St David's Head

The walk up St David's Head catches you off guard with how wild it gets. From the car park near Abereiddy, you're looking at a decent coastal hike - maybe forty minutes to the summit if you're not dawdling. The path climbs steeply through gorse and bracken, and the views back towards Haverfordwest way lose themselves in the landscape pretty quickly. What hits you at the top is the sheer drop. The headland juts out into the Irish Sea like a fist, and on a clear day you can see across to Skomer Island and beyond. The Iron Age fort remains aren't exactly dramatic - just earthworks and stone circles - but they anchor the whole thing in something real, something people fought to control.

This is walker territory, full stop. Families with very young kids will struggle with the gradient and the wind that whips across the summit. Older children and teens who like a proper challenge will find it rewarding. History buffs get a kick out of spotting the fort defences, though you'll need to use your imagination. The whole thing is free and open year-round, though winter can be rough up there.

Allow two to three hours for the round trip if you want to linger. Spring and early summer are best - the gorse flowers bright yellow and the light's proper golden. Several camping parks sit within a mile or two - Pencarnan Farm and Lleithyr Farm are closest if you're basing yourself in the area. It's the kind of walk that justifies a coastal holiday on its own.