The Best Things to do in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 2024

The 27 best things to do in Pembrokeshire, how to get here, what to eat, where to stay, interactive map and more!

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Pembrokeshire is categorically the most beautiful part of the UK. Nestled on Wales’ west coast, Pembrokeshire is a county full of sprawling beaches, local wildlife, historic castles and seaside towns. Bordered by Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which just celebrated its 70th anniversary and is one of three national parks in Wales. If you’re looking to get lost in nature, while still having access to numerous attractions for all the family, Pembrokeshire is the place to go.

Time needed: 7-14 days.

When to go: April-June or September-October for (hopefully) pleasant weather and to avoid the crowds.

Weather: Anything from blazing sunshine to torrential rain.

Language: Welsh and English.

Currency: British Pound.

The Coastal Towns in Pembrokeshire

1) Tenby

One of the best things to do in Pembrokeshire is to explore the little Welsh coastal towns. Tenby is an iconic Victorian seaside town on the Southern coast, known for its seafront row of multi-coloured houses that rival Scotland’s Tobermory. Explore cute little gift shops and try Cadwaladers ice cream on your walk down the hill, where you’ll find fishing boats in the harbour and postcard-picture views. There are 4 beaches to enjoy – the Harbour beach, North Beach, South Beach and award-winning Castle Beach. As the name suggests, Castle Beach sits under the ruins of Tenby Castle and looks out towards St Catherine’s Island, which is only accessible at low tide. Here you’ll also find a beautiful garden as well as the Tenby Museum and Art Gallery.

Tenby was most recently known for Wally the Walrus, who spent over a month resting on the RNLI Lifeboat Station ramp in 2021. While you won’t find him there today, you can take a Seal Safari boat tour, or hop over to Caldey Island and learn about the Cistercian monks who have been living on the island since Celtic times.

Book a Day Tour of all the Classic Sights in Pembrokeshire from Tenby!

2) Saundersfoot

Just up the coast from Tenby, Saundersfoot is more compact but just as charming. It has a long, wide, flat sandy Blue Flag beach, meaning it meets the organisation’s standards of environmental management and has a certification from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). If you visit at New Year you can witness the renowned charitable New Year’s Day Swim, which is sponsored by local businesses.

3) Fishguard

On Pembrokeshire’s North West coast you’ll find the small town of Fishguard. Today Fishguard consists of two parts, Lower Fishguard and the Main Town. Take a stroll down the harbour and walk along the jetty. Keep an eye out for dolphins, which can sometimes be spotted in here too. Or visit Fishguard Fort, an 18th-century fortification on the rocky promontory of Castle Point, overlooking Fishguard Harbour.

4) St David’s

Along the coast to the west sits St David’s, the smallest city in Britain. Don’t miss St David’s Cathedral, a grand cathedral that has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century and is the resting place of Saint David, Wales’s patron saint. You’ll also find St David’s Bishop’s Palace, 14th-century Gothic palace, here too. St David’s is also a great spot for those who love to get out into nature. You can hike, kayak and coasteer along Pembrokeshire’s scenic coastline.

The Islands & Bird Spotting in Pembrokeshire

St David’s is the gateway to St George’s Channel, the stretch of water between Wales and Ireland. From here you can choose between a variety of boat trips, which go out to explore the surrounding islands.

5) Ramsey Island RSPB Reserve

Ramsey Island lies just off the coast and features dramatic 120 metre high cliffs. It is an RSPB Reserve, meaning it is teeming with birdlife, including guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, peregrine falcons, choughs and ravens. It’s also a great place to spot seals.

6) Grassholm Island National Nature Reserve

Grassholm Island is the westernmost point in Wales and is known for its huge colony of gannets. In fact, it is home to the third most important site for gannets in the world, after two sites in Scotland; St Kilda and Bass Rock. Up to 39,000 pairs of gannets can be found here, which is around 10 percent of the world population. It’s also a really popular stretch of water for porpoises and common dolphins. Bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins can also be spotted here, as well as the occasional minke whale!

Three puffins perch on a steep rocky cliff.

7) Skomer Island National Nature Reserve

Formed at the end of the last Ice Age around 12,000 years ago, Skomer Island is famous for its population of puffins. There are over 6000 pairs of puffins here, with another 2000 on Skokholm, making it the largest Atlantic Puffin colony in southern Britain. You’ll also find lots of Manx shearwaters here too. There are around 20,000 pairs on Skomer and 45,000 on Skokholm, which is over half the world’s population!

Cetacean Spotting in Pembrokeshire

8) Dolphin and Whale Watching Boat Trips

Boat trips to the islands above can be arranged with a range of companies, many of which also offer opportunities to spot dolphins and whales too! Seals, harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, fin whales and minke whales can all be found in the waters surrounding Pembrokeshire.

Book with:

Voyages of Discovery

Thousand Islands

Aquaphobia

Falcon Boats

Note: Boat trips are subject to the conditions and may be cancelled at short notice. If you can’t reschedule you should get a refund (we had a trip with Voyages of Discovery cancelled due to a storm and our refund was immediate). Sightings are never guaranteed, but you have a much higher chance of seeing them with experts on a boat trip.

A dolphin breaks the surface of the water.

9) Cardigan Island Farm Park

This cliff-top farm park overlooks the Teifi estuary and is part of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. You can feed the farm animals, including chickens, goats and sheep, and walk along the fenced headland, which offers panoramic views of Cardigan Island. The main attraction here is the seals! As the waters between the island and mainland are calmer you can often find lots of seals resting in this stretch of water.

Pro-tip: Seals are naturally curious creatures. If you clap loudly, the seals will pop their heads out of the sea to see what the noise is.

10) Mwnt

This is one of those secret, hidden gems that we’d rather not share just so we can keep it all to ourselves! But we also couldn’t not mention it. While Mwnt technically sits just outside of the Pembrokeshire boundary, it has to go on this list. Mwnt is a beautiful hidden cove, located on the site of an ancient parish and featuring an award winning beach and little shop.

The Wales Coastal Path passes through here and there are a number of walks in the area too. Our favourite is the climb to the top of Foel y Mwnt (the steep hill), which offers stunning views out over Cardigan Bay. You can also visit Eglwys y Grog (Holy Cross Church), a Grade I listed building which (probably) dates back to the the 13th century.

But it’s sunrise and sunset when the magic happens. Dolphins can often be found coming into the bay to feed and play. The best time to visit Mwnt is between May-September when sightings are highest and the weather is nicest. The best time of day to spot dolphins is between 6:00-8:00 in the morning and 14:00-22:00 in the evening. Take your binoculars, camera and patience!

11) Strumble Head

Strumble Head is a rocky headland that marks the southern limit of Cardigan Bay. There’s an impressive lighthouse and a coastal trail, perfect for a picturesque walk. This is also on the the best places in Pembrokeshire to see cetaceans from land. There’s a small concrete hide where you can sit and wait with your binoculars. You’ll likely not leave without seeing plenty of seals, but dolphins and even whales are often spotted from here too.

Pro-tip: Join the Pembrokeshire Porpoise, Whale & Dolphin Sightings Facebook Group to be up to date on the latest sightings in the area.

12) Stackpole National Nature Reserve

Stackpole National Nature Reserve is a nature lovers paradise. From sandy beaches to tranquil wooded valleys, shallow freshwater lakes and lily ponds to dramatic limestone cliffs, there’s a wide range of habitats and wildlife species to be found. You can enjoy many outdoor activities, including kayaking and coasteering. The area is also full of archaeological interest with evidence of human occupation dating back at least 3000 years.

This national park was established in 1952 and stretches the length of Pembrokeshire’s coast. It features dramatic rocky cliffs, natural stone structures and stunning beaches.

The Green Bridge of Wales is a natural limestone arch located in the Castlemartin military training area just beyond the car park at Stack Rocks. Nearby you’ll find The Witches Cauldron, an impressive sea cave which can be accessed by sea kayak or a half hour walk along the coastal path from Ceibwr Bay.

Closer to Tenby you’ll find a beautiful secluded cove at Skrinkle Haven Beach and Church Door Cove, a high arched cave that has been carved out of the cliff face.

Hikers can enjoy the The Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Often called the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, this route is a designated national trail in Pembrokeshire and offers stunning coastal views. It was established in 1970 and is a 186 mile long walking route, mostly at cliff-top level, and has a total of 35,000 feet of ascent and descent.

The park also encompasses The Preseli Hills, known colloquially as The Preseli Mountains. With heights up to 536 metres, these hills feature an impressive landscape of wild moorland, heath and grassland. The area offers some great walking routes and is littered with prehistoric remains, burial cairns dating back to the bronze age, Iron Age hill forts and evidence of Neolithic settlements. One of these sites is Waun Mawn Standing Stones, a possible dismantled Neolithic stone circle, which has an estimated diameter of 110 metres, making it the third largest diameter for a British stone circle.

One of the best walks is a short route to Foel Eryr, where you can take in panoramic views and see across the sea to Ireland and Snowdonia (on a clear day).

The best beaches in Pembrokeshire

13) Walk on the beach

Pembrokeshire has some of the best beaches in the world and that’s a fact. With wide, golden flats of sand and even the occasional pod of passing dolphins, it’s no wonder there are so many award-winning beaches in this part of Wales.

Some of our favourite beaches include:

Whitesands Bay
Barafundle Beach
Poppit Sands beach
Broadhaven and Little Haven

Discover The Best Beaches in South West Wales here.

Castles to visit in Pembrokeshire

14) Pembroke Castle

This impressive medieval castle is situated in the heart of Pembroke. It was the original family seat of the Earldom of Pembroke and is now a major tourist attraction. You can tour the Grade I listed building, which underwent major restoration during the early 20th century. Pembroke Castle is surrounded by a serene moat, which makes for beautiful photos, and events are held in the castle throughout the year.

Visit Pembroke Castle as part of a Mythical West Wales Tour!

15) Cilgerran Castle

Situated high above the deep craggy gorge of the River Teifi, Cilgerran Castle is one of the most spectacularly sited castles in Wales. This striking 13th-century fortress features two great round towers and holds a rich history within its ruins.

16) Carew Castle & Tidal Mill

Carew Castle has a rich history which spans over 2000 years. Here you can learn about the knights of the realm, kingmakers, Elizabethan intrigue and Civil War devastation. The Tidal Mill is the only tidal mill that has been restored in Wales and the grounds offer a picturesque walk. It is still owned by the famous Carew family, who take their name from this site, but they lease it to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so you can visit today.

17) Picton Castle & Gardens

Picton Castle & Gardens is Pembrokeshire’s finest stately home. You can explore 60 acres of beautifully sculpted woodland gardens and grounds, or tour the castle to discover the modernised Georgian interior. Families will enjoy The Welsh Owl Garden & Zoo, which is home to over 25 species of owls, as well as exotic birds and many other mammals and reptiles.

Historical Sites in Pembrokeshire

18) Castell Henllys

This hill fort is the only place in the world where you can walk among Iron Age roundhouses that have been painstakingly reconstructed on the very spot they would have stood 2000 years ago. Lost until 1981 when the first roundhouse was excavated, Castell Henllys is an important archaeological site and resource for understanding the Iron Age.

19) Saint Govan’s Chapel

St Govan’s Chapel is a tiny hermit’s cell built into the cliff in South Pembrokeshire. Legend has it that St Govan, a Saint from the 6th century and hailed a hermit or thief depending on who’s telling the story, was fleeing from a gang of pirates when the cliff side parted, allowing him to tuck inside and hide. He remained here indefinitely, ringing a bell to warn others of the pirates’ return. The bell was stolen by pirates but later returned by angels who stored it within a rock – Bell Rock – which can still be seen today. To commemorate him, a chapel was built here in the 13th century. The road to St Govan’s passes through an MOD army tank range so check ahead that it isn’t active on the day of your visit or you won’t be able to access the chapel.

20) Pentre Ifan

Pentre Ifan is a Neolithic single-chamber megalithic tomb (which usually consists of two or more vertical large stones, or megaliths, supporting a large flat horizontal capstone. This burial chamber would have originally been covered with an earthen mound, but now stands bare. The 5 metre (16½ ft) capstone appears to be precariously balanced on three uprights, but it has remained securely in place for over 5000 years.

21) St Non’s Chapel

This small chapel is the reputed birthplace of St David, Wales’s patron saint. Set on a windy hillside overlooking St Non’s Bay (St Non being St David’s mother), all that remains now are a few crumbling walls of uncertain date but it is still a significant holy and cultural site. A modern chapel and holy well lie nearby.

Theme & Animal Parks in Pembrokeshire

22) Folly Farm

Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo is one of Pembrokeshire’s most iconic attractions. From humble beginnings as a small farm park, Folly Farm now has over 750 animals and 17 different rides in the vintage fairground. As well as 8 adventure play areas, opportunities to get up close and personal to the barn animals and a land train, Folly Farm is a great day out for all the family. And if you can’t visit quite yet, why not check out their live zoo and farm webcams?

23) Oakwood Theme Park

This one’s for adrenaline junkies, Oakwood is Pembrokeshire’s biggest theme park. Featuring over 40 rides and attractions, including the iconic wooden roller coaster Megafobia, this heart-pumping theme makes for a great day out.

24) Blue Lagoon Water Park

Blue Lagoon Water Park is an indoor waterpark located in the Bluestone National Park Resort. Boasting a wave pool, eight water geysers, a water cannon and 4 water flumes, children and adults alike will love this eco-friendly waterpark.

25) Manor Wildlife Park

Featuring a lemur walkthrough, wallaby safari and red panda walkway, Manor Wildlife Park is Wales’ only walking safari. With a mission to protect and secure endangered species’ ecosystems, the park is working on a major renovation project to turn it into a world class animal facility.

26) Heatherton World of Activities

Heatherton World of Activities an award-winning family attraction with over 30 exciting activities all on one site. Choose from go karting, archery, tree top trails, zorbs, paintball, golf, escape rooms and more!

Harry Potter locations in Pembrokeshire

27) Visit Dobby’s Grave

Calling all Potter fans, Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire is actually the filming location of a few scenes in Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2. Shell Cottage, Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour’s quirky beachside home, was built here for filming in 2010, although it was taken down shortly after. This is also the place where Dobby’s death scene was filmed and many people still travel to visit Dobby’s Grave. The site, tucked away in the sand dunes, is now covered with muraled pebbles to commemorate his death.

Interactive Pembrokeshire Map

Where to stay in Pembrokeshire

For a seaside spa break: The Cliff Hotel & Spa

Location, location, location: Wolfscastle Country Hotel

Sleep like a royalty: Roch Castle

Stay in a Hobbit House: Florence Springs Glamping and Camping Village

Luxury camping in a private jet: The Jetstar, Apple Camping

Find more hotels in Pembrokeshire on Booking.com

Look for self-contained cottages or private apartments on Airbnb

Getting to and around Pembrokeshire

The best way to get to and around Pembrokeshire is by car. This gives you the freedom to explore more off the beaten path destinations and see everything this beautiful part of the world has to offer. if you don’t own a car you can hire a car from Cardiff, Pembroke, Milford Haven, Haverfordwest and Fishguard.

From England you can follow the M5 South to the Prince of Wales bridge, where you join the M4 which runs along the south of Wales. Alternatively, from the North, you can drop into Wales and take the more scenic route from Chester to Aberystwyth and down the coast road.

If travelling by train it can be easier to arrive into Cardiff and change onto the west-bound trains. Beware that trains in Wales are often slow and not always on time. Tickets can be purchased through Transport For Wales or on Trainline.

You can find a map of the train routes in Wales here.

If arriving internationally, the closest airport to fly into is Cardiff Airport. From here it’s less than a 2 hour drive to Pembrokeshire.

Those travelling from London should consider joining this highly-rated 5-Day Small Group Tour of South West Wales.