With accommodation in such a quiet and cosy area, at the southern tip of St. Brides Bay, you’re ideally placed in Pembrokeshire for the perfect winter getaway! There are plenty of winter events and festivities to get involved in.
Winter events
Each November Pembrokeshire holds the Tenby Blues Festival. Music from national, international, and local bands play in a range of venues throughout the popular seaside resort. A selection of different artists play each year and the event attracts visitors from all over. Check out the website: www.tenbyblues.co.uk.
Pembroke Castle hosts an annual Christmas market with more than 60 stalls in a lovely historic setting. In fact, during December a multitude of Christmas fairs and markets sweep coastal hotspots and towns throughout the county. Carmarthen’s takes place on a number of Saturdays throughout December at the library. And Tenby’s is taking place on the Saturday before Christmas at the Augustus Place Community Centre.
Narberth’s Pig Street Craft Collective brings together a great selection of arts and crafts from carefully selected exhibitors. There are lots of stalls to browse, all set up in Queen’s Hall in the centre of town. www.pigstreetcrafts.co.uk.
If it’s celebrations you’re after, both Tenby and Fishguard are pretty little coastal towns that have public firework displays in the town centre for New Year’s Eve. Everyone gathers on the 31st December to see the new year in.
A popular annual event that takes place at Saundersfoot is the New Year’s Swim… Though only the very brave participate, it’s a good one to go and watch! This chilly tradition has taken place in the waters off Saundersfoot Beach since 1984, but it was originally a Boxing Day event. Head down to the beach on New Year’s Day to watch it all unfold.
Wildlife
The colder months are a great time of year for grey seals. Adults with their fluffy white pups can be spotted on the shorelines of the little islands Skomer and Skokholm, located just off the Pembrokeshire coast. St. David’s is another great area for them, as is Ramsay Island, off the northern tip of St. Brides Bay. Keep your eyes peeled for seals lounging on the quiet beaches and tucked into hidden coves, particularly between September and December.
Winter is coming! And that means a great many bird species will start their migrations. This could be an ideal time to visit one of the many nature reserves dotted around the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Welsh Wildlife Centre and Teifi Marshes, located close to Cardigan, is a great hub for wildlife and information; there are four themed nature trails to follow and lots to see like waders, grebes and egrets.
The craggy cliffs of the Pembrokeshire coastline can provide welcome stop off points for those birds blown off course by Atlantic winds such as waders and seabirds. And the waters below may attract porpoises and sometimes even basking sharks!
Find more information about the Welsh Wildlife Centre here.
Hollywood
It isn’t too well known that Pembrokeshire features in a lot of Hollywood films! But some of the beaches, harbours, and pretty landscapes have provided various directors with some magnificent settings. No matter the time of year, you can go visit some of Pembrokeshire’s claims to fame. Places such as Freshwater West have appeared in films like Robin Hood (2010), starring Russell Crowe, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010) where Shell Cottage was constructed on the sands.
There are many different seaside locations that have been used over the years, so why not take a journey along the Hollywood trail during your stay? It offers plenty of bright and breezy walks along the way. Find the list here.
