Things to do in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, is one of the UK's most beautiful regions. This is an area rich in outstanding tourist attractions including Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the Preseli Mountains and The Daugleddau Estuary.
The county has fine sandy beaches, with more Blue Flag awards than any other English county, and the rugged coast offers exhilarating watersports such as surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing. Sailing, kayaking, canoeing and powerboating are also popular activities. Horse-riding in the Preseli hills, or along quiet country lanes or golden beaches, is another popular activity. Pembrokeshire has some of the UK's finest golf courses, such as the brand new Trefloyne or the long-established Tenby Golf Club, the oldest in Wales. The region also offers some of the best Sea, Game or Coarse angling in its three National Parks - Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
There is no shortage of good entertainment with community art groups, cinemas and theatres providing exciting workshops, gigs, performances and concerts throughout the year. The Fishguard International Music Festival takes place annually at the end of July, and the week-long Tenby Arts Festival takes place at the end of September each year.
An outing to Skomer Island provides a rare opportunity to see the work of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. The island is accessible by a passenger boat from Martin's Haven (OS Grid Ref: SM 760 091).
Skomer is nature at its wildest. There is no cafe so take your own food and drink and wear suitable clothing and good walking shoes. The island is home to 10,000 pairs of Guillemots, 6,000 pairs of Puffins, 120,000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters as well as Razorbills, Grey Seals, Choughs, Skomer Voles and Short Eared Owls. What you see will depend on the time of year you visit.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park covers about one third of the county, including the entire coastline, part of the Daugleddau Estuary, the Preseli Mountains and the Carew, Cleddau and Cresswell rivers. The national park is home to large seal and sea-bird colonies, and coastal walks offer panoramic views of the coastline.
The Preseli Mountains are a popular tourist attraction. The highest point is Foel Cwmcerwyn at 1,758 feet. The Preselis have some interesting geological features. This is the only place in the UK where Spotted Dolerite can be found, other than at Stonehenge. Geologists are not sure if Neolithic man or glaciers took the Dolerite there. The Golden Road, dating from Celtic times, crosses the range from Foel Eryr to Foel Drygarn. Legends rooted in Celtic history say that one of the entrances to the Celtic underworld, known as Annwn, was said to be located in the Preselis.
The Daugleddau Estuary is an area of outstanding natural beauty. The inland waterway is often called the secret waterway, and stretches from Carew to Slebech. You can visit Norman castles, such as Carew Castle and Picton Castle. Carew is a ruin, whilst Picton is a country house with fine landscape gardens. In this region you'll see hundreds of walkers especially on The Landsker Borderlands Trail, a long-distance circular walk along the eastern bank of the Daugleddau.