Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
A Wonder Filled Coast
The Pembrokeshire Coast isn’t what you might expect from a National Park. It’s split into four parts, each one with its own quirks and charms.
It’s one of the smallest of the UK’s National Parks but don’t let the size fool you, you’re at the gateway to a range of stunning landscapes. The quality coastline is backed by hills, estuaries, valleys and woodlands just waiting to be discovered.
Key activities
A Walking Wonderland , Activity
With over 600 miles of public footpaths and bridleways, walking is an ideal way to discover the Pembrokeshire Coast’s scenery, wildlife and history.
Wildlife Watching , Activity
Explore the amazing wildlife that makes its home on the Pembrokeshire Coast - not forgetting the exciting array of seasonal wildlife which also visits year after year.
Miles of Golden Sands , Activity
Britain's only truly coastal National Park boasts a variety of beaches. Some are easy to reach and ideal for families, others are less accessible but offer peace and quiet.
Special qualities
5 reasons why the Pembrokeshire Coast is a special place
The Pembrokeshire Coast is the only UK National Park which is primarily designated for its coastal landscape.
It’s one of the smallest UK National Parks, but has one of the most diverse landscapes, covering almost all the Pembrokeshire Coast, every offshore island, the Daugleddau estuary and large areas of the Preseli Hills and the Gwaun Valley.
It’s home to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail – a spectacular 186 mile (299 km) long National Trail covering some of the most varied coastal scenery in Britain.
It is ecologically one of the richest and most diverse parts of Wales and is recognised as of international importance for a wide range of high quality habitats and rare species.
The Park has a rich cultural and built heritage, being home to 286 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and 1234 listed buildings.
Did you know?
The coast with the most
The Pembrokeshire Coast is the home of outdoor adventure for all, from high energy watersports to relaxing walks and wildlife watching, while there’s more to explore indoors if you want to escape the elements.
No visit is complete without a walk on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, but you don’t have to be an experienced explorer to enjoy the route.
The Path passes all the area’s beautiful beaches, links with nearby footpaths and with some stretches accessible to wheelchair users and families with prams and pushchairs, it’s easier than ever to tick this off your bucket and spade list.
Walking the entire route is no mean feat – in fact, the total rise and fall of the Coast Path is over 35,000 feet – greater than the height of Mount Everest.
But there’s no rule to say you’ve got to walk it all. In fact, there are many different ways you can use the Path to discover the Park. You can reduce the route into a series of sections to suit your aims and ability.
Getting around
The Pembrokeshire Coastal Bus Services help locals and visitors get to the coast without having to use a car, travelling along the coast to provide access to walks, beaches, boat trips, local villages and attractions.
💭You might have heard of biodiversity, but what does it actually mean?
It’s the variety of life around us from plants and insects in a meadow to birds, mammals, fungi and the tiny organisms we can’t even see.
But it’s not just a list of species - it’s the intricate web of relationships between them, and our National Parks are home to an incredible diversity of life.
Protecting biodiversity means protecting that web of life.
📸 An adder in @southdownsnp by Simon Watkins.🐍
#Biodiversity #NatureLovers
Could spending more time among trees be good for us?🌳
Research into forests suggests natural compounds called phytoncides could promote a sense of wellbeing and that time spent in woodlands can help decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.
Forest bathing is the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku - which translates as ‘forest bath.’ It’s all about immersing ourselves in nature. Not to get steps in. Not to reach anywhere. Just to feel, be still and be present.
And our National Parks can certainly help. From pine forests and wooded valleys to ancient trees. Our parks are helping people to slow down and reconnect with the natural world every day.
Have you ever tried forest bathing? Tell us below👇
1. Stanmer Woods - @southdownsnp
2. Whinlatter Forest - @lakedistrictnpa
3. Cairngorms National Park @cairngormsnationalpark
4. North York Moors National Park @northyorkmoors
#Mindfulness #ForestBathing #Wellbeing #NationalParks
Has the rain reached you yet? 🌧️
A change in the weather is making its way across our National Parks. And with it comes a different rhythm to the landscape - changing how our surroundings look, sound and feel.
The sound of rain. The smell of wet earth. The air feeling fresher. Wildlife finding shelter.
What do you notice most when the rain arrives?
#RainyDay #BritishWeather #NationalParksUK
They may look like windmills, but in The Broads National Park, they are actually windpumps.
Rather than grinding flour, they were built to pump water from the marshes, helping to drain the land for agriculture and grazing.
Today, these distinctive structures are part of what makes the Broads landscape so recognisable.
And while this is a story from the Broads, it’s one that can be found across all 15 of our National Parks - landscapes shaped by people finding ways to adapt to live and work within their landscape. Something which still remains the case today.
Did you know that one of these mills is said to be haunted? Comment down below which one you think it is 👇
In photograph order:
📍1. St Benets Mill
📍2. Horsey Mill
📍3. Turf Fen Mill
📍4. Thurne Mill
📍5. Bograve Mill
#NorfolkBroads #NationalPark #Windpumps
✨🌙 Look up!
With a partial solar eclipse taking place tonight across the UK, we’re reminded about how important it is for our dark skies to be protected. Our National Parks are home to some of the best places in the UK to enjoy them, due to low levels of light pollution.
These incredible photos capture another recent celestial phenomenon that has been on display for stargazers and is peaking tonight - the Perseid meteor shower.
The sightings were captured in @northyorkmoors - home to one of the UK’s largest areas of protected dark sky.
🌟Tag us in your eclipse photos across our National Parks. Just be sure to follow safe viewing and photography guidance while you snap!
📷 1. Perseid meteor shower at Skelton Tower by Richard Horsman.
📷 2. Milky Way and Perseid meteor shower at Sutton Bank by Russ Norman.
📍North York Moors National Park #DarkSkies #SolarEclipse #Perseid #MeteorShower
Just goats being goats. 🐐
These incredible animals call the Valley of Rocks in @exmoornp home - scaling walls and cliffs, grazing on the rich meadows and, occasionally, blocking the roads!
They’re a wonderful reminder of why our National Parks are so important, providing a home for such a diverse range of wildlife.
Have you ever spotted one?
📷 Exmoor National Park
#ValleyOfRocks #Exmoor #Goats #NationalPark
Look out for us at the cinema. 🎬🌳
Our latest Wild Spaces episode, screening before selected films, takes you to Northumberland National Park. Their team, alongside farmers, landowners and volunteers, is working together to create healthier, more resilient landscapes through woodland creation and hedgerow planting.
It’s a story of partnership, long-term thinking, and the small actions that can have a lasting impact.
Find out more about the project and watch the episode via the link in our bio. 🔗
@northumberlandnationalpark
#WildSpaces #Northumberland #TreePlanting
💭You might have heard of peatland, but what exactly is it and why does it matter so much?
Peatlands are our natural climate allies. They store vast amounts of carbon, support rare wildlife, improve water quality, reduce flood risk and preserve thousands of years of archaeological and cultural history.
Some of the UK`s most important peatlands are found within our National Parks, making them critical places for tackling the climate and nature crises.
Across the UK`s National Parks, peatland restoration projects are helping damaged peatlands recover, benefiting both nature and people.
📍Dartmoor National Park
#NationalParks #Peatlands #NatureRecovery
