Family-Friendly Things To Do in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

If you’re planning on visiting the Pembrokeshire coast for a holiday, you’ve made a great choice. There’s a huge variety of family-friendly things to do here, from kicking back on beautiful beaches to wildlife watching, clifftop walks and historic buildings to explore.

Our guide to the best family-friendly activities in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park takes in everything from vintage fairgrounds to wallaby stroking, with medieval dungeons, sculpture trails and surfing lessons thrown in, along with lots of useful information to help you make the most of your trip. 

Outdoor adventures

Barafundle Bay

With a swathe of golden sand that’s perfect for sandcastle building, plus dunes and pine woods to explore and clean, clear water to swim in, this beautiful beach on the National Trust’s Stackpole Estate is a great choice for a family day out. It’s accessible only on foot via a 20-minute stroll along the coast path from the car park at nearby Stackpole Quay and there are no facilities here, but its seclusion is a big part of its charm and it’s regularly voted one of the best beaches in the UK. Just remember that you'll need to bring all your kit with you (picnic, drinking water and beach toys included), and take all your litter home with you. 

It’s hard to imagine kids getting bored here, but if you’re feeling adventurous, it’s also possible to book coasteering and kayaking trips from the harbour at Stackpole Quay, which also has a tearoom and toilets. Barafundle is dog friendly too, so four-pawed family members can join the fun.

Family walks on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

One of the jewels in the crown of the national park, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs for 186 miles from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south, with fabulous views of dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, historic sites and beaches all the way. We’re not suggesting that you hike the whole thing with your children, of course, but wherever you are in the park, there’s always an opportunity to enjoy a family walk and a picnic, with the chance to spot local wildlife, seals and seabirds en route, and you can always hop on the coastal bus service if anyone gets tired.

Visit Pembrokeshire has a comprehensive guide to the path to help you find a suitable stretch for a walk. To get you started, our suggestions for the best family walks here include:

• Amroth to Saundersfoot – an easy 3.5-mile walk with gentle gradients, this stretch links two sandy beaches, with plenty of family-friendly amenities at either end and rock pools to explore on the way.

• St Govan’s Head – this short walk along the clifftop to the old coastguard station at St Govan's Head follows a flat, easy path with fabulous coastal views. Look out for guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes on the way, and don’t forget to pay a visit to St Govan’s Chapel, a historic site hidden in a cleft in the cliff.

• Pwllgwaelod Beach to Cwm-yr-Eglwys – this gentle 1.3-mile walk crosses the Ynys Dinas headland through a wooded glacial valley, with the chance to spot seals in the sheltered coves at either end and great views of the coastline.

The coast path is peppered with beautiful places to visit, and the possibilities are endless. For a few more family-friendly suggestions, check out the national park’s Walks For All page.

Whitesands Bay

Whitesands is a popular and easily accessible Blue Flag beach close to St Davids. It's another great choice for families, with rock pools, a huge area of sand ideal for beach games and kite flying, convenient toilets and a café where you can grab some lunch or an ice cream. There are lifeguards on duty in the summer, and older children can try their hand at surfing and bodyboarding, with lessons available and equipment to rent. If they still have energy to burn, the short stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path leading to St Davids Head has fabulous coastal views.

Tip: Arrive early to grab a space in the small car park, or just catch the Celtic Coaster shuttle bus to the beach.

Educational attractions

St Davids Cathedral

Built in 1181 on a site dating back to the 6th century – believed to have been where St David established a monastery – St Davids Cathedral includes a shrine to Wales’ patron saint and has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century. It’s a significant spiritual, architectural and historic site with deep links to Welsh heritage, and a fascinating place for families to explore on a rainy day.

A visit here will let you learn more about the saint’s life, as well as spotting some beautiful Norman and Gothic architectural features. Look out for the elaborate 16th-century ceiling carved from Welsh oak, a beautiful rose window, and medieval floor tiles beside the altar decorated with historic coats of arms. You can also explore the cloisters, a treasury housing precious ecclesiastical relics, an exhibition in the restored gatehouse that traces the building's history, and the ruins of the adjacent Bishop’s Palace.

The building is open to visitors Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm, and between 1pm and 3pm on Sundays. It also hosts occasional tours, art exhibitions and family activities, and a popular classical music festival every May. Details of all these events are available on the St Davids Cathedral website.

Pembroke Castle

Set beside a tranquil mill pond, Pembroke’s well-preserved medieval castle dates back to the 11th century, and a visit here has plenty to keep every member of the family interested. 

Inside, you can explore a maze of tunnels, stairs, towers and battlements, venture into the dramatic circular Great Keep and gaze up 80 feet to its impressive domed roof, then climb the stone steps for views over the town and surrounding countryside. You can see a medieval gaol from the 13th century in the Dungeon Tower and, perhaps best of all for kids, descend a spiral staircase to Wogan’s Cavern, a huge subterranean cave beneath the castle (look out for the bats).

The Gatehouse hosts exhibitions, with paintings, models and interactive exhibits on life throughout the castle’s history, including a siege by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, and outside in the grounds children can run around on the Great Map, which documents the location of every castle and religious landmark in Wales. 

Free guided tours run throughout the day, and during the summer there’s a regular programme of events, including falconry displays, Knight Schools (where kids can dress up and learn skills like sword fighting), historical reenactments and outdoor theatre productions. Full details are available on the castle’s events page.

Scolton Manor Park

Just outside the park near Haverfordwest, the Victorian mansion at Scolton Manor Park is well worth a detour if you’re visiting Pembrokeshire with your children.

The house itself is home to the Pembrokeshire County Museum, with exhibitions exploring Welsh country life, period furnishings, curious 19th-century domestic artefacts and many notable paintings. 

Outside, there’s a pretty walled garden, but we think the best attractions for families are in the beautiful surrounding parkland and woods. These are home to a free 1km mountain bike track, pirate- and eco-themed play areas, a sculpture trail with carved figures of dragons, King Arthur and creatures from Welsh legends, and an original steam train to climb on.

The manor’s focus on sustainability also takes in wildflower meadows, a beekeeping centre where kids can learn how honey is made, a bird hide where you can look out for tawny owls and peregrine falcons, and an enclosure where you can meet farm animals including sheep, chickens, rabbits and pigs. Educational, sustainable and fun – sounds like a winner to us.

Wildlife encounters

Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo

On the edge of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in Begelly, Folly Farm has a wealth of exciting attractions to delight children of all ages.

With a focus on animal conservation and education, the farm’s zoo is home to an impressive range of exotic animals, including lions, penguins, rare black rhinos, Wales’ only giraffes and a family of meerkats. There’s a regular farm too, which you can explore by tractor, with a barn where you can meet farmyard animals including goats, miniature ponies, alpacas, pigs and rabbits, and you can even feed baby lambs (for an extra fee).

If you fancy a little more action, try the fairground full of lovingly restored vintage rides including a big wheel, 1950s dodgems, a waltzer, a ghost train and, of course, a musical carousel. There are also eight different indoor and outdoor play areas with things like electric go-karts, pedal-powered tractors and diggers to drive, and lots of stuff to climb on. 

Tip: Opening times can vary through the year, so check online before you go – there's also a discount if you book in advance online.

Welsh Wildlife Centre and Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve

On the Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve just outside Cardigan, the Welsh Wildlife Centre (Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm, free to visit) isn't quite within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, but it's a great place for families to learn more about the area's natural environment.

Inside, there are exhibitions and films about all the local wildlife, a learning-through-play area with colouring, drawing and quizzes for children, and live webcams of both the local avian residents and the puffins on Skomer Island.

Outside, there are four themed nature trails through the rivers, ponds, woodland and meadows on the reserve (including some you can follow by bike), leading to bird hides and observation points where you can look out for kingfishers, otters and wading birds. Binoculars and ‘explorer backpacks’ are available to hire. 

If you want to get closer to the action, you can rent a canoe to paddle through the reeds, and a willow maze and an adventure play area help keep younger children occupied. Alongside all this, the centre also hosts regular summer events including craft workshops, pond dipping and guided walks. Full details are available on their events page.

Manor Wildlife Park

This wildlife park near Tenby has a focus on conservation and animal welfare, and its USP is the chance to get up close to many of the animals in specially constructed walk-through enclosures. If you ever wanted to stroke a wallaby, hang out with a lemur or watch a gibbon swinging through the trees, Manor Wildlife Park is the place for you. Other naturalistic enclosures house zebras, ostriches and meerkats, among others, and if you’re prepared to splash out, there’s a range of ‘keeper experiences’ on offer where you can get even closer, including the chance to feed the park’s Sumatran tigers.

There’s a café and restaurant on site, plus picnic areas throughout the park. A huge indoor soft play area with a bouncy castle is also on hand to help kids burn a bit of energy before the journey home.

Fun-filled events and festivals

Pembrokeshire Fish Week

Held every year in late June/early July, the annual Pembrokeshire Fish Week celebrates the park’s maritime heritage and the local seafood industry. Events take place throughout the region and include craft workshops, coastal foraging trips, art and craft sessions and river cruises. Restaurants and cafes showcase local delicacies with special cooking demonstrations and tastings for foodies.

If you love a crab lunch, find shellfish hard to resist or just want to tuck into the freshest plate of fish and chips you're ever likely to come across, this is the event for you. Full details of all the activities and participating businesses are published on the festival website each year as the event approaches.

Pembrokeshire County Show

Attracting around 100,000 visitors every year, the Pembrokeshire County Show, held in August every year at the County Showground near Haverfordwest, is Pembrokeshire’s biggest agricultural showcase. Alongside traditional livestock classes and competitions for animals, horticulture and crafts, there’s a packed programme of activities and live entertainment including a circus and a funfair, displays of vintage vehicles, dog agility classes, bird-of-prey demonstrations, live music and dance performances, as well as stalls selling food, delicious Welsh produce and work by local artisans.

The show is a great way to meet the local community and to learn more about an industry that's been central to life in the park for centuries. Full details of all events and activities, and a link for discounted tickets, are available on the show’s website.

 

Whether you want to build sandcastles, cycle through a nature reserve, ride the waves or meet a giraffe, there’s no end of family activities to choose from on the Pembrokeshire coast. If you'd bring an extra sense of adventure to your family break, take a look at Pitchup's collection of the best Pembrokeshire campsites and brush up on the best way to build a campfire – this is a great place to have a memorable outdoor stay.