Why visit Pembrokeshire
Blue Flag beaches
Britain’s only coastal national park? Check. More clean-beach awards than any other UK county? Check. Swathes of towering cliffs with spectacular sea views? Check! It’s no wonder travellers can’t keep away from the coast when camping in Pembrokeshire. There are 50 beaches to bounce between in this sea-skimming county, but pristine Barafundle Bay and Whitesands are among the best. For more detailed information about all the beaches in Pembrokeshire visit coastradar.com
The coastal path
If it’s not sunbathing weather, soak up the scenery from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. There’s 186 miles of it to amble along altogether, and one of the most scenic stretches is near the Stack Rocks carpark. Get a glimpse of the Green Bridge, a natural arch, and watch seabirds – from guillemots to razorbills – soar around the limestone pillars poking out of the water. After a hard day/hour of hiking, you can jump on the coastal bus service home to your Pembrokeshire campsite.
Thrill-seeking activities
Coasteering was invented in this Welsh county, so it’s well worth trying the extreme sport when camping in Pembrokeshire. On an organised tour, you’ll make your way from one point to another, clambering across rocks, caves and shorelines as you go. Top off heart-racing pursuits by diving into the turquoise-coloured Blue Lagoon, a flooded slate quarry with the same name as a local waterpark, before returning to your pitch or camping pod in Pembrokeshire for a hard-earned nap.
Kid-friendly attractions
Whisking the kids off to Wales? There are ample attractions for younger travellers when camping in Pembrokeshire, including Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo. Find the family’s fave exotic critter at the zoo – more than 750 creatures live here – or have close encounters with barnyard animals. Thrill-seeking children can get stuck into the go-karts, high ropes trails, escape rooms and playzone at Heatherton World of Adventures.
Things to see and do in Pembrokeshire
- Stay at campsites near St Davids and eye up the handsome cathedral in Britain’s smallest city
- Visit the Trappist monks on Caldey Island (and test out their homemade cheese and chocolate)
- See kittiwakes, fulmars and peregrine falcons on a boat tour of Ramsey Island’s wildlife haven
- Admire the pretty paintbox-bright houses in the walled seaside town of Tenby
- Whizz along on the wooden Megafobia rollercoaster at Oakwood Theme Park
Unexplored Pembrokeshire
The Preseli Hills
With the coast so high in demand, your best bet for finding peaceful Pembrokeshire campsites is to turn inland to the Preseli Hills. On clear days, you can peer all the way across the water to the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. The stones of Stonehenge are said to derive from here – but how people managed to transport them 180 miles away to Wiltshire in England, no one really knows. Immerse yourself in history by hunting for all the Neolithic burial chambers, Iron Age hill forts and stone circles scattered around.
Poet’s corner
One of Wales’ most well-known poets, Dylan Thomas, lived in Laugharne – a lovely market town on the Taf Estuary – till he died in 1953. Peer through the glass window of his teeny-tiny writing shed and visit the house he resided in; it’s now a museum with a tasty tearoom and eye-popping views over the water. The medieval Laugharne Castle is also worth a look.
First-rate castles
Speaking of castles, there are several to chuck on the list when camping in Pembrokeshire. Carew Castle has the only remaining Tidal Mill and Causeway left in the country, while the sea-facing Manorbier Castle was once described by renaissance man Giraldus Cambrensis as "the pleasantest spot in Wales". Pop to Pembroke Castle as well to see the nation’s biggest map and the largest painting in the whole of the UK.
Here’s how
Got your heart set on a holiday at a campsite in Pembrokeshire? Take a look at all the options on this page (just scroll up) or use the filters – there's everything from family-friendly parks to those that welcome dogs. And while you can’t go wild camping in Pembrokeshire, you can flock to a simple farm campsite and get a similar sort of off-grid experience. Or level up on luxury with a glamping break.
As well as places to put up a tent, we’ve got caravan sites, camping pods and seasonal touring pitches in Pembrokeshire, along with these top options:
* Sites in Pembrokeshire with campfires allowed
* Electric pitches at Pembrokeshire campsites
* Pembrokeshire campsites with a play area
* Campsites with bars or clubhouses in Pembrokeshire
Thinking of extending your trip or trying somewhere new? For a quieter stretch of coast, go north to the next county over, Ceredigion. Or east for a break near Cardiff, the mini but mighty capital of Wales, in Glamorgan.
But before setting off, glance through our camping guide for advice on everything from budget glamping to buying a tent.
