Travel Guide to Pembrokeshire
With 186 miles of breathtaking coastline and more blue flag beaches than any other county, Pembrokeshire is a national park like no other.
This beautiful stretch of crinkled coastline is the only UK national park to be situated completely on the coast and has a diverse landscape that houses world-renowned beaches, epic coastal scenery, and a plethora of picturesque seaside villages.
The beauty of Pembrokeshire hasn’t gone unnoticed either. National Geographic Traveler magazine recently rated the Pembrokeshire Coast one of the top two coastal destinations in the world and several Hollywood movies have been filmed here.
If you are looking for a coastal escape within the confines of the UK then Pembrokeshire should be top of your list.
To make your decision easier and help narrow down your choice of where to visit and what to do I have written this comprehensive guide. Within which I have listed the top things to see and do, alongside the best beaches and walks.
I hope you find it useful and if you have any questions or comments feel free to drop me a message
Individual location guides
Getting to and around Pembrokeshire
By Bus - Pembrokeshire is frequently served by National Express coaches directly from London Victoria coach station and Heathrow Airport. The county is also served daily from Birmingham. Connections from all over the Midlands, north of England and Scotland are available via Birmingham. Full details of coach times and fares can be found at www.nationalexpress.com
By Rail - Rail services into Pembrokeshire are provided by Arriva Trains Wales. If travelling from London, get the train from Paddington to Swansea then make the connection to head west. Arriva also provide direct services to Pembrokeshire from Manchester, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Hereford, Newport and Cardiff. Full details can be found at www.arrivatrainswales.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk
The entire length of the 186 mile (299km) Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail, from St Dogmaels to Amroth, is accessible by public transport. The Pembrokeshire coastal bus service runs 7 days a week from May to September and 2 days a week in winter and is perfect for walkers who can plan a day walk on the coast path without the need for two cars. It’s a hail and ride service so just flag the buses down along the coast road and hop on. Doggos are also welcome aboard too.
Where to eat and sleep
Because Pembrokeshire is only an hour or so drive from my home city of Swansea, I always tend to head west for a day trip and not stay overnight. However, there is a huge range of accommodation options including campsites, Hostels, Air B&B’s and even 5-star luxury spa hotels so you would be struggling for choice and will be able to find something suited to your budget. Tenby is one of the most popular locations and has a huge array of food, drink and accommodation options to suit all budgets.
One place I have stayed at and can recommend is the wonderful Eco- Escape campsite situated just outside Milford Haven. The site offers woodland camping and glamping on a secluded meadow. Each pitch has its own fire-pit and bbq area alongside having access to hot showers, flushing toilets and a hot tub. I would definitely recommend this site to anyone who is considering camping.
My advice would be to decide how long you want to stay and what you want to see, then decide on your accommodation. Although everywhere across the Pembrokeshire is well connected, the roads can be quite winding and narrow at times meaning getting across the National Park (say from Barafundle to Whitesands) can take up to an hour.
With regards to food, there’s a wide variety of options across the county for people of all budgets and tastes. If you are visiting Freshwater West be sure to check out the award-winning food truck Cafe Mor which is now located in the nearby village of angle. If you are on the North coast, stop by The Shed Bistro in Porthgain.
On the map below I’ve listed all the hostels within the Pembrokeshire National park alongside what I feel are some of the best cheap eats across the area.
I hope you found this blog post useful, If you did (or didn’t) let me know in the comments below.
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For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.