Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Area Guide

While many of the UK’s 15 national parks are home to gorgeous stretches of coastline and beautiful beaches, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the only one that’s entirely centred around coastal views. 

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is by far the smallest of the three national parks in Wales – at around 240 square miles (621 km2) it’s roughly half the size of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) and less than a third of the size of Eryri (Snowdonia). Despite its relatively small area, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park – perhaps unsurprisingly – has the longest coastline of any UK national park, measuring a huge 260 miles (418 km).

So why was Pembrokeshire chosen to become the location of the UK’s only coastal national park when it was established in 1952? Well, to put it simply – it’s spectacularly beautiful. With sweeping sandy beaches and craggy cliffs, plus the green landscapes of the Preseli Hills, there’s so much stunning scenery to take in here – and plenty of wildlife to spot too. This gorgeous area really lends itself to all sorts of outdoor activities, so our Pembrokeshire Coast National Park guide covers everything from cycling to watersports as well as giving you tips for family holidays and accessible attractions.

Where is the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park?

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is on the west coast of Wales, and covers almost the entirety of the county’s coast as well as a couple of inland areas. Rather than being one continuous area, the park is split into four main sections and also encompasses several islands including Skomer and Ramsey Island (both well known as wildlife havens).

This is the far west of Wales, so it’s fairly remote – the nearest motorway is more than 30 miles away, but there are a couple of A roads serving the park. It’s also possible to get to the Pembrokeshire coast on direct trains from London, Cardiff and Swansea to stations including Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock and Tenby. From here you can pick up coastal bus services to other locations, including the park’s only city, St David’s (which also holds the title of the UK’s smallest city).

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Measuring 186 miles (299 km) and running along the full length of the Pembrokeshire coastline from Amroth to St Dogmaels, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path became the first National Trail in Wales when it opened in 1970. It later became part of the Wales Coast Path when it opened in 2012, making Wales the only country in the world to have a public path running along its entire coastline.

Marked with distinctive acorn signposts, it’s usually fairly easy to follow the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, whether you’re planning a short seaside stroll or a longer hike. Keen hikers can usually complete the trail in a couple of weeks, choose a shorter section for a few days’ walking, or pick a single section for a day hike – all the info you need, including places to stay along the way, is on our Pembrokeshire Coast Path hiking page, and you can see more on the national park’s website. 

For shorter walks that include part of the coast path, read our guide to walks in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

Things to do in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

There’s a huge amount of things to see and do in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Of course, you’ll want to see a lot of that stunning scenery – either on walks or bike rides – and you’ll probably want to seek out some of Pembrokeshire’s best beaches as well. 

After that, it’s up to you – perhaps you’d like to dip into Pembrokeshire’s history and culture with a visit to somewhere like Carew Castle, treat the kids to a day at Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo or get out on a wildlife-spotting boat trip. With fishing, horse riding, coasteering and surfing also on the menu there’s plenty of outdoor activity to choose from. 

Given the fabulous scenery, it’s no surprise to hear that camping is hugely popular in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park too – if you’d like to try staying in the outdoors, check out Pitchup’s full collection of Pembrokeshire Coast campsites, or treat yourselves to something more comfortable with a glamping break near the coast.