As you head west towards Pembroke, visit Stackpole, a National Trust treasure blending historic estate land with limestone cliffs and tranquil lily ponds. A circular walk here is a dramatic, yet magical introduction to Pembrokeshire’s coastal scenery.

Stop at Cawdors Café in Stackpole Walled Gardens for home-cooked dishes made with produce that once supplied the estate in the 18th century. The path through the lily ponds leads to beaches and cliffs where choughs often dance in the wind – an almost guaranteed wildlife sighting.

For many, Skomer Island is reason enough to visit Pembrokeshire. Accessible by boat from Martin’s Haven (booking opens on 1st December for the following season), this National Nature Reserve limits visitor numbers to protect its fragile ecology.

Wildlife to Discover:

– Puffins (April–July, peaking May–June)
– 300,000 Manx shearwaters – one of the world’s largest colonies
– Grey seals, porpoises, guillemots, and razorbills
– The unique Skomer vole, found nowhere else

Walking the island feels like stepping into a living BBC nature documentary –quiet, windswept, timeless.

If boats from Martin’s Haven are full or the weather doesn’t cooperate, tours from St Justinian’s near St David’s offer wildlife experiences around Skomer and Ramsey Islands, Grassholm, and the remote Smalls Lighthouse.

Driving west through Pembroke, you can’t miss Pembroke Castle, rising dramatically above the waterway. Built in 1093, it’s one of Wales’s most impressive Norman fortifications.

Free guided tours bring its 900-year history to life – including its claim as the birthplace of Henry VII. Climb the ramparts for sweeping estuary views and a real sense of the region’s medieval past.

St David’s – Britain’s smallest official city – is a jewel of the western coast. Base yourself here for a few nights to explore the peninsula fully.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path around St Davids is one of the UK’s great walking routes. Take the Celtic Coaster bus to St Justinians or Whitesands Bay, then meander back along cliff-top trails to the Chapel of St Non, believed to be the birthplace of Wales’s patron saint.

From there, visit St David’s Cathedral, built from purple stone and tucked into a valley. Whether or not you’re religious, attending the choral evensong is unforgettable – listen to the soaring organ, the ancient acoustics, the stillness. To many, it is an unexpected highlight – organising multiple visits to experience the ever-changing light on this stunning medieval masterpiece.

Stop off at Nook Ice Cream after walking back up the hill from visiting the cathedral for a tasty treat.

Pembrokeshire’s weather has a mind of its own. When coastal walks are too blustery or boat trips get cancelled, there’s still magic to be found inland.

One stormy day, guiding two wildlife photographers from the US on a Wildlife Adventures Wales trip, we swapped ocean spray for ancient mystery and headed for Pentre Ifan, a vast Neolithic burial chamber balanced beneath the Preseli Hills.

Later, we tracked seabirds at Strumble Head, a staggeringly beautiful rocky headland that marks the southern tip of Cardigan Bay. Famed for its striking lighthouse, built in 1908, Strumble Head is a premier UK seabird watching spot, especially for the autumn migration of Manx Shearwaters, Skuas and Petrels.

An old WWII lookout serves as a basic, sheltered observatory, offering year-round birding and wildlife spotting, including peregrines, seals, and dolphins.

And no wet-weather day is complete without a proper cream tea. I recommend Jane’s in Fishguard – homemade scones and jam tucked behind a wool and craft shop. It’s unexpectedly wonderful.