What should we do/avoid on our holiday to Pembrokeshire?

[IMissTheLittleBluePackets]

Hey folks,

We are off to Broadhaven, Pembrokeshire next month and I'm looking for your recommendations for things to do please!

We have a four year old boy and a newborn. I'm thinking about a boat trip to Skomer to see the puffins, and a wildlife park or two for DD1. Are there any nice water parks around? We all love a good splash around.

Also, what was a waste of time for you? What would you recommend we avoid?

Folly Farm is a good day out. St davids and then whitesands, they have a cafe and icecream. Fish and chips at the Shed in Porthgain. They do have a trampoline park in Haverfordwest if the weather is awful. Pembroke castle is lovely and the lake below had little rowing boats you can hire. The coast where you are is beautiful so explore. Newgale is a huge beach where people surf, not much there but a good cafe. Remember boat trips can be chilly so wrap up but they are worth it. We do not have a water park but Heatherton worth a look. Pointz farm near Broadhaven is a great place for icecream and lots of choice. Further up the coast Newport is lovely with a good beach and nice cafes. If you do this you could go to Pentre Ifan to see the standing stones. Enjoy!

I wouldn't do Skomer island with young children. There are lots of steps and you have to stay on the island for four hours, lots of birds but only a bird hide and two toilets . There are boat trips around the island if you want to see puffins

I LOVE that part of the world. Definitely Folly Farm. It’s 40 minutes from Broadhaven to Tenby so squeeze in a Tenby trip if you can, it’s the best, and they do amazing boat trips.
Milford Haven is also lovely for food and Waterston Park in Milford Haven is great as well

Barafundle Bay for sure. Beautiful for a beach day

Pembroke Castle is fantastic - maybe better for older children but I think the sheer scale will impress little ones.

Manorbier Castle, Tenby for beaches and seaside tat, Folly Farm

Heatherton and Manor Wildlife Park. I agree don't do Skomer, lots of steps and the paths are not pushchair friendly.

Skomer has no facilities at all, just a drop down toilet,no shops or cafes and the stairs are very steep . It is wonderful to see the puffins but you also have to be very careful on the pathways as they nest in burrows underground , if you stray off the path way it is easy to put your foot through a burrow and hurt yourself and damage a nest, so a 4 year old cant really run around and baby would have to be in a sling as not suitable for pushchairs.

Ooh lovely. We go every year with DS (5). This year we are stopping in Little Haven next door to Broadhaven. For Broadhaven there is a lovely playground (quite big) - if you google it it's called Broadhaven playground. I'd recommend a trip to Little Haven too when the tide is out, lovely little cove with lots of rock pools - DS loved catching crabs and collecting shells - when the tide is out it is possible to walk along the beach from Little haven to broadhaven. There's a lovely cafe on the front and the castle pub which overlooks the beach, has a garden too over looking beach. Perfect with kids. My DS loved Dr beynons bug farm - he is obsessed with bugs though. I'm sure out of school holidays it's only open on weekends. We went to Folly Farm and DS enjoyed it but I thought it was disappointing - also take a packed lunch because the canteen is horrible. We didn't go anywhere else but I think there's a place called clerkenhill adventure farm that looks good - soft play, crazy golf etc.

Oh and eat at Rwts in Broadhaven, really good food including tapas like dishes

We went to Manorbier Castle on a day that it was closed for a wedding...check their social media if you head there!
Pembrokeshire is lovely! Especially when the sun shines.

We did a boat trip around skomer when we stayed in broadhaven and saw loads of puffins. I agree would be better than going on the island with young kids. Our kids were older when we went to broad haven some visited Dom less accessible beaches that I wouldn't do with a newborn, but broad haven itself is very family friendly, and neighbouring little haven.

Further afield Folly farm is fab for those ages, but we also enjoyed Manor wildlife park (you can feed wallabies, which was a highlight for my older kids). Love Tenby for an explore And beaches too. And manobier is a pretty beach with castle and stream I remember kids playing in. We didn't visit them from broadhaven though so not sure how long it would take.

Broadhaven to Tenby is about 45 minutes. You are much closer to the st davids, Fishguard bit of coast.

Folly Farm is amazing, I also like getting the boat from Tenby to Caldey Island and then hanging out on the beach there - we often have it completely to ourselves. While in Tenby the lifeboat station may be worth a look around as well.