Pembrokeshire in July

Mid-July in Pembrokeshire: sunrise around 05:19, sunset around 21:34, giving about 16h 15m of daylight. Day length is changing slowly now, near the turn of the year's swing. 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 Cover is seasonal and the RNLI sets the dates each year; we do not publish those dates because we cannot verify them from a feed, so check the RNLI listing for the beach before relying on it.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.