Things to do outdoors in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is where coasteering was invented, and the rest of it — surf, sea kayaks, wild swimming, boat trips out to the islands — followed the same coastline. These pages cover what each thing is actually like here, where to do it, when the season runs, and the parts nobody mentions until you're standing on the beach.
On the water
Coasteering
Swimming, scrambling and jumping along the foot of a sea cliff — invented on the St Davids coast in the 1980s and still best done there.
April to October · No experience needed
Surfing
Pembrokeshire picks up Atlantic swell on three sides — Freshwater West and Newgale for the waves, Whitesands for learning.
March to October · No experience needed
Paddleboarding
Sheltered bays, a huge tidal waterway and calm early mornings — Pembrokeshire suits paddleboarding better than almost anywhere in Wales.
May to September · No experience needed
Sea Kayaking
Cliffs, caves, islands and some of the strongest tidal races in Britain — the best sea kayaking in Wales, and the least forgiving.
April to October · Some experience helps
Sailing
One of the finest natural harbours in Europe, a sheltered dinghy bay at Dale, and cruising grounds that run out to the islands.
April to September · Some experience helps
Windsurfing and Kitesurfing
Newgale is the county's wind beach, Dale the sheltered flat-water option — and Pembrokeshire is rarely short of wind.
April to October · Some experience helps
Wild Swimming
Sheltered bays, a flooded slate quarry and water that never really warms up — sea swimming here is superb and needs treating seriously.
May to October · No experience needed
Scuba Diving and Snorkelling
Kelp forests, wrecks and the marine protected water around Skomer — cold, tidal, and among the best diving in Britain when it is on.
May to September · Some experience helps
Sea Fishing
Bass off the surf beaches, mackerel from the harbour walls and wreck trips out of the waterway — with a coast that punishes carelessness on rock.
May to November · No experience needed
On land
Coarse and Game Fishing
Two Cleddau rivers, the Teifi for sewin, and a reservoir in the shadow of the Preselis — quiet fishing that most visitors never notice.
March to October · Some experience helps
Horse Riding
Trekking centres run beach rides, hill treks and lead-rein sessions across the county — the Preselis are the quiet, spectacular option.
All year · No experience needed
Cycling and Mountain Biking
Traffic-free railway paths, two National Cycle Network routes and purpose-built mountain bike trails at Llys-y-fran.
All year · Some experience helps
Rock Climbing
Some of the best sea cliff trad climbing in Britain, on south coast limestone — governed by tides, nesting birds and a live firing range.
April to October · Experienced only
Wildlife
A word on operators
We don't take commission from activity providers and we don't rank them. Where a page lists businesses, it's because they're the right kind of business near the spots we've named — a “these exist nearby” list, not a recommendation. Always check qualifications, insurance and group sizes yourself before you book something that puts you in the sea.