We all have something that draws us to explore Wales, whether it’s nature or culture, a sense of adventure or of pure curiosity. In this one very small country, there’s so much to do and see, and it’s no wonder everyone has a different favourite destination.
St David’s, or Tyddewi in Welsh, is one place that can’t fail to hit the spot. The birthplace and resting place of Wales’ patron saint, it boasts a mix of awe-inspiring religious history and access to some of Britain’s most beautiful natural places. Read on for our recommendations of the ten best activities you really shouldn’t miss when visiting Britain’s smallest city.
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Photo Credits
Photos of Whitesands Bay, Newgale Beach, St Non, Solva and Blue Lagoon, as well as select photos of Ramsey Islands (aerial view, boat approaching the island), St Davids (Oriel y Parc) and Wales Coast Path (sign, three men walking), are from the Wales Asset database. © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2022) Cymru Wales. Additional credits can be found on individual photos.
All the other remaining photos are property of Mathieu Gasquet / We Travel Wales.
1. Experience the Stunning Cathedral
If there’s one thing tiny St David’s is known for, it’s the cathedral. The breath-taking building was constructed on the site of a monastery earlier built by St David himself, and today it remains a living, working site of religious worship and community gathering.
Wandering around the site gives a sense of real peace, and the interior of the main church is a great spot for history nuts. It’s full of interesting information about the architecture and artefacts, plaques explaining aspects of St David’s life and teachings, and even Welsh poetry provided in both languages. Did you know that two pilgrimages to St David’s were once considered the religious equivalent of one pilgrimage to Rome?!
Visiting the cathedral – be it for a service or just to look around – is completely free, but donations are encouraged to support its upkeep. Plus, you should make sure you’ve got cash in your pockets so you can stop off at the café on your way out for a snack or for lunch. It’s run by Mamgu Welshcakes, who do things with this Welsh staple that you’d never expect! There are also two lovely gift shops, one of which is dedicated specifically to books.
did you know?
St. Davids is the smallest city in the UK, despite having a population of less than 2,000 people. It first acquired city status in the 16th century (when having a cathedral was the conventional criterion for defining a city), but this status was revoked in 1888. City status was officially restored in 1995, thanks to Queen Elizabeth II.
The 1st of March is St David’s Day, the national day of Wales. No other day of the year sees the Welsh more eager to celebrate their culture and traditions. You can read more about it in our dedicated article.
2. Surf at Whitesands Bay
Pembrokeshire is most famous for being the UK’s only National Park established and protected primarily on the basis of the coastline. So you’d have to be mad to visit St David’s peninsula and not check out some of its stunning beaches!
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Whitesands Bay is a huge and picturesque beach only two miles from the city, with quite a unique beauty. In hot weather, the water looks almost Mediterranean, and when the tide is very low, ancient tree trunks are revealed, remains of a historic forest. It’s thought that St David himself was educated at the old farmhouse that overlooks the beach, which is interesting enough in its own right, but the main reason to visit Whitesands is simply for a day of fabulous sun and sea.
The views are gorgeous, there are amenities on site, and its awesome waves have earned it the title of Pembrokeshire’s best beach for surfing, and one of the best surfing spots UK-wide. Why not rent a board and give it a go?!
info about whitesands bay
- Bus 403 connects Whitesands Bay to St Davids
- Car park available by the beach (£5 per vehicle, no EV chargers on or near site)
- Dog restrictions from early May to late September (entire length)
- Lifeguards patrol between late May and early September
- Beach wheelchairs available to rent, concrete ramp to the sand.
- Café, shop and toilets on site
3. Take a Trip to Ramsey Island
Are you an avid wildlife watcher? If so, you can’t visit North Pembrokeshire without booking a boat trip to Ramsey Island.
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Ramsey Island, called Ynys Dewi in Welsh after St David, is fully owned by the RSPB. Speeding around the island on a boat you can certainly see why – in just one trip it’s common to spot gulls, auks, chuffs, razorbills, and even peregrine falcons. It’s also one of Britain’s most important grey seal breeding grounds, and you’d have to be very unlucky to visit the island and not see tens of huge seals sunbathing in the rocky coves, or even bobbing their heads up to say hello in the water near you.
There are boat trips circumnavigating the coast of the island and its beaches, and also some in which you can actually explore the island on foot yourself. Both kinds generally run from the start of April to the end of October, but even within that period the latter aren’t available at all times due to weather factors, so enquire in advance to make sure you don’t miss out. Either trip is well worth doing!
info about ramsey island
- There are several companies that can take you around or onto Ramsey Island, such as Voyages of Discovery and Thousand Islands.
- Prices usually start from £30–£40 per adult and vary depending on the duration and type of trip.
- Free parking at the cliff side in St Justinian for about 30 car (including a disabled space). Additional parking on the field (£3 per vehicle).
- Bus 403 (Celtic Coaster) can take you to St Justinian where the boat departs, but it’s a seasonal bus operating during the summer only.
- Walking from St Davids to St Justinian will take you about 45 minutes.
4. Browse Local Arts and Crafts
The city of St David’s is particularly known for its artsy, creative vibes, and strolling through its streets you can definitely see why. There are loads of independent craft shops, gift shops, and galleries; they’re great places to pick up a present or simply enjoy admiring home-grown talent.
Just wandering around the streets you’ll pass loads of interesting places you’ll want to pop into, but there are a few to make sure you check out, like Goat Street Gallery right next to the cathedral, or the beautiful handmade arts, crafts and jewellery shops operated by Falcon Boats.
In particular, I recommend Oriel y Parc National Park Discovery Centre, which is really useful for getting guidance about exploring North Pembrokeshire’s nature, as well as for checking out interesting art and artefacts. They always have an interesting exhibition on, often spotlighting a local artist, taking inspiration from the area’s lovely landscapes, or both. There are also often scheduled craft workshops or artist-in-residency programs – check out their website to see what’s going on during your visit.
5. Sunbathe at Newgale Beach
Another great beach to visit while you’re in the area is Newgale Beach. A few miles south of St David’s, Newgale is traditionally considered to represent the break between English-speaking South Pembrokeshire and Welsh-speaking North Pembrokeshire (although never fear, English speakers, you won’t find anywhere in the county today where you won’t hear mostly English all around you).
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Plain and simple, this is just another great beach. In the summer, it’s a perfect spot for day-long relaxes, spotting birds like sand martins, and like any Pembrokeshire beach, surfing. If you’re a true beginner to the sport, it’s a little less intimidating than Whitesands, and like at Whitesands, board rental is available and affordable. If the weather’s a little colder, why not rustle up an evening barbecue, or see if you can brave an early morning swim?
info about newgale beach
- Bus 400 and T11 stop at Newgale, about 10-minute walk from the beach
- Three car parks available by the beach (pay and display, EV chargers at the Bathesland Car Park)
- Dog restrictions from early May to late September (middle third)
- Lifeguards patrol between late May and early September
- Toilets, shop, cafe and pub behind the beach
- The beach is only reachable by climbing down a steep natural pebble wall. This means that it’s unfortunately not accessible for many people with mobility issues.
6. Visit St Non’s Chapel
Not too far from the grandeur and bustle of St David’s cathedral is a religious site far humbler, but equally fascinating. There’s a story that St Non, mother of St David, gave birth in the midst of a storm on the cliffs of Pembrokeshire, taking shelter in a chapel. Now, that may or may not be true. But it’s hard to deny the sense of peace and awe that’s felt while you stand at the ruins of that very chapel, imagining what such a wild birth must have felt like as you stare out over the rocky bay beneath.
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The ruins are not the only place of veneration at St Non’s Bay. A newer chapel, built in her honour in 1934, is only a few minutes’ walk away. Also not to be missed is St Non’s holy well, said to bring health to those who drink from it; for a long time it was believed that its waters could cure the insane.
There is a car park on the site, or you can reach it by walking along the coastal path. I vote the latter… but I’ll tell you more about that later!
7. Explore Charming Solva
If you were thinking St David’s was the only town worth visiting in North Pembrokeshire, think again. There are quite a few villages dotted around the peninsula, and one that’s particularly interesting is Solva, a small harbour town built on a flooded coastal valley.
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One attraction is Solva Woollen Mill, just out of the main town. Pembrokeshire’s oldest woollen mill, it’s still in action today, and you can visit to get a glimpse of the traditional process before grabbing a slice of cake in their tearoom.
Solva itself has an array of nice shops and pubs; The Hats and Barrels is a particularly good place to eat and has a lovely large garden overlooking a stream. It’s nice to wander around – and you’ll want to stay for a while, because the beauty of Solva is seeing the harbour at both high and low tide. At high tide, you can take a dip in the chilly water and spot crabs on the rocks. At low tide, a long and pretty beach reveals itself; it’s a picturesque spot for an evening walk.
info about solva
- T11 bus and 400 bus stops in Solva
- Harbour Car Park has two 22 kW EV chargers.
8. Support Nature Recovery at the Bug Farm
To enjoy natural beauty, we must also protect it. So do make the time to stop by ecologist Dr Sarah Beynon’s ambitious project The Bug Farm while you’re in St David’s – it’s a really unique attraction that works on multiple levels.
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The Bug Farm is a working farm which combines scientific research with age-old local practices. Its aim is to show that we can protect wildlife and engage in nature recovery whilst still using the land to produce food. They work with several universities to both contribute to research and to put it into practice, and what they’re doing for small-scale conservation as well as global sustainable development is very, very exciting.
This may be the weirdest entry on this list, but don’t overlook it. There really is so much to do here, including loads for small children, with glorious gardens and meadows, a mini zoo for exotic bugs, regular workshops and events, a museum and art gallery, and even the UK’s first café serving edible insects! Don’t worry, there’s also plenty of options for those of us who’d rather steer clear from feasting on bugs.
info about bug farm
- There are no bus stops near the farm.
- Free parking for customers, and fast EV charger available
- Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, but some areas are restricted
- Tickets from £8.95 (child) to £10.95 (adult)
- See events and extra information on the Bug Farm website
9. Embrace Adventure at the Blue Lagoon
Remember when I said that the sea at Whitesands Bay looks almost Mediterranean? If that appealed to you, you absolutely must not miss the Blue Lagoon.
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The Lagoon was created by the flooding of a small slate quarry, creating a huge, gorgeous pool of water in the midst of towering cliffs. It is incredibly beautiful and a great spot for swimming and diving. Right next to the lagoon is Abereiddy Beach, which known for its striking dark sand and rugged feel. Seals have also been known to be spotted in the area!
Now, if you’re the sporty kind, this is your opportunity to do some coasteering with Celtic Quest – essentially a mix of swimming, jumping, clambering and diving around the cliffs and caves, led by a guide so you know you’re safe. It feels like being a child at the beach again! Celtic Quest are also able to tailor coasteering sessions to meet accessibility needs, so if you or someone in your group have a disability, reach out in advance and they’ll see how they can make it work for you.
info about the blue lagoon
- Bus 404 stops at by Abereiddy Beach
- Car park at Abereiddy Beach (5-min walking distance)
- No amenities on site
- Wheelchair accessible path leading to the Blue Lagoon, but no access to the pebble beach.
10. Traverse the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
I’ve saved the best to last – there is no way you can visit any Welsh seaside town and not do some coastal walking! And the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is one of Wales’ best known and most loved.
The entirety of Pembrokeshire, including St David’s Peninsula, is ringed by a safe and well-marked path run by the Welsh government. It is incredibly beautiful – great for spotting wildlife or just staring out at the water. Whether you feel like doing a day long hike or just ambling along the cliffsides for half an hour and then looping back to your favourite beach, it is really worth experiencing some of this iconic route.
As I say, all parts of the peninsula have a path, so wherever you’re staying as long as you’re close enough to the coast you’ll be easily able to do some walking. I recommend the section from Whitesands Bay to St Non’s Chapel – it will take most people around four hours and you will see some absolutely breath-taking views. There are steep sections, but in all places is generally appropriate for a beginner walker; just make sure to bring water and good shoes. You can read more about the coast path on the Pembrokeshire website.
Where To Stay and Eat Around St Davids
There are plenty of places to stay in the area, whether you feel like turning in for the night at a B&B in St David’s itself, camping as close to the beach as you possibly can, or maybe bringing a whole group along and renting a house in the middle of nowhere. You can find a wealth of options on the St Davids website.
For food, you’ll be similarly spoilt for choice; pretty much every little village has a friendly local pub. If you are looking for more fine dining vibes, Twr y Felin Hotel in the city has an award-winning restaurant with a menu focussed on local suppliers. If you prefer it cheap and cheerful, you’ll never be far from a chippy. And I can’t not mention the Sri Lankan restaurant at the Ocean Haze hotel – the food is delicious and unique, and they even do take-away.
Extra Information
Trains don’t run to St Davids so you’ll have to rely on buses. The nearest train station are Haverfordwest, and Fishguard and Goodwich, from where the T11 bus can take you to the city. Local buses reach certain destinations such as Whitesands, Newgale and Solva, but for others you’ll have to rely on taxis if you can’t drive. You can see the latest information and timetables on traveline.cymru.
Taxis can be another option, such as St Davids Taxi. See St Davids website for more information, and where you can also download a visitor’s map.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park runs the Outdoor Mobility Scheme, which allows you to hire beach wheelchairs and all-terrain equipment year-round, giving people with mobility challenges the opportunity to experience and enjoy many of the county’s natural spaces. You can book the equipment online in advance. Find out more on their website.
