Date of trip: Summer
Number of party: 5 (2 adults, 3 children).
Pembrokeshire might just be the most magical place in the UK and I don’t say that lightly. There are some truly spectacular locations but Pembrokeshire has bioluminescent plankton, seals, dolphins and enchanting castles. Intrigued? … read on!
Glowing water
We’ll start with the bioluminescent plankton as this is my ultimate highlight anywhere I find it. They are tiny marine animals called dinoflagellates. They produce light when disturbed. This makes the sea glow bright blue at night or sparkle depending on the concentration. It is still a rare phenomenon to get all the right conditions to align for the sparkle to appear. We have been lucky on numerous occasions and have noticed patterns. Warm sea is a must, so August is a great time to look for it. The sky needs to be properly dark. The Plankton have been observed to glow any time of the night but aim for the darkest nights i.e. a new moon. We have been lucky to see the glow as soon as the sky turned pitch black. Calm waters and wind is preferable also. Our favourite site to find glowing plankton is Tenby harbour but anywhere along the Pembrokeshire coastline has as good a chance of spotting some. Be patient, check tides and ideally no torch or a red torch so your eyes adjust to the dark. You may have to disturb the water to see a glow and many times, it will just be a faint sparkle which you won’t see from far away. On occasion, you may be treated to a bright glow.
Night time rock pool
If the tide is out at night, look on rocks with a red torch to view alien type wildlife. Paddleworms are one of my favourite. Tides go out and in quickly in Pembrokeshire, be aware and follow recommendations on the beach you visit. Be careful not to get cut off or park anywhere where your vehicle will get swept away when the tide come in.
Beaches
The beaches in Pembrokeshire are just beautiful and there are so many to explore. Some allow dogs in Summer, others do not. There are some great beaches for surfing or bodyboarding and have lifeguard presence, others feel wild and remote with no facilities.
Tenby North beach is great for swimming with young children with sandy beaches and rocks to swim around and explore. It is close to amenities but no dogs are allowed. Dogs are allowed on Tenby South Beach where there are toilets and a café. This is an excellent spot for paddleboarding.
We wanted to visit Monkston beach where you enter via a public footpath through a campsite and farm. The water is so clear in this area that it is great for snorkelling. Unfortunately, the path down to the beach was closed due to erosion. The walk was also muddy, steep and slippery in sections. You could walk further along the cliff to Saundersfoot. I wouldn’t recommend this with little children, it was hard going. Instead, you can park pretty much on the beach for Saundersfoot to access with little ones.
Stackpole is an excellent spot for walks and the sea but it can get very busy. There is a cafe and toilets at Stackpole Quay. There is also a mountain bike trail here.
White sands beach is also lovely with facilities and great for surfing and bodyboarding but also can get busy and no dogs are allowed in Summer.
Aberieddy beach it great for rockpooling and bodyboarding and has toilets and an icecream van in the Summer. If you walk up some steps from the beach and turn left, follow the very obvious path to the blue lagoon. This spot is made for pictures, appearing blue as a result of the slate underneath. The lagoon is a good swimming spot for older children as it requires some scrambling to get down into. It is also colder than the adjacent sea to swim in. There is a good spot to jump into the pool but only after testing the temperature of the water with a swim first. I would recommend wetsuits for this swim as there are lots of jagged edges to navigate and when we visited, there were a lot of jellyfish.
Newgale beach is also great for surfing and bodyboarding with lifeguards. There is a camping spot across the road from the beach and toilets. You climb over some pebbles to get to the sandy beach.
Castles
Pembroke castle is well worth a visit. Our kids enjoyed exploring all the nooks and crannies and the bird of prey display.
Reservoirs
Llys y Fran was a favourite site from my university days. It has changed much and has become an excellent location for an active holiday. There is a bike pump track, trail rides, walks, excellent park with stunning views, café, toilets and water activities. This could be a whole weekend trip by itself.
Solva
Solva Harbour is a little gem. Great for walks and canoeing, paddleboarding or crabbing. Walk to café on the quay for an excellent crab sandwich. They did cheese and ham toasties for the kids, ice creams and sold crab nets.
Wildlife
The sea here is a paradise for wildlife spotting, especially for seals and dolphins. There are lots of companies offering tours. We chose to go with one of the companies operating from St David’s Head with trips out to Ramsay Island and Grassholm Island to spot the gannets and sea life.
Skomer Island is great for birdlife, especially puffins.
Other
Our kids enjoyed Heatherton world of adventures but there are also little zoos and activity parks in the area to explore.
Our kids also enjoyed choosing their own beads in the Begelly Bead shop in Narbeth and creating beautiful masterpieces in the evenings.
Accommodation
Camping near Tenby. There are lots of camping and holiday home options.
Highlights
Glowing water
Baby dolphins
Warm water to swim in.
Top tips to keep the kids interested
Bring warm layers, hats and suncream. Even on the warmest of days, it can feel cold, especially after a swim.
Keep walks lengths realistic for your child and plenty of water and snacks to keep them going. Don’t feel bad if you bribe them with treats, they will burn lots of calories exploring.
Useful links:
Llys-y-frân Lake in Pembrokeshire
Heatherton World of Activities, Award-winning fun, Nr Tenby
Finding Family Adventures 
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