Kilgetty

Rail enthusiasts still make pilgrimages to the old station platform where steam trains once paused on their way to Tenby. These days, Kilgetty feels properly rural - a working village where tractors share narrow lanes with holiday traffic heading to the coast.

Folly Farm sits just outside the village and draws families year-round with its zoo and vintage funfair. The A478 cuts straight through the middle, but step off the main drag and you'll find St Jeffrey, a modest Norman church that's stood here since the 12th century. Local footpaths wind through farmland towards the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, though you'll need a decent walk to reach the clifftops.

Saundersfoot lies just three miles south. The harbour town gets rammed in summer, but its sandy beach and cluster of decent pubs make it worth the short drive. Tenby's medieval walls and pastel-painted houses are equally close, while Narberth - with its independent shops and weekly market - offers a more authentic slice of Welsh market town life.

Getting here means following the A40 west from Carmarthen, then picking up the A478 south. The village sits roughly halfway between Narberth and Saundersfoot, making it a proper crossroads for exploring this corner of Pembrokeshire. No railway station now, obviously.

Staying at one of the nearby parks puts you within easy striking distance of both the coast and the Preseli Hills. You're close enough to Tenby and Saundersfoot for day trips, but far enough inland to avoid the worst of the summer crowds. The surrounding countryside offers decent walking, and you're well-placed for exploring Pembrokeshire's quieter eastern reaches.