Campsites near Fishguard, Pembrokeshire

Where to Go

Strumble Head & Around

Bulky Strumble Head headland, which shoots up northwest and within walking distance of Fishguard, stands out as one of the best places to watch cetaceans in all Wales. Europe’s biggest bottlenose dolphin pod, plus harbour porpoises and seals, can be described from the towering cliffs and solitary bays. Prehistory lovers, meanwhile, will find burial chambers and ancient forts, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs around the edge of it all.

Dinas Island

Travelling along the coast northeast from Fishguard, the first place to peg out a pitch is at Dinas Island. It’s an ‘island’ in a poetic sense of the word (a grassy, rocky headland with the sea on three sides and a boggy valley dividing it from the mainland) but you’ll feel cut off at the island’s farm campsite. Diversions include the beautiful path running around the island, sealife-watching and the gorgeously located rural pub at Pwllgwaelod.

Gwaun Valley

Meandering amiably along southeast from Fishguard is this gentle valley swaddled by ancient sessile oak and ash woodland: a place where life is lived in the slow lane and traditions long defunct elsewhere continue to thrive (residents still observe the pre-1752 Julian calendar, among other quirks). Narrow lanes wend along the valley bottom and paths snake up onto the bare hills above.

When to Go

Weather-wise, April through September offers the most clement and rain-free weather, with the big caveat that this is Wales’ Celtic Sea coast, which is mighty exposed to a lot of wet, windy weather. It’s always a good idea to avoid July and August school holidays to cut the crowds out of your vacation. May is an atmospheric month in Fishguard, as the Fishguard Folk Festival enlivens the town.