Sea Môr Aquarium at Ocean Lab

The Ocean Lab building on Goodwick seafront houses Sea Môr Aquarium, run by the marine conservation charity Sea Trust Wales — the same people whose volunteers have logged porpoise sightings off Strumble Head for decades. The tanks hold local water and local animals: tompot blennies, lobsters, rays and rockpool characters from the very coast outside the window, which lands better with children than any tropical display.

It's a small, honest, charity-run hour rather than a mega-attraction — priced accordingly, with a café attached and the Parrog seafront to run along afterwards. Opening days vary seasonally; check Sea Trust's site before a special trip.

Pair it with Goodwick Sands, the Last Invasion Tapestry five minutes away in Fishguard, or porpoise-spotting for real at Strumble Head — the wild sequel to the tanks.