It was the puffins which first attracted me to Pembrokeshire. I have had a hankering to see these seabirds in the wild ever since I was a child and read about them in The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton.
Philip, Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann found their puffins on a remote island off the coast of Scotland: a bit too far away for me. But I jumped at the chance when I heard we could see them in Pembrokeshire too.
My son, Robert, aged 12, was less convinced and I soon realised I would need more than some auks to persuade him we really did want to spend half-term in Wales. Luckily a quick chat with Coastal Cottages — who have properties across the county — informed me that the area boasted wonderful beaches as well as a vintage fairground at a place called Folly Farm.
The first thing to know about Pembrokeshire is that it covers the south west corner of Wales. If you live in London, that’s a long way away (though not nearly as far as Scotland). However, it is also part of its charm — this is not just a beautiful area, but also a rather quiet part of the world, which is something of a relief when you spend most of your time in a big city.
However, just because it’s far away doesn’t mean there’s not much to do here. We were amazed by the number of activities on offer.
Let’s start with our accommodation. Our gorgeous little cottage was called Sands, a three star holiday home that’s part of a little group called the Talbenny Hall cottages, near Little Haven. It was perfectly set up for a couple or small family, and my son loved his room and sleeping on the top bunk-bed. It would have been a bit squashed if my 15-year-old daughter had also been with us, but Coastal Cottages has a range of accommodation if you have more children.
The company acts too as a sort of holiday “concierge” if you need it, by organising activities for your holiday, or even arranging special treats like a cook coming to make supper, or providing flowers or a hamper on arrival.
As well as the smaller children’s room, Sands had a large main bedroom, little bathroom, kitchen and a lovely, homely living area where we ate pretty much every evening (we were out all day). However, if you don’t want to cook, then the village of Broad Haven is just five or so minutes away by car, with three great places to eat. You definitely need a car to get around the area, and the cottage made a lovely base.
Our holiday was both busy and relaxing. Pembrokeshire really is one of the most glorious places I’ve ever visited and blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Two in particular made a real impression — Barafundle Bay, which is reached via a cliff-top walk, and Marloes Sands, surrounded by cliffs and full of rock pools just ripe for exploring.
We also spent an evening in Tenby, probably the busiest place we visited, which has a huge beach, and the most wonderful ice-cream and fudge shops.
It’s not only the vast expanses of sand and sea which make the beaches so great. Robert had a brilliant time at Heatherton World of Activities, enjoying activities from zorbing and laser clay shooting to bumper boats and an excellent crazy golf course. Heatherton also has a marvellous tree-top trail which saw him climb high above our heads and then zipline past us with glee. We spent an entire day there and would highly recommend it.
He — and we — also loved Folly Farm. This adventure park and zoo is the holder of the “Best day out in Wales” award and we could see why, particularly as it works whether the sun’s out or not. The old arcade games transported me back to my own childhood while Robert enjoyed the old-fashioned (but beautifully renovated) fairground rides — and we all liked seeing the animals, particularly the very ponderous sloth, and the giraffes.
Pembroke Castle was also one of the best castles we’ve visited (and we’ve been to a lot!). The birthplace of Henry VII has a dungeon, cave and tower to climb, while the free guided tour led by retired history teacher Gareth kept everyone, of all ages, spellbound for an hour and a half.
He really brought history alive and we learnt so much — not least that it’s very handy to build a castle with water on three sides, as you can then focus all your defences on the one which may be vulnerable.
And the puffins which inspired my visit in the first place? Fear not. I’m glad to tell you that they have now been ticked off my list for things to see — and in a very happy way.
We visited St David’s — Britain’s smallest city, which is chocolate box pretty and boasts a beautiful cathedral — on the first full day of our trip. Boat trips around both Skomer and Ramsey Islands take place from near here at the St Justinians lifeboat station (be warned that there are many steps down to this location), for a two-hour cruise with Thousand Island Expeditions, as arranged by our Coastal Cottages concierge.
The boat zipped through the water past Ramsey Island towards Skomer, where I was told the puffins would be, passing a number of other coastal birds, as well as fantastic scenery along the way.
Then as we neared Skomer, we saw the most amazing sight — hundreds and hundreds of birds milling around, from puffins (recognisable by their colourful beaks, but far smaller than I had expected) to razorbills and guillemots. It really was wonderful to see them in their natural habitats.
On the way back the boat took us closer to Ramsey Island where we saw seals sunning themselves on secluded beaches. Despite a few choppy waves, it was quite magical.
Between the beauty, peace and so much to amuse us, I didn’t want to leave — and would go again in a minute. If only it wasn’t four and a half hours away!
