Things to Do in The Pembrokeshire Coast
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to the Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Pembrokeshire is the only UK national park built almost entirely around its coastline, home to Britain's smallest city, a National Trail long enough to take most walkers two to three weeks to finish, and beaches that genuinely rival anywhere in the country. This is the proper guide to things to do on the Pembrokeshire Coast, what things actually cost, when to go, and which bits are worth the drive. Four main stops below, plus a quiz at the bottom to see if you were paying attention.
A Coastal National Park
I asked in the quiz what feature the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is unusually centred almost entirely on, and it's the coastline itself, most other UK national parks are inland, upland landscapes, exactly as the quiz hint described, making Pembrokeshire genuinely unique among the UK's fifteen national parks. Granted park status in 1952, it protects a stretch of Welsh coast running from Amroth in the south to St Dogmaels in the north, cliffs, beaches, harbours and wildlife-rich islands all packed along a single, continuous shoreline.
Tenby, with its brightly coloured harbour houses, and Solva, with its idyllic natural harbour tucked into the cliffs, are two of the prettiest towns along the way, both worth building time into any Pembrokeshire trip.
St Davids, Britain's Smallest City
The answer to the second quiz question: St Davids, with a population of only around 1,800, is officially recognised as Britain's smallest city thanks to its cathedral, exactly as the quiz hint described. Built on the site of a 6th-century monastery founded by St David, Wales's patron saint, the current 12th-century cathedral, constructed from distinctive purple Cambrian sandstone, sits in a valley below the town, an unusual and genuinely striking piece of architecture given the settlement's tiny scale around it.
St Davids briefly lost its official city status in the 19th century before Queen Elizabeth II formally reinstated it in September 1994, and the surrounding area, over 200 listed buildings, the ruined St Non's Chapel, and boat trips out to Ramsey Island for seabird and seal spotting, gives the small city plenty to fill a full day around the cathedral itself.
Address St Davids Cathedral, St Davids, Pembrokeshire SA62 6RD
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
I asked in the quiz roughly how many miles the Pembrokeshire Coast Path stretches, and it's around 186 miles, taking most walkers two to three weeks to complete in full exactly as the quiz hint described. Opened in 1970 and now one of the UK's most well-established National Trails, it follows the entire rugged coastline of the national park, passing 58 beaches and 14 harbours along the way, including St Davids itself.
You don't need to walk the whole thing, the trail is easily split into shorter sections accessible to walkers of all abilities, and the stretch around St Davids and Whitesands Bay is one of the most scenic and manageable introductions if you're short on time.
Official site pembrokeshirecoast.wales
Whitesands Bay & the Coastal Beaches
Whitesands Bay, a wide, sandy beach beneath Carn Llidi near St Davids, is one of the most popular in the national park, genuinely good for surfing as well as swimming, and busy enough in summer that arriving early is worth doing to secure parking. Barafundle Bay, further south near Stackpole, is regularly ranked among the best beaches in the UK, though reaching it requires a proper walk from the nearest car park, no road access, which keeps it considerably quieter than beaches you can simply drive up to.
Tenby's two main beaches, North and South Sands, sit right beside the town itself, the easiest option if you want sand within walking distance of shops, cafes and a place to stay.
Best time to visit The Pembrokeshire Coast
May to September gives the most reliable weather for the beaches and the fullest stretch of Coast Path walking conditions, and it's when boat trips to Ramsey Island run most regularly. St Davids Cathedral and the towns along the coast work fine year-round, so a shoulder-season visit is workable, but the more exposed sections of the Coast Path are considerably less pleasant in winter weather.
Getting around The Pembrokeshire Coast
A car is by far the easiest way to see the Pembrokeshire Coast properly, its main towns and beaches are spread along a genuinely long stretch of coastline rather than clustered together. Seasonal shuttle bus services, the Puffin Shuttle, Celtic Coaster and Strumble Shuttle among them, connect key points along the coast for walkers doing sections of the trail without a car.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Pembrokeshire Coast worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly for its rare status as a coast-focused UK national park, Britain's smallest city, and some of the best beaches in the country, all within a compact, protected stretch of Welsh coastline.
- How many days do you need on the Pembrokeshire Coast?
- A weekend covers St Davids, Whitesands Bay and one or two other towns comfortably. Longer if you're planning to walk a proper section of the Coast Path.
- Is the Pembrokeshire Coast expensive?
- Moderate. The national park, the Coast Path and most beaches are free; car parking and boat trips to Ramsey Island are the main costs.
- What is the Pembrokeshire Coast famous for?
- Being unusually centred almost entirely on coastline among UK national parks; St Davids, Britain's smallest city; and the roughly 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path, one of the UK's premier National Trails.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
