Top 10 Autumnal Things to Do in Pembrokeshire
Crisp mornings and beautiful surroundings are what autumn is all about.
Pay a visit to Pembrokeshire in autumn and benefit from fewer crowds, breathtaking colourful landscapes and a slower pace of life.
To help you have an incredible autumnal holiday in Pembrokeshire, we've put together this little shortlist on our top ten things to do in the area during this season.
Explore those autumnal colours
Whilst we often recommend heading to the coastline, for reasons that needn’t be explained, autumn is certainly a time to head inland in search of those locations you might not usually explore. Head to the woodlands for crunchy leaves underfoot and blankets of oranges, reds and yellows overhead as the trees change colours throughout the season.
Try Minear Woods near Haverfordwest or Ty Canol near Newport, where you can sightsee Pentre Ifan too. Just make sure to wear your walking boots as pathways may be somewhat damp and muddy.
Eat your way around Narberth Food Festival
You’d best bring a hearty appetite with you for this one as the produce on offer is extensive and delicious. Think local and Welsh food at its best with hot and cold stallholders selling mouth-watering meals and snacks, plus plenty of cookery demonstrations from well-known chefs sharing their top tips.
It’s a weekend-long event held annually in Narberth towards the end of September. Make sure to keep some room in the car for you’ll undoubtedly purchase some great edible gifts for loved ones back home.
Tour the emptier shorelines
Planning an out-of-season getaway to Pembrokeshire has several perks but the number one advantage over staying in the summer holidays has to be the fewer crowds. Depending on what dates and locations you choose, you might even be truly spoilt with no crowds at all.
Enjoy a bit more breathing space on the popular bays like Tenby North Beach or find yourself completely alone on lesser-known beaches like Traeth Llyfn.
Amroth Beach
Go seal pup spotting
The coastline might be quieter in terms of people, but you can bet it’s busier in terms of wildlife. Come September, various inlets and inaccessible (to pedestrians) coves become awash with fluffy white seal pups as this is the breeding season for Atlantic Grey Seals.
Take a boat trip across to Ramsey Island or walk the Coast Path to spot these baby seals in their natural habitats, just make sure to safely admire them from a distance as the parent seals are often only in the shallows collecting food for their pups.
Get spooky during Halloween
Pembrokeshire always has plenty of things going on to help you embrace the spooky season, particularly throughout October Half Term. Spend family days out somewhere like Castell Henllys for fireside scary stories, take a guided ghost tour of Carew Castle at dusk or ride the ghost train at Gwili Steam Railway.
Pick your own pumpkin
One of the most favoured days out in the autumn is the day spent at one of the local pumpkin patches. Wander through the fields strewn with large orange pumpkins in search of your favourite, will you look for a perfectly round one or do you prefer your vegetables to be one-of-a-kind?
Try Pembrokeshire Pumpkin Farm or Good Hook Pumpkins for a great child friendly day out.
Enjoy live music at Tenby Blues Fest
How good does the idea of live music in one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known holiday destinations sound? And for a whole weekend too! Tenby Blues Festival takes place every November and takes over the town with a plethora of blues performances in various venues.
Whilst a handful of the events are ticketed (so make sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment), many are free as part of the incredible Blues Trail which sees pubs, restaurants and more act as pop-up music venues.
Tour a woollen mill
If you adore the autumnal months then you’re likely to also appreciate a cosy knit too. And where better to purchase a new one for the season than at a local woollen mill where you’ve seen the inner workings of the manufacturing process?
Discover the remarkable behind-the-scenes at Tregwynt Woollen Mill near Abermawr or Solva Woollen Mill before browsing the shop for your next piece of knitwear, guaranteed to keep you warm and toasty - particularly when you’re curling up in front of a roaring fire on a rainy day.
Celebrate Guy Fawkes Night
Only a matter of days after Halloween comes Bonfire Night, arguably one of the main highlights of the autumn. Wrap up warm (perhaps with your new knit?) and head out for one of the region’s best fireworks displays where you can dine on hot dogs, light a sparkler or maybe even win yourself a toy at the funfair.
Milford Haven, Carmarthen and Haverfordwest are some of the largest displays in Pembrokeshire whilst Solva usually has a particularly pretty show over the harbour.
Fishguard Cawl Crawl
Cawl is one of Wales’ most traditional meals; think large bowls of piping hot soup bursting with chunky stewed vegetables and the butcher’s best beef. The Cawl Crawl is part of the Fishguard Food & Drink Festival where you can sample these delicious bowls of home-cooked grub.
Various establishments across Fishguard and Goodwick provide dishes made from their own recipes and tasters buy a bowl which is filled up at each, before voting for their favourite at the end. It’s a must for any foodie.
Coastal Cottages Wales Cottage Holidays in October
Embrace autumnal days with an October cottage holiday to Wales for long woodland walks under the changing leaves and deserted beaches, all of which are dog friendly.
