggestions about where to go.

We like outdoory stuff: walks in the hills and woods, days on the beach with rock pools, castles, etc. Where’s awesome?

Our holiday around Cardigan was pretty good.

Goes without saying that a trip to the Howies store is on the list. 🙂

Marloes is the best beach in Pembrokeshire.
Blue lagoon, then walk on the costal path to Porthgain for lunch.
Preseli walk from rosebush.
Mtb the new trails at llys y fran
And, walk the coastal path – I much prefer the path from Newgale North.

Nowhere. It’s a dump. Don’t go, you’ll hate it. *

* North or south Pembrokeshire?

I’m not that familiar with North. Although St Davids is lovely and Maroles Sands is absolutely beautiful, although it’s a bit of a walk, which makes it all the better for it.

South.

Wisemans Bridge to Saundersfoot is nice for touristy-ness, Saundersfoot is nice now, it’s not a dump, they’ve done it up.

Manorbier and Broad Haven South is heavenly. Freshwater West if you want unspoilt, rugged beauty.

Check they’re actually going to be there, but a day trip to Skomer island to see the puffins is very cool!

Never been,but after watching this,I want to go there

Stackpole quay for rockpooling and some interesting geology.

Mwnt on a warm sunny evening was one of the best beach days I’ve had. We left at 10pm after watching a fantastic midsummer sunset framed by the bay with the cliffs collecting all the heat.

Folly Farm… it has to be Folly Farm.

Coasteering has to be on your list of things to do – we did it at Aberreidy (spelling?) and was ace. Folly Farm is also great, as are most of the beaches. Bikes wise, road biking is excellent, mtb much less so, although I’ve not ridden the new trails at Lys Y Fran yet.

Some great boat trips too – the speed boat around Ramsey Island is a winner.

We are regular visitors (well prior to Covid) and love the area…

Much the same as above. But it takes quiet a lot of time to get around even by car because of all the little lanes, Depending on whereabouts you are staying, you can easily fill a week in just one area (north, south, west).

In the south, Bosherston and Stackpole are really lovely but because of that they can get busy during holidays / weekends. Car parking gets busy so do aim to go early. Wander to Barafundle Bay and back, visit one of the pubs. Also consider seeing St Govan’s Church and the Eligug Stacks when you are in the area (for the latter do note firing times if you are visiting during the week).

We’ve done multiple days walking mostly on the coastal path around St Ann’s Head from Dale, to Marloes Sands, Martin’s Haven and back to Dale. Really lovely and because it is harder to get to it was really quite quiet. Except Martin’s Haven car park gets filled very early when the puffins are nesting on Skomer. If you visit the area, do go to Runwayskiln, excellent cafe. And a nice takeout handmade pizza place in Marloes.

If you have kids of an age that like history, apparently Pembroke Castle has good information and activities.

There are several very well preserved chambered cairns (burial mounds) all over Pembrokeshire.

For quiet and aesthetically pleasing places to visit, I found Carew really nice. Away from crowds on the south coast, an old tidal mill and derelict castle on the Cleddau and a nice pub. Or just up the road there are woodland walks from Lawrenny, with another nice pub.

Most of the coastal path is interesting. The bit around St David’s (and Marloes) you have a chance of seeing wildlife like seals and sea birds, and in the north, dolphins and porpoise. Porthgain to the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy has really interesting industrial buildings to photo against the cliffs; very like Anglesey coast.

We’ve just had a weekend break there, it was far too windy for me to feel confident on the coast path, so we walked up Mynydd Carningli from Cwn Gwaun. Nice wooded valley, with reasonable footpaths, then up on the mountain with sheep and ponies and dolerite outcrops with views out to sea. Can be approached from Newport, which is a nice little village.

You can’t go wrong really.

Folly Farm… it has to be Folly Farm.

It’s an hour’s drive away and I’ve got three kids – I feel like I’ve spent half my life in Folly Farm! But, it’s always a good day out, the kids used to love it and it’s not too expensive. Along those lines you’ve also got Manor Farm Zoo, which is a nice enough little place.

A daytrip to Tenby is a regular thing here, with maybe a boat trip out to (or around) Caldey Island. It’s a pleasant way to spend a day. ( I was supposed to riding down to Tenby/Narberth on Wednesday, but a damaged toe has scuppered that. 🙁 )

Skomer’s already been mentioned – it’s gorgeous when the flowers are blooming and the puffins are back.

The coves immediately south of Lydstep offer Coasteering / DWS at high tide and are great with a kayak / SUP. At low tide they’re probably quite interesting to look at.

We have been to the St Davids area for the past two summers and we are heading back for a week in May this year. The comments so far give a good summary, things we have done include:

Walks along the coast path. Try to include a visit to the top of Carn Llidl which gives great views over the peninsula, the section of coast line heading East from there is stunning. Depending on the time of year you can look down and see seals in the sea. It is also worth a visit to the top of Carn Penberry which has great views as well.

Speed boats trips to look at wildlife. We have done this twice and seen some great stuff around Ramsey Island. Both times we have used Voyages of Discovery who have been good.

Coasteering. The Blue Lagoon are is great for this. We have used muuk-adventures who seemed a well run set up.

Sea Kayaking. Although last time we went this had to be cancelled due to sea conditions.

Surfing. A few of the beaches rent boards.

Lots to do in the area if you like outdoor activities.

Surprised no-one’s mentioned Whitesands near St David’s – that’s a lovely beach, it really is. Worth a visit whatever the weather. High tide makes it ‘compact’ though.

As Konagirl says – Bosherston and Barafundle Bay, Stackpole Quay.
From Bosherston you can walk down to Broadhaven by the sides of the Lily Ponds which is lovely.
You can watch the climbers at St Govans.

It’s been a while, so thinking it could be a summer getaway.

Absolutely love Pembrokeshire. In general, I prefer the North (well, North of Pembroke) but there are so many fabulous places. Love Whitesands beach (just outside St Davids) and last summer the fish and chips from the cafe were unexpectedly awesome. Great coastal walks all along. If you are South though, there’s a nice little cafe at Angle Bay and Pembroke Castle is worth a visit.

St Davids is great to visit (love the ice creams from The Bench) and worth visiting the Bishop’s Palace as well as a walk around the city itself. Boat trip from St David’s (well, likely to be from St Justinians or, depending on the tides, Whitesands beach) around Ramsey Island. Used to like eating at the Sloop Inn at Porthgain although these days it’s only really standard pub fare but a nice village and you can have a gander in the galleries. Some nice walks around the coast near Solva and there’s a great little cafe down on the Quay. Parking at the car park by Pebbles Cafe at Newgale gives you the option of going on the beach there or walking along the coast to Druidstone. Sand and Stone in Broad Haven is meant to be do excellent burgers. The old Quay at Fishguard is quaint with a nice cafe at the end of it. Dinas Head is a good walk and then you have the Preshelli Hills to walk in, Newport is a pretty little village with The Parrog being a great place to have a walk from. There is a lovely coastal walk from there heading south although you can always start on the other side and walk north along the coast. Had a nice cake at the Pavillion Cafe near Moylegrove. Venture a bit further and there are a few things to do around Cardigan (a couple of excellent cake shops!) and then just beyond Cardigan there is a gorgeous little beach at Llangranog. And that’s just scratching the surface. Beautiful place and, as a family, we have spent many summer holidays in the area.

https://melintregwynt.co.uk/#about
If you are into weaving, or just an interesting way to spend an afternoon.

Cambrian Inn in Fishguard. Proper little freehouse doing nice drinks and not much in the way of food.

https://www.instagram.com/cambrian_inn/

I proposed to Mrs weeksy on Whitesands beach. Every Xmas day we walk on that beach.

Thousand Islands trip https://thousandislands.co.uk/

Learning to surf at Newgale https://www.newsurf.co.uk/surf-lessons/ or Whitesands
If you can already surf, there are lots of options. The water will still be very cold though

If its puffin time of year (April onwards I think?), and you get good weather, puffins on Skomer island is the best day out. Take a camera and try to get the best picture of them landing with a beak full of fish

Lots of options further up the thread too, stay away from the quieter beaches…to keep them that way 🙂

howies isn’t there anymore. Hasn’t been for years.

The Pizza Tipi in Cardigan is brilliant, Bara Menyn for bread/cake and just down the road the new gin bar from the guys at In The Welsh Wind – not sure if their place at the Gogerdan Arms is open at present, but if it is you can go and make your own gin.

Further South Barafundle Bay is well worth the walk over from Stackpole Quay. Second Marloes as a brilliant beach. Blue Lagoon is great. Porth Clais harbour consistently brilliant for catching crabs. TYF in St Davids does a whole load of activities such as coasteering.

Lovely part of the world.

I hadn’t been to Pembrokeshire since I was a kid, then we went to Solva a couple of years ago, enjoyed it so much that we went back last year and we’re there again in June. It’s an absolutely beautiful part of the world.

Like everyone has said there are some fantastic coastal walks. Just pick any section. You can’t go wrong. If you can get away with shoving a road bike in, the cycling around the quiet country lanes is great, but theres some deceptively brutal climbs.

If you go to Newport beach, we had a great lunch sat outside the Golf Club which has to have one of the best views going while you have a beer. Good food too.

Most of my suggestions are already said above. We always stay at Stackpole so Bosherston etc are always high on our list. So I’ll help with something else. West angle bay has a great café as does it’s partner at Lawrenny( nice estuary walk from here too)
The town of Narberth inland is very pleasant on a rest/rainy day, lot’s of excellent places to eat along with antiques and gift shops.

Oh and Manorbier, great café castle and beach with rockpools

All of the wholesome stuff above plus (depending on how old you/any kids are) Vertigo at Oakwood Theme park and a dolphin safari (powering across “the washing machine” waves to get out of the bay was great!).

. Porth Clais harbour consistently brilliant for catching crabs. TYF in St Davids does a whole load of activities such as coasteering.

We use work with rides allot. More tyres go to the beach high tide crabbing in a harbour

Just a great place to go any time of year.

It would be useful to know where you are staying. I see north and south as fairly independent.

There are just do many tiny coves all over the place. Take an os map and explore

If the puffins are about then Skomer was our all time top family day out.

I live here and everyone else has covered what I was going to say!

Where are you staying?

Point of order:

Cardigan, Mwnt, Llangranog, Gogerddan arms are in Ceredigon, not Pembrokshire.

We used to go to Mwnt as kids living in the area, and there were only ever a few families there. Then it appeared in one of the Sunday papers as a ‘best kept secret’, etc… Can’t bleedin’ move in the summer there since. Found out the other day that the little church there has been vandalised.

Anyway, as you were 😉

For interest: Pembrokeshire is split, culturally, along a line roughly from St. Davids to St. Clears: North of the line is traditionally Welsh speaking; South of the line is traditionally English speaking – it goes back centuries, and is embodied in place names, etc. I believe it was due to the southern coastal area being settled by migrants from North Devon, but other explanations exist.

Enjoy, it’s a beautful place, pretty much wherever you go.

(Resident in exile).

To everyone, that’s great, thanks. I’ll get back to you all about where we’re staying when we know where we’re staying…

DWS

But be aware that Barrel Zawn is shallower than suggested in the Rockfax…

Lovely area, loads of stuff as above, i do wish i had been there more for pleasure than work, always seemed to get stuck in manorbier or pendine in cold windy days in winter, but the coast line is lovely and walks, coasteering and cycle routes are just everywhere, with lovely views, can you still get out to Caldey Island, always wanted to do that!