Pembrokeshire in August
Mid-August in Pembrokeshire: sunrise around 06:05, sunset around 20:46, giving about 14h 41m of daylight. That is around 2 hours less than mid-July, and it is the evenings that lose most. Because the county sticks so far west into the Atlantic, the sun sets noticeably later here than in London — worth knowing if you are planning an evening on a west-facing beach.
Dogs: the seasonal window is open. Between 1 May and 30 September, 10 of the beaches we cover have a restriction we can state as fact — Broad Haven, Caerfai Bay, Coppet Hall, Freshwater East, Little Haven, Manorbier Bay and 4 more. A further 5 are zoned: one end welcomes dogs all year while the bathing area does not, which is why "dog friendly" on its own tells you nothing. 5 are open across the whole beach whatever the month — Abereiddi & the Blue Lagoon, Barafundle Bay, Broad Haven South, Freshwater West and Marloes Sands.
Being straight about the rest: for 15 we have found no restriction but have not had that confirmed, and for 10 we genuinely cannot tell you either way. We would rather say so than round them up into a number that looks more authoritative. Read the sign at the access point — it is the authority, not this page.
Peak season, and it shows: Tenby and Saundersfoot are genuinely busy, car parks fill by mid-morning at the popular beaches, and accommodation books a long way ahead. The trade is that everything is open, lifeguards are on the main beaches, and the water is about as warm as it gets here. Arrive early or go late, and use the beaches without a car park beside them.
Lifeguards. 8 of the beaches we cover are lifeguarded in season — Broad Haven, Dale Beach, Newgale Sands, Poppit Sands, Saundersfoot Beach, Tenby North Beach and 2 more. Cover is seasonal and the RNLI sets the dates each year; we do not publish those dates because we cannot verify them from a feed, so check the RNLI listing for the beach before relying on it. Everywhere else, you are swimming unpatrolled.
Beaches and dogs in August
Restrictions run 1 May – 30 September. Where a beach is only partly restricted, the bathing area is the part that is closed — the ends are usually still open.
Open all year, whole beach (5)
Restricted right now (10)
- Broad Haven — Main beach restricted 1 May – 30 September; dogs welcome the rest of the year.
- Caerfai Bay — Seasonal restriction applies 1 May – 30 September; check the signs at the top of the steps.
- Coppet Hall — Dogs restricted in season on the bathing beach — the tunnels path itself is dog-friendly.
- Freshwater East — Seasonal restriction applies 1 May – 30 September on the main beach; check local signs.
- Little Haven — Seasonal restriction applies to the beach 1 May – 30 September; check the signs at the slipway.
- Manorbier Bay — Dogs restricted on the main bathing area in season; welcome October–April and on fringes — check signage.
- Saundersfoot Beach — Dogs restricted on the main beach 1 May – 30 September.
- Tenby Castle Beach — Seasonal restriction applies 1 May – 30 September on the main bathing area; check the signs.
- Tenby North Beach — Dogs restricted on the main bathing area in season (May–Sep); harbour end rules differ — check signage.
- Whitesands Bay (Porth Mawr) — Dogs restricted 1 May – 30 September; welcome the rest of the year.
Zoned — one end open, one end not (5)
- Amroth Beach — Western end welcomes dogs all year; eastern bathing section restricted in season.
- Newgale Sands — Central section restricted 1 May – 30 Sep; northern and southern ends welcome dogs all year.
- Newport Sands (Traeth Mawr) — Dogs welcome all year on the main beach; seasonal rules apply near the estuary/Parrog side — check signage.
- Poppit Sands — Zoned: restrictions on the main bathing area in season; estuary end year-round — check signage.
- Tenby South Beach — Northern (town) section restricted in season; southern stretch towards Giltar welcomes dogs all year.
No restriction found, unconfirmed (15)
We cannot tell you either way (10)
Policies are recorded per beach from the managing authority’s own signage and published rules. Grouped this finely because the underlying information genuinely has these states — a beach we have confirmed as restricted and a beach where a restriction merely might apply are different answers, and flattening them into one number would look more authoritative while being less true. If a sign on the day says otherwise, the sign wins.
What’s on in August
Annual fixtures we hold dates or timings for. Always confirm with the organiser before travelling — dates move, and we say when we last checked.
Pembrokeshire County Show
The county's agricultural show at Withybush: cattle lines, showjumping, food halls and a main ring, over two days in mid-August.
mid-August, midweek · Shows & agricultural
Cilgerran Coracle Regatta
Round hide-and-lath boats raced on the Teifi under a castle, in one of the last places in Britain where coracles were properly worked.
a Saturday in August · Community
Regatta and Raft Race Season
FreeDinghy racing, rowing, swimming races and homemade rafts sinking in front of a crowd. Every harbour village has a version.
July and August, individual dates by village · Sport
RNLI Lifeboat Days
FreeBoathouse open, crew talking, and an all-weather lifeboat launched down the slipway in front of you.
through the summer, individual dates by station · Community
Heather on the Preseli Hills
FreeLate summer turns the Preseli ridge purple. Empty hills, Bronze Age cairns and the source of the Stonehenge bluestones.
August into September · Walking