St Davids

St Davids is a city by virtue of its cathedral and a village in every other respect: one main square, a handful of streets, and the magnificent 12th-century cathedral of Wales's patron saint hidden in the river hollow below, beside the romantic ruin of the Bishop's Palace. Pilgrims have come for 1,400 years; two pilgrimages here were once worth one to Rome.

The setting outdoes even the building. The St Davids peninsula is the national park at its best — Whitesands Bay (surf, sand, Blue Flag), the rocky mini-mountain of Carn Llidi, St Non's clifftop chapel and well, and boat trips from St Justinians across Ramsey Sound, where the tide races past seal colonies and seabird cliffs. Coasteering was invented on this coast, and the outdoor centres in town will take you scrambling, jumping and swimming along it.

The city itself has more food, galleries and life than its size has any right to support — seafood, good pubs, Really Wild produce — but it stays calm in the evenings. This is the base for the north coast: wilder, quieter and, on a summer evening on Whitesands with the sun going down behind Ramsey, arguably the most beautiful place in Wales.

In the city for walk-to-dinner ease; the lanes towards Whitesands and Caerfai for sea air and paths from the door; Solva (ten minutes east) if you want a harbour village. Book far ahead for summer — supply is small and demand is not.