Family activities and breaks in Pembrokeshire

Coasteering was invented in Pembrokeshire, and our favourite home-grown watersport has spread all around the Welsh coast. No family holiday is complete without a shared adventure (minimum age is usually eight): a blend of shore-scrambling, swell-riding, nature-watching and, if you’re brave, cliff-jumping. Adventure Beyond set out from various locations including Ceibwr, a tiny cove, beloved of smugglers, in the wildest and least-visited stretch of Pembrokeshire National Park coastline. As a bonus, a huge collapsed sea cave, the Witches' Cauldron, is a short walk down the coast.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path was ranked by National Geographic as one of the world’s best distance walks, but its 186 miles (300km) is easily broken up into manageable chunks. The stretch between Abereiddi and Porthgain is a good example: at one end there’s the Blue Lagoon, an old slate quarry that’s been spectacularly swamped by the sea; at the other is a pretty harbour with a truly epic fish and chip restaurant, The Shed Bistro. In the middle, steep steps lead down to the gorgeous cliff-backed beach at Traeth Llyfn.

Riding a horse through the surf is one of those bucket-list experiences, and the vast beach at Pendine Beach is pretty much the perfect place to tick it off. Nearby Marros Riding Centre has plenty of off-road riding for novice riders to try out a woodland trek. For experienced riders, they offer beach rides - it’s an exhilarating blow in the saddle at low tide – the going is good, so horses are more confident to canter. 

Stand up paddleboarding, that’s what. Head to the seaside village of Saundersfoot to explore the stunning coast and estuary from an alternative angle. The sheltered bay is perfect for paddleboarders of all levels. You can book lessons with Outer Reef.

Skomer and Skokholm islands lie just off the southern tip of St Brides Bay, and together make up one of the world’s most important sites for sea birds. You can see a lot of the action from a walk around the Deer Park on the headland, and also glimpse a third island, Grassholm, gleaming on the horizon (the white ‘gleam’ is actually gannet poo). But to get close to the action, a boat trip around Skomer is the way to go. It’s most popular during the puffin season (May to July) but there are also seals, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks to spot.

Fishermen who come for premier-league sea-fishing trips from Milford Haven and Pembroke dismiss mackerel as kids’ stuff. Exactly. While a crab line in the pretty harbour is fine, there’s more family fun to be had on a fishing trip in Tenby – you don’t need to book nor have any skill with a rod. Fishermen sail daily in summer and provide lines to dangle in the calm bay off Caldey Island. So, there’s no gear to buy nor messy bait to hook (mackerel fishing is with a lure), just an odds-on chance of a line twitching with silver-blue fish. If you’re game there might also be barbecued fish for lunch. Yum.

The Welsh coast can be fantastic fun and provides great opportunities for adventurous activities, but please read up on the risks and make sure you are prepared.

• Follow these tips from the RNLI for staying safe on the Welsh coast.
• Visit AdventureSmart.uk for further information on how to stay safe whilst exploring Wales.