Camping in Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is one of the best camping counties in Britain, largely because so many sites sit directly on or beside the coast path. The trade-off is exposure. Clifftop fields have the views but also take the full force of Atlantic wind, and a pitch that looks idyllic on a still evening can be unpleasant by three in the morning. Bring proper pegs — the thin wire ones supplied with most tents will pull straight out of thin clifftop turf — and a mallet. Where a site offers a choice of fields, the sheltered inland one is often the wiser pick outside high summer.

The ground varies. Coastal sites tend to be free-draining turf over sand or rock, so they recover quickly after rain but can be hard to peg. Inland sites in the Preselis and the Daugleddau are softer and greener but hold water. Rain here is frequent rather than heavy, so plan for damp kit and bring a way of drying things.

Wild camping is not legal in Wales without the landowner's permission, and that includes the national park. The rule stands even where enforcement is patchy, and the park authority discourages it because of erosion on the cliff edge. Backpackers walking the path should book ahead at the string of small farm sites along the route.

Season matters. Many of the best independent sites open from Easter or mid-May and close at the end of September, and some clifftop farm sites run an even shorter window. May, June and September are the sweet spot: long days and sites that are busy rather than full. July and August require booking, and school holiday weekends at coastal sites sell out months ahead.

Glamping has expanded, with safari tents, pods and shepherd's huts on farms across the county. They suit families who want the coast without the packing. Committed campers will still find the traditional option better value and, on the cliff sites, better positioned. Facilities on the simplest farm sites can be genuinely basic — cold water only in a few cases — so read the listing rather than assuming showers.