Croesgoch

Croesgoch is a functional village at a crossroads on the main St Davids to Fishguard road, and nobody would call it picturesque. What it is, is extremely well placed. From here Abereiddi and the Blue Lagoon are about ten minutes, Porthgain five to ten, Whitesands Bay and St Davids fifteen, Newgale twenty and Fishguard twenty. If you want to sample the whole north-west coast without repeatedly driving forty minutes each way, this is the sort of place experienced visitors quietly book.

The village has a pub, a garage, a small shop and a scatter of housing along the main road, plus a good spread of campsites, farm cottages and holiday parks in the surrounding fields — this is one of the denser pockets of self-catering supply in north Pembrokeshire, which also means better availability and better value than the harbour villages a couple of miles away.

Be clear about what it is not. There is no beach here, no harbour, no coastal view from the village, and the A487 runs straight through it carrying summer traffic. You will drive to everything. But the lanes north to Llanrhian, Trefin and the coast are quick, the surrounding countryside is quietly attractive, and for a family who want a cottage with parking and a garden as a launchpad rather than a destination in itself, Croesgoch does the job better than most.

Farm conversions and cottages in the lanes around the village are the mainstay — gardens, parking, frequently hot tubs, and space for larger groups. Campsites and holiday parks nearby add budget options. Village properties put a pub and a shop in walking distance, which is more than many prettier places manage.

On the A487 between St Davids and Fishguard, so access is unusually easy for this coast. Fishguard Harbour station is about twenty minutes by car.