If you’re thinking of visiting Pembrokeshire you’re going to want to know a bit more about it. Well you’ve come to the right place. We live here so, when it comes to Pembrokeshire, there’s not a lot we don’t know.
Best beaches, castle tours, film locations, great walks, mountains, prehistoric sites and a City. Yes a City! And some hidden gems. Shh! 🤫
Below is an overview of what’s on offer when visiting Pembrokeshire.
But you’ll also find plenty of links to our more detailed posts on this beautiful place we call home. In those are some tips on things like where to stay, how to get around and things to do.
What makes visiting Pembrokeshire so special?
Possibly its coastline, which you can walk the entire length of. Be warned though, it could take some time. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is 186 miles (299Km) long! And talking of walks there are loads of Pembrokeshire walks with something to suit everyone.
The Coast
Because the majority of the park is on the coast you’ll see some spectacular examples of the power of nature when visitng Pembrokeshire. In fact, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the only truly coastal one in the UK. And with so much coastline there are plenty of beaches in Pembrokeshire
Beaches
There are over 50 beaches to choose from when visiting Pembrokeshire. And many of them have received awards such as Blue Flag or Green Coast. Some of them are also regularly voted as the best around.
Tenby was voted Sunday Times beach of the year last year and Barafundle the best in Wales on Tripadvisor. Talking of Barafundle, this beautiful beach regularly gets voted as one of the best in the world as it was here by Passport Magazine in 2017.
But Pembrokeshire is not just about incredible coast and stunning beaches. In contrast to these are the rugged mountains, particularly, in the North of the County.
Mountains
The Preseli Hills (Mynyddoedd y Preseli) proudly stand at the Northern end of Pembrokeshire. Like somewhere out of a Bronte novel this is an incredibly atmospheric place. Great for exploring and being outdoors, there are some spectacular views to be had here. Hill walkers, hikers and summit baggers will all appreciate the peaks at Foel Cwm Cerwyn, Foel Drygarn and Foel Eryr in particular.
There’s a lot of history in these hills. It’s said that the Bluestones at Stonehenge were transported 140 miles from this very place (www.english-heritage.org.uk) And speaking of history.
Prehistoric Sites
Lower down the Preseli hills, in Brynberian, is the finest example of a pre-historic Burial Chamber in Pembrokeshire, Pentre Ifan. As it stands today it is estimated that the capstone, which is supported by three uprights, could weigh as much as 16 tons! Fast forward to the Middle Ages…..
St David's City
Yes, really! Pembrokeshire is home to Britain’s smallest City. Named after the Patron Saint of Wales St David’s was given City status in the 12th Century. The Cathedral is St. David’s final resting place and forms the main focus to the city. But it’s not the only thing to see here. The Bishops Palace, St Non’s Chapel and Caerfai Bay are just some of the many others, all within walking distance.
Castles
From Cathedrals to Castles, The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is home to no less than 16 of them. Possibly the finest of which are Pembroke Castle and Carew Castle. Pembroke Castle is the birth place of Henry VII in 1457 and Carew Castle sits in a location that is almost picture perfect.
How to go about visiting Pembrokeshire
By Road
Less than 2 hours from Cardiff by road, Pembrokeshire can be accessed from the East by taking the A40 from the very Western end of the M4. From the north you can take a very scenic route through Oswestry and the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park on the A483 to Carmarthen and then take the A40 to Pembrokeshire.
By Rail
Train services run frequently from London Paddington and Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff and then on to Tenby or Milford Haven. The Heart of Wales line runs to Llanelli and Swansea from Shrewsbury. You can access Pembrokeshire from Shrewsbury by taking the heart of Wales line to Llanelli and changing for trains to Tenby or Milford Haven.
By Air
You can fly into Cardiff International airport in Wales before travelling on by road or rail. The closest Airports in England are Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Heathrow.
More information on Visiting Pembrokeshire
This a just an overview of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and only just scratches the surface.
For more detail on Pembrokeshire check out some of the posts below. And feel free to share this post or leave a comment below.
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