Puffins in Pembrokeshire

[caption id="attachment_4147" align="alignnone" width="1200"] There were puffins nesting on the island![/caption]

Our holiday to Pembrokeshire was wonderful for many reasons – for the natural beauty of the countryside, for the fact that we actually got to relax, because everyone we met was lovely and because of all the brilliant things we did (from visiting Pembroke Castle to climbing trees at Heatherton World of Activities). But it was also brilliant because of the puffins.

When I found out that I would be able to see puffins if I visited this part of Wales, I knew I had to go. I love seeing animals in their natural habitat and, having walked along Horsey beach in Norfolk last year and been overwhelmed by the beautiful seals there, I was very taken by the idea of  seeing puffins for the first time too.

So, we were lucky enough that the concierge service offered by Coastal Cottages, who organised our lovely cottage in Little Haven, included a trip by thousand Island Cruises to Skomer and Ramsey Islands where we would see puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, Manx shearwater and all sorts of other birds too. Plus, we saw some Atlantic grey seals sunbathing around Ramsey Island too.

We caught our boat near St David’s – the smallest city in the UK which is absolutely gorgeous. If you go, leave time to mooch around here and visit the cathedral - at the St Justinian’s Life Boat station. This is a fair walk away from the centre of St David’s and we drove to a nearby car park, and then walked to the life boat station. There are a number of steps on the way, so it’s probably not suitable for small children or those who aren't very mobile.

We were given warm, thick waterproofs to wear, and although it was grey on the way out, the sun did appear and I (who am always neurotic about sunscreen) did get burned. So, another warning, wear lots of sunscreen!

[caption id="attachment_4149" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert on the boat![/caption]

I’m not a great fan of boats, but the puffins were a real lure for me, so we soon set off and I admired the scenery as we zipped along. We saw some birds on the way and the occasional seal too, but it wasn’t until we neared Skomer that it got really exciting! There we saw hundreds and hundreds of birds, including those gorgeous puffins, blanketing the sea and the cliffs. It was a truly amazing sight.

Skomer is the largest of Pembrokeshire’s islands and only around a mile off the coast. It’s home to a huge variety of wildlife. We did not disembark to look around, but we could still see so many nesting seabirds – particularly guillemots and razorbills lining the cliff ledges. Along with neighbouring Skokholm Island it is the largest breeding puffin colony in Southern Britain.

[caption id="attachment_4146" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Birds near Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire[/caption]

Our guide pointed out the birds we could see and told us about them too which was great as we aren’t really that knowledgeable. I found it all absolutely fantastic – and not like anything I’d ever seen before.

The engine of the boat was turned off so as not to frighten away the wildlife, and we stayed there for around 15 minutes or so. Then we turned round to go back to the coast, but we drove around Ramsey Island which is beautiful, and looked into the caves.

[caption id="attachment_4145" align="alignnone" width="1200"] birds flying around and on Skomer Island[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4150" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Puffins on the water around Skomer island[/caption]

As a non-boat lover, I found the bumpy journey back a bit hairy – although my son loved it! But I wouldn’t have missed the trip for anything. It was an absolute highlight of our holiday.

[caption id="attachment_4151" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Ramsey Island,[/caption]

Disclosure: Our trip with Thousand Island Expeditions was arranged through Coastal Cottages’ concierge services. It would have cost £48 per adult and £20 per child, but were given it on a complimentary basis in order to write about it. However, neither company had any input into this blog post.

More fun in Pembrokeshire:

Read an overview of our fabulous holiday in Pembrokeshire

A trip to Folly Farm

Read what Robert thought of Heatherton World of Activities

Pembroke Castle (a must-visit!)

Beautiful Pembrokeshire - perfect for a family trip

We absolutely loved our trip to beautiful Pembrokeshire in Wales, as there was so much to do and everyone was extremely friendly. We would 100 per cent recommend it for a family holiday. We didn't really want to come home - except to see Jess of course!

[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/WgKzbFb5B-s?list=PL21MnxVphOzI2A8wn1ejWBYSXpgwMIkGw" width=200 height=100 ]

 

Watch our video above for Robert's highlights

Where we stayed (by Robert):

[caption id="attachment_3978" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Our home for the week![/caption]

We stayed in one of the Talbenny Hall Cottages, called Sands Cottage, near Little Haven. Our cottage was comfortable, cosy, and warm and quiet, which was good. It had a bedroom with a double bed, a bedroom with a bunk bed, a bathroom with a shower, and a large living room/dining room with a kitchen. I liked the cottage but my room was quite small. I think that if Jess was in the room with me it wouldn't have been big enough to keep our stuff in!

I especially liked the hamper we were given on the first day, with cakes, fudge, biscuits, and more.

The cottage was very nice, but it wasn't close to many shops. This was fine, as we had a car.

Overall, I liked the cottage because it was homely.

Disclosure: We stayed in Sands Cottage, a Coastal Cottages property, which was great for a couple of family of three (Jessica wasn't with us!). We were given a complimentary stay, but Coastal Cottages had no input at all into this blog post. The prices for the cottage for half-term week at the end of May would normally be £629.

The beaches, by Sarah


[caption id="attachment_3979" align="alignnone" width="1200"] You can see Barafundle Bay just behind Robert![/caption]

One of the reasons I wanted to come to Pembrokeshire was because I had heard that it had the most glorious beaches. It was a very good reason – the beaches are wonderful. We spent a long time at two beaches in particular, Barafundle Bay and Marloes. They are both utterly beautiful and would wow anyone.

Barafundle was recently voted by Passport magazine as one of the top beaches in the world.It’s not the most accessible beach (but that’s part of its charm), although not good for visitors with very young children or in wheelchairs. You need to park at Stackpole Bay and walk over the cliffs – a fabulous walk – for around 15 minutes, before you come to the steps which lead down to the bay. When you first see the steps and the beach behind it, it will take your breath away. The sea is gorgeously blue and the expanse of sand is huge. Truly wonderful.Do note that there are no facilities at all on the beach, so bring your own food (and go to the loo beforehand!)

[caption id="attachment_3980" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Beautiful Marloes beach[/caption]

Marloes is also gorgeous, with lots of rock pools and a huge expanses of sand. Scenes from the Hollywood film Snow White and the Huntsman featuring Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewar were filmed here in 2011.

Heatherton World of Activities, by Brian

[caption id="attachment_3981" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Jumping through trees at Heatherton[/caption]

We came here mainly so Robert could go on the fantastic Tree Tops Adventure Trail, but Sarah and I also had a great time. The hedge maze was really fun – I completed it without cheating (unlike some other members of the family). We all loved the baseball/softball cages.  I tried baseball, and struggled to touch, never mind hit, the balls coming towards me at 60 mph. I then had a “water war” with Rob, and completely soaked him. We finished our day with a round of adventure golf. There was so much to do, and even though we had stayed over six hours, we really did not want to leave.

Read Robert’s detailed post on Heatherton here

Disclosure: Heatherton is free to enter, and you take part in activities by using credits. We were given a family book of credits to use while we were there, as well as a complimentary session of the Treetops Adventure Trail, which costs £27.50 and is for people aged 10 years upwards.There is also a junior course.

Pembroke Castle, by Brian

I have visited many different castles over my lifetime, but this one is probably the one that I have enjoyed the most. Gareth, a retired history teacher, was a fantastic guide and made the history come alive. The magnificent keep, the huge cave, and the dungeons were all incredible. There was a lot of walking up steps, but it was definitely worth it.

Read our detailed post on Pembroke Castle here.

A boat trip to see puffins, by Robert

[caption id="attachment_3983" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The boat which took us to see puffins and seals![/caption]

A part of the holiday which I really enjoyed was our puffin and seal boat trip which we took with Thousand Island Expeditions. This consisted of getting into a speed boat, sailing off into the sea, and spotting seals, puffins, and more. We also sailed up to Skomer Island which was very big and green. There were loads of birds and puffins - the most birds I'd ever seen in my life, which was really cool.

[caption id="attachment_3984" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was amazing to see the puffins near Skomer Island[/caption]

It was really exciting going in the boat, and I loved going really fast. I especially loved when our boat seemed to jump above the water for a few seconds! The woman sailing the boat knew a lot about birds, and mum and dad found the facts she told us really interesting. We all really enjoyed it. I personally found the boat ride more exciting than the puffins, but I know that mum and dad would disagree...

St David’s, by Sarah

[caption id="attachment_3985" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Stunning St David's Cathedral[/caption]

We took the boat trip from the coast just by St David’s, which is the smallest city in the UK. It is chocolate box pretty and well worth a visit, even if it’s more like a village! The 12th century cathedral is a marvel – even if you don’t enter and walk around – and looks like something from a film set, while the Oriel y Parc Gallery often has beautiful displays. The main shopping throughfare gets very busy, but there is an abundance of small shops and eateries, including some really good ice-cream and chocolate shops. A short drive away you can take a boat to see puffins, seals and more.

Folly Farm

We all loved Folly Farm, which is a brilliant day out for families. Somehow it managed to appeal to the thrill-seeking Robert and also the nostalgia-seeking Sarah! Folly Farm calls itself an adventure park and zoo, and it has a lot of space for both. It’s clean and well set-up, with animals ranging from lions to penguins, meerkats to the most adorable sloth, as well as farm animals (which may appeal more to younger children, who will also like the soft play barn). There are also outside play areas and a range of old fashioned fairground rides, which we really loved (you need to pay for these by changing modern money into tokens). These have been painstakingly restored and are all under cover, which was lucky as it was raining when we arrived. I particularly loved the old fashioned arcade games, many of which are paid for by using 2ps and 10ps – we had to pull Robert away from trying again and again to win!



Folly Farm costs £13.95 for adults and £11.95 for kids. We were given free entry as arranged by Coastal Cottages as part of their wonderful concierge service. However, neither Coastal Cottages or Folly Farm had any input into this blog post.