The best campsites in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park with horseback riding

Ancient Britons dubbed St Davids area a “thin” place, where the gap between earth and heaven was small. Bounded shores of bizarre rock formations, coves, and dreamy fishing villages, this remains a spiritual spot, full of prehistoric sites. It’s a great experience to camp out on the crag-dotted grasslands around Britain’s westernmost city, St Davids, and Wales’ westernmost headland, St Davids Head. Here, several scenic coastal campsites are available, and St Davids’ exquisite cathedral is nearby.

The Preseli Hills are a little different from the coastal Pembrokeshire most people are acquainted with. This unkempt, barren range has scarcely any settlement, and is most notable for possessing one of Europe’s greatest densities of prehistoric monuments, along with its adventurous hiking. North Pembrokeshire’s Newport, 10 miles southwest of Cardigan, is the northern gateway to these rugged inland moors. Pitching near Mynachlog-ddu puts you near the Golden Road hike, which traverses the Preseli’s ridge via umpteen ancient sites.

Wales’ biggest bay, curving north from North Pembrokeshire’s Strumble Head to Southern Gwynedd via Ceredigion, was where camping in Wales originally took off. Pembrokeshire’s part of the bay is peaceful outside the main towns of Fishguard and Newport (though these spots do offer special sandy beaches too). Go bottlenose dolphin-watching or walk the Wales Coast Path, traversing solitary headlands such as Strumble Head and Cemmaes Head. The Pembrokeshire stretch’s campsites are mostly small affairs with big bundles of character.