This article was produced by National Geographic Traveler (UK).
Ask a Brit to describe the seaside destination of their dreams and it will probably look a lot like Pembrokeshire. This county in the south-west corner of Wales has golden sandy beaches, fishing villages with art galleries and waterside restaurants serving the catch of the day as fresh as possible. Wander along the coast or into the hills and you’ll also come across historic buildings that fascinate centuries after they were built. There’s a medieval pilgrimage site that once rivaled Spain’s Santiago de Compostela and a dolmen made from the same blue stone used to build Stonehenge – which, like the better-known megalith, perfectly catches the light during the solstice.
On the St David’s Peninsula, where Pembrokeshire slings its hook into the Atlantic Ocean, things take a wild turn. Skip past gorse-clad cliffs and through kissing gates on parts of the 200-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which provides access to coves only accessible by foot or boat. Porpoises, seals and, in summer, puffins splash around rocky islands. If you ignore the high season, you’ll probably have this landscape to yourself; that’s what a trip to Wales is all about. Nature isn’t just an afterthought here: it’s there to be embraced, whether you’re foraging for seaweed, taking a coastal tour or admiring the glow of the Milky Way on a starlit winter night.
Day 1: Cathedrals & cliff walks
Morning
St Davids, Britain’s smallest town, is situated above the coast, near the westernmost point of Wales. Order oven-warm Welsh cakes MamGu Welshcakesa cafe in the ruins of St Mary’s Chapel St. David’s Cathedral. Although construction of the building began in the 12th century, it has been a ecclesiastical site since St David, patron saint of Wales, founded a monastery here in 550 CE. Pilgrims have flocked to the site over the centuries; follow in their footsteps and admire the ship, illuminated by stained glass; the saint’s shrine in Byzantine style; and the 16th-century misericords (ledges to provide support while standing) beneath the benches, including one showing seasick pilgrims on a boat.
Afternoon
Score a courtyard table Graina five-minute walk from the cathedral, for wood-fired, Welsh-inspired pizzas like the Land of My Fathers, with roasted leeks and organic Perl Las blue cheese. Just around the corner, The couch ice cream parlor has flavors from rhubarb to cherry bakewell. Finish the meal with a walk along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path from Whitesands Bay to St David’s Head. You’ll quickly lose the crowds on this two-hour circular walk, clambering over heather-covered cliffs; on clear days the view extends as far as Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains. Stop for a paddle at Porthmelgan Beach, a stretch of sand hidden between tall boulders.
Evening
When the sun sets, have a drink in Solva, an hour’s walk east of St. Davids. This village has a fjord-like harbor and pastel-colored houses The Harbor Inn beer garden offers the best view. Return to St Davids for a six-course tasting menu The really wild restaurantlocated in a converted art deco building. Leading the charge are foraging duo Julia Horton-Mansfield and John Mansfield, who know the hedgerows and banks of Pembrokeshire like the back of their hand. The food varies seasonally, but expect salmon with beetroot, grass kelp cream cheese and crispy Alexander’s leaves, and rosehip jelly with sorrel granita.
Ramsey Island can be reached via a rigid inflatable boat from St Davids.
Photo by Toby Pickard
Day 2: Boat trips & insect farms
Morning
From the banks of St. Davids you can see Ramsey Island. Book tickets in advance and bring rain gear and binoculars to board an hour-long rigid inflatable boat tour with Voyages of Discovery, departing from St. Justinian’s harbour. Bounce across the water – which includes an infamously rugged stretch called the Bitches and Whelps – to the cliffs and stacks of this RSPB nature reserve. Keep your eyes peeled for porpoises, Atlantic gray seals and colonies of seabirds. Back in St. Davids, take a 15-minute walk from the center for a contemplative moment atop the wave-hammered cliffs of St. Non’s, where St. David is said to have been born. You will find a ruined chapel, a sacred spring and breathtaking views.
Afternoon
St Davids has built a reputation for environmentally conscious projects, from beach cleans to regenerative polyculture. An example is The insect farma research and visitors center on hectares of farmland on the edge of the city. Keep an open mind as you enjoy lunch in the Grub Kitchen, a converted pigsty and cowshed – and Britain’s first full-time restaurant to serve edible insects. It surprises with insect burgers, chili crickets and mixed insect pakoras (non-insect dishes are also available). After your meal, explore the center’s museum, which zooms in on the world of insects. There is also a farm trail with sustainable farming methods and a walled garden with butterflies.
Evening
Walk along the coastal path from St Davids to nearby Traeth Llyfn, a bay you can reach by walking down a steep staircase (note that it disappears at low tide). It’s a scenic, mile-long journey from here to the coastal hamlet of Porthgain. Once a small commercial port used to export stone from a local quarry, it is now home to a handful of art galleries. Rest with a pint in the Sloop Inncomplete with beams and nautical trinkets. Provided you have reserved in advance, you can then sit down for dinner The barn. This harborside stone hut has side-by-side seating, local art on the walls and views of the boats bringing in the catch; expect sea bream with herb gnocchi or breaded scampi.
Continue: Prehistory in the Preselis
Often overlooked in favor of the coast, the lonely moors and cairn-strewn tors of North Pembrokeshire’s Preseli Hills are home to some of Britain’s oldest historic sites.
Angel mountain
No wings are needed to reach the 350-metre-high rock of Mynydd Carningli (‘Angel Mountain’), which rises above the coastal town of Newport, a 45-minute drive north-east of St Davids. This extinct volcano was isolated and last blew its top 450 million years ago. It has a magic that you can’t quite put your finger on – maybe it’s the heavenly views of the hills, the Tower and the sea; perhaps they are the remains of old hut circles among the rubble. Legend has it that Saint Brynach spoke to angels here in the sixth century, and you can well believe it on the Iron Age hillfort at the summit, one of the largest in west Wales, which looks out over the sea to Ireland. It’s a two-hour round trip from the city. For extra magic, hike up with a headlamp to capture the sunrise.
Set in 30 hectares of woodland, Castell Henllys is home to the only reconstructed Iron Age village in Britain, where the roundhouses remain on their original site.
Photo by Keith Morris, Alamy StockPhoto
Golden Way
Trek over moorland, boggy moors and windswept peaks on the seven-mile, four-hour Golden Road. It starts from the car park at the Bwlch-Gwynt Viewpoint and runs along a narrow path along the main ridge of the Preseli Hills. Highlights include the Bronze Age gravestone at Foel Eryr (‘Eagle’s Peak’); the 1,759-metre-high mountain of Foel Cwmcerwyn, where legend has it that King Arthur and his knights fought a ferocious boar; and the Carn Meini (‘Butter Rock’), a group of steep outcrops. They are made of mottled dolerite, also called bluestone, and some believe they are the source of the bluestone used at Stonehenge. Scientists have also found ‘singing stones’ here, which make a tinkling sound when struck with a hammer.
Pentre Ifan
If you walk across many a muddy farm field in the Preseli Hills, you are likely to come across a prehistoric standing stone. The most impressive of all is Pentre Ifan, three kilometers from Newport. Built on a remote hill overlooking the Nevern Valley, this gigantic dolmen is the largest Neolithic tomb in Wales. A five-meter-long capstone balances precariously on three upright stones that have stood for 5,500 years. They are made using the famous local bluestone, and their mysterious atmosphere is enhanced by their unique contours and alignment: they not only frame Mynydd Carningli in the distance, but also perfectly catch the light during the winter and summer solstices.
How to do it
St Davids is a two and a half hour drive west of Cardiff Airport, where car hire is available. Alternatively, Haverfordwest, the main transport hubhalf an hour’s drive from St Davids, it is well connected by train to the rest of Wales and beyond.
Located in a renovated windmill, Twr Y Felin Hotel in St Davids has minimalist-chic rooms, contemporary art on the walls and an excellent seasonal restaurant. From £150, bed and breakfast.
More information
visitpembrokeshire.com
Published in the December 2024 issue National Geographic Traveler (UK).
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