The perfect holiday in Pembrokeshire – Cornwall’s cheaper rival

If you think Wales is all drizzle and sheep-grazed hills, you need to go further west. In Cardigan Bay’s southwestern crook, Pembrokeshire is an instant heart-stealer. Here, purple-grained cliffs fall abruptly to golden bays, caves, and rock stacks lashed by the Irish Sea. There are mood-lifting views as you ramble through kissing gates, over stiles and across gorse-clad headlands on the 186-mile coastal path; and enthralling wildlife on islands where puffins, dolphins, porpoises and grey seals are often spotted.

North of cathedral-topped St Davids, where Wales’s patron saint was born 1,500 years ago, single-track lanes twist to off-the-radar coves and whitewashed taverns with vast sea views and just-caught fish on the menu. Adventure, you say? You’ll find it kayaking or coasteering around the rugged coastline, surfing on the broad sands of Freshwater or Newgale, or striding into the heather-brushed moors of the Preseli Hills in search of ancient hill forts and standing stones.

To help you plan the perfect holiday in Pembrokeshire our expert shares their top itineraries for a weekend or week-long stay, including where to stay, what to do and how to get there. For further Pembrokeshire inspiration, see our guides to the region’s best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, things to do and beaches.

Launch your coastal weekend road trip in the cheerful seaside town of Tenby, where Georgian townhouses in chalk-box pastels rim the harbour. Broadmead B&B, an 18-century country house in its own grounds, and romantic, sea-facing, fabulously intimate Penally Abbey, are but a pebble-throw away from the action.

Grab an ice cream cone by the seafront, then head down to cliff-backed Castle Beach – a fine scoop of golden sand that vanishes at high tide. At low tide, walk across to St Catherine’s Island, topped by a Napoleonic fortress. Boats depart from the harbour to Caldey Island, settled by Welsh abbot St Pyr in the 6th century and now home to a dozen Cistercian monks. Boat trips reveal hidden bays and wildlife, including sizeable populations of grey seals and cormorants. Find more of the best beaches in the region in our guide.

Return to Tenby for locally brewed craft beer and live-fire cooking at the nicely chilled Tap & Tân. Tropical-tasting IPAs pair well with light bites like halloumi kebab with wild garlic salsa and house pickles, and mains like dry-aged Pembrokeshire beef, with smoked local potatoes and organic greens. 

The next day get an early start for a 30-minute drive west to Stackpole, where you can park and take a half-mile walk over cliffs and dunes to pinch-yourself pretty Barafundle Bay on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Shelving into turquoise water, this golden curve of sand regularly ranks highly in polls of Britain’s best beaches. If you’re visiting in summer, drive a few minutes westwards to see dragonflies skimming across the Bosherton Lily Ponds. 

Grab lunch at the Stackpole Inn, a gorgeous country pub with cracking local seafood on the menu, before a 15-minute pootle north to Carew Castle. Originally a Norman motte and bailey, these are now highly romantic ruins. Take the mile-long walk to the beautifully preserved tidal mill before returning to Tenby. Find more of the best restaurants in the region in our guide.

An extra few nights in Pembrokeshire lets you dive deeper into the region. Make your first base coastal St Davids, the UK’s dinkiest city (population: 1800), perhaps staying at Twr Y Felin, a minimalist-chic, art-slung conversion of a windmill. 

Begin your day sweetly over coffee and seaweed brownies at The Really Wild Emporium, where foragers Julia and John have revamped an Art Deco building into St Davids’ coolest café and shop. Then make your way across to mighty medieval St Davids Cathedral, a riot of soaring stone pillars and intricate coffered ceilings. Pilgrims have flocked here for centuries to glimpse the shrine of Welsh hero and patron St David, who was born here in the 6th century.

Now get some fresh sea air on the magnificent hour-long circular walk around St David’s Head. The ragged, gorse-draped cliffs offer stirring views of Ramsey Island, and lead to an Iron Age hill fort and Neolithic burial chamber. Find more of the best things to do in the region in our guide.

Back at Twr Y Felin, book dinner at dark, seductive Blas. Here you can eye up street artist over seasonally inspired dishes sprinkled with foraged ingredients and delivered with panache, along the lines of Solva crab with sweetcorn and chorizo oil. Or for a more casual vibe, nurse a sunset pint at the Harbour Inn in nearby Solva. Find more of the best pubs in the region in our guide.

Rise early and head to Abereiddy, a few miles north, to see the startlingly turquoise Blue Lagoon in a flooded former slate quarry at its quietest. Then push on slightly north for a boat-fresh seafood lunch at The Shed in Porthgain. The crab sandwiches are excellent. Follow this with a pint of local craft ale at nautically themed tavern The Sloop, opposite. From here it’s a half-hour drive north to Strumble Head, a lonely, wind-battered headland, with expansive sea views and gulls swooping over the lighthouse.

Drive on through Fishguard to ravishing Dinas Island, where a National Trust three-mile circular walk teeters along sheer wildflower-studded cliffs that plummet to smuggler’s coves straight out of a Famous Five novel. In spring, you might see puffins returning to these shores at Needle Rock.

Stay a night or two in the laid-back coastal town of Newport, spending breezy days on dune-fringed Traeth Mawr (Big Beach). Top billing here goes to Llys Meddyg, a Georgian coaching inn turned rustic-chic restaurant with rooms. Sip a cocktail  in the secret garden if it’s warm – or by the inglenook fireplace in the wood-panelled bar if it isn’t. Foraged ingredients lend punch to dishes like home-smoked salmon with pickled cucumber, and Welsh sirloin steak with braised ox cheek, wild mushroom and shallot.

Round out your week in the remote moors of the Preseli Hills reaching inland. With hill forts, 5000-year-old standing stones and stone circles swirling in King Arthur legend, this micro-region is the dream for history buffs. Stonehenge bluestone hails from here, some experts say. For a brush with prehistory, hike the seven-mile Golden Road trail running along the spine of these craggy peaks. With charismatic hosts and beautifully converted barns with hot tubs, Preseli Hills Cottages is a brilliant base.

A Strawberry Gothic house with dreamy gardens and sea views, Tenby’s Penally Abbey (rooms from £175 per night) ticks all the romantic boxes, as does sleekly converted Victorian priory Penrhiw (rooms from £125 per night) in a secluded setting in St Davids.

Find more of the most romantic hotels in Pembrokeshire in our guide.

Nuzzled in beautiful grounds, 18th-century country house Broadmead B&B (rooms from £110 per night) is 20 minutes’ walk from Tenby harbour, while Manor Town House (rooms from £125 per night) in Fishguard is a stylish, sea-gazing, warm-hearted delight.

In St Davids, art-splashed Twr Y Felin (rooms from £150 per night) wows with menus singing of the region and seasons. Or check into coolly revamped Georgian inn Llys Meddyg (rooms from £130 per night) in Newport for dishes peppered with foraged ingredients.

Pembrokeshire is wilder and wetter during the winter months, with gusty westerlies making it feel even chillier at times. If you get lucky, spring can be a terrific time to visit, with mild weather and everywhere erupting prettily with blossom and wildflowers.

Summer is best for camping trips and water-based activities like swimming, surfing and coasteering, but this being Wales, you should still expect the odd shower. Avoid school holidays to snag better deals and sidestep the crowds. Autumn can be lovely, with the odd golden day for quiet rambles in the Preseli Hills and along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

Tourist board: visitpembrokeshire.com

Journey time: Approximately five hours by train from London Paddington.

Getting there: Haverfordwest has regular trains to/from London Paddington (4½ hours) via Cardiff. Fishguard station is equidistant but services are less frequent. Fflecsi buses link these transport hubs to coastal towns and villages (download the app and book your journey ahead).

Driving safety: Pembrokeshire’s minor roads are beautiful, but they can be slow (thanks to tractors, stray sheep, pootling holidaymakers… you name it) – especially during peak season. Patience might also be needed when finding a parking space.

Based in the hills of Mid Wales, Kerry seizes every opportunity she can to head west to Pembrokeshire – where she’s in her element hiking on the coastal path, leaping off cliffs coasteering, or cooing over the puffins on Skomer.