Goodwick Rock Pools

Low tide at Goodwick Rock Pools is properly magical. These natural pools sit right along the Pembrokeshire coastline near Fishguard, and when the sea pulls back, you get these deep, clear basins trapped between the rocks - perfect for spotting crabs, anemones, and small fish darting about. It's the kind of spot where kids will spend hours turning over stones and filling buckets, while adults just stand there breathing in salt air and remembering why they came to Wales in the first place.

The pools are completely free and accessible whenever the tide's out, so timing matters. Get there a couple of hours either side of low tide for the best rockpooling. You'll need proper shoes with grip - the rocks are slippery and sharp - and don't let the little ones wander off toward the cliff edge. It's safe enough, but it demands attention.

This works brilliantly as a half-day activity if you're staying at one of the nearby caravan parks - Fishguard Holiday Park is barely half a mile away, and Fishguard Bay Resort just two miles down the road. Combine it with a browse around Fishguard's harbour, grab fish and chips, and you've got a proper Pembrokeshire afternoon sorted. History buffs might appreciate that you're standing where the last invasion of Britain happened in 1797, though the pools themselves are more about wildlife than drama. Allow two hours, maybe three if you're in no rush.