An Off-Season Two-Day Itinerary on the Pembrokeshire Coast

Pembrokeshire in high summer is glorious and crowded. Come back in October or late April and it is still glorious, just with more room: empty sand, pitches that are easier to find, and a coastline that feels oddly private. The weekend below is built around one proper walk, one paddle and one campsite base, with deliberate gaps so you can swap the days around when the forecast changes its mind.

Why the shoulder season works here

Autumn and spring give you long, low light and a coast path that is quiet enough to hear choughs calling. Grey seals pup on these shores through the autumn, which is a genuine highlight if you keep your distance. Spring brings the first flowers on the clifftops and seabirds back to the ledges.

What you lose is convenience. Some cafés and campsites shut from November to March, pubs run shorter hours midweek, and the seasonal coastal buses largely stop. The sea is cold all year, but in April it is still close to its winter temperature, so treat any paddling as a cold-water activity rather than a summer one.

Friday evening: pitch up and read the water

Arrive before dark. Get the tent up, then walk to the nearest pub for food rather than cooking in the wind. The useful part of the evening is ten minutes with a tide table and a forecast.

• Tides: note the high and low water times for both days. Launching from a small harbour is far easier in the two or three hours either side of high water.
• Wind: direction matters more than rain. An onshore wind of any strength will make a headland paddle miserable and a lee shore dangerous.
• Plan: give the calmer day to the paddle and the windier day to the walk. Cliffs do not care about a stiff breeze; open water does.

If you are hiring a kayak or paddleboard, ring the centre on Friday to confirm your slot. In shoulder season they often run reduced hours and fewer staff, so a booking made online in June may need rechecking.

Saturday: St Davids Head on foot, Porthclais by water

The walk

Start at Whitesands Bay and follow the coast path north towards Porthmelgan and St Davids Head. It is rough, rocky ground with a couple of hands-on sections, and the return leg is around six miles — allow three to four hours with stops. There is nothing resembling a café out there, so carry water, layers and something to eat. The reward is one of the most ancient-feeling stretches of the whole path: granite outcrops, heather, and views back down the coast towards Ramsey Island.

The paddle

Porthclais is the practical choice for an afternoon on the water. It is a small, near-enough enclosed harbour with a narrow entrance, which makes it forgiving for a first paddle of the year while still giving you a taste of swell once you are outside. Solva, a little further east, works well too and has more shelter in a westerly.

Two rules for off-season paddling here. Wear a wetsuit and a buoyancy aid without arguing about it, and never go alone. Cold water shocks the body fast, and the response is not something you can talk yourself out of. If you are new to it, book a guided session with an outdoor centre in St Davids rather than hiring kit and working it out on the day.

Sunday: a gentler loop at Bosherston and Barafundle

Save the southern end for the morning you have to drive home. Park at the National Trust car park at Bosherston and walk the lily ponds first, crossing the stepping stones and following the boardwalk out towards Broad Haven South. From there the path climbs east to Barafundle, a beach that requires a set of steps and a short walk to reach and is all the better for it.

The whole loop is perhaps four miles and sits lower and more sheltered than the St Davids headland, so it holds up in wind that would ruin the northern cliffs. There are no facilities at Barafundle, and the steps are slippery when wet.

What to book before you go

1. Campsite, first. Ring rather than relying on a website. Several sites close over winter or shut their facilities blocks, and some switch to adults-only.
2. Kayak, paddleboard or guided session. Book by phone the day before and confirm the meeting point and the tide window.
3. Saturday dinner. St Davids and Solva pubs fill quickly on a bright autumn weekend, even out of season.
4. Parking. National Trust car parks at Bosherston and Whitesands can fill on a sunny Saturday; arrive early and pay by app or cash as required.
5. Travel. Trains reach Haverfordwest and Fishguard, but onward coastal buses are largely a summer service. Check timetables before you plan a car-free weekend.

Safety, weather and the practical bits

There is minimal lifeguard cover on these beaches outside the main season, so your group is the safety net. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, and remember that phone signal is patchy in the coves and unreliable on the headland. If something goes wrong on the water, call 999 and ask for the coastguard.

Keep well clear of seals, especially pups, and move away quietly if an animal reacts to you. On National Trust land in spring, keep dogs on leads and on the path where ground-nesting birds are about. Take your litter home, including food waste, and check the forecast again on Saturday evening rather than trusting Friday's version.

None of this needs to be complicated. Pick the calm day for the paddle, keep the walk flexible, and accept that a wet Saturday is a good excuse for a long lunch in Solva before an early night in the tent.

Photo: Tim Heckmann / Pexels