First things first.. Wales.

With Dougal approaching the completion of the first phase of his conversion, our attention turned to the prospect of our first adventure in him. We’d ventured around locally but it was time for a roadtrip, but where would we go?

Dougal on his first proper adventure, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

This was the trip where everything changed for us, having never been to wales as just the two of us, with neither of us visited Pembrokeshire before the concept of going to an alien place was actually quite daunting, nonetheless we packed our bags, with far too many clothes as always and off we went into the sunset – boy did we have a few whilst we were there too. It’s up there with the greats of places we’ve visited and we cannot wait to be go back in the future.

We ventured far and wide, making the most of everything we could along the way, finding out as we went, that preplanning is vital for Pembrokeshire! First adventure tip inbound! We would really recommend taking some time to figure out what you’d like to do before getting to Pembrokeshire, especially if you’re tight on time or want to see as much as possible. First and foremost because the phone service is AWFUL! Being on the beautiful west coast, there is also the very changeable weather to account for, with some days starting off as torrential rain and and ending in gorgeous sunsets, a backup plan can always save disappointment!

The stunning rugged coastline of Pembrokeshire, beautiful coves and tidal towns dotted along the coast provide so many places to explore!

Frankly the first day was a little bit of a disaster… realising there was no reception to look at the places we wanted to visit and with no backup plan, we winged it and headed for the most signposted local town and hoped we’d be able to figure out a plan from there. This turned out to be a great move as we found a CO-OP!! These absolutely symbolise the fact that we are on holiday as we always seem to end up in one to pick up our supplies. A decision was made to head towards the blue famous blue lagoon, armed with our wetsuits and dry robes, we set off into the rolling rocky hills of the western edge of Pembrokeshire!

What a place it was too! From paddle boarding and kayaking, to coasteering and cannonballing from the derelict structure, there’s plenty to do at the blue lagoon!

We swam around in the chilly Irish Sea, despite it being July, it was by no means warm! Taking in every breath it became more and more bearable as you begin to realise the beauty surrounding you in the cove, the cliffs stand tall making a bowl that the lagoon lies in and you begin to feel very small very quickly. How the Red Bull guys jump off those cliffs into the lagoon is beyond me! I’ll stick to the 10 or so metres of the port wall, thanks! This turned out to be amazing fun and despite my greatest efforts I couldn’t quite get Melissa to jump in from the lower wall, but she did manage to get some awesome footage on the GoPro of all the action!

If we weren’t already cold enough, we stopped in at a little ‘if you know you know’ gem, nestled in the middle of the Pembrokeshire countryside. An abandoned quarry which was VASTLY colder than the sea!

Whilst in Pembrokeshire, we visited the UK’s smallest city – St David’s. WHAT A PLACE! It is very indeed very small, but absolutely brimming with charm! From its tiny tight streets and amazing town square, to the picture perfect cathedral and castle grounds, there is so much to do. We didn’t manage as long as we’d like in the city, but we certainly had a blast whilst we were there. We will definitely be returning in the future – if for nothing more than the amazing chocolatier in the main square, Yum!

St David’s cathedral sat proudly as the unmistakable centre piece of the city, parts dating back to the early 1100’s.

Knowing our time in Pembrokeshire was growing ever shorter and the weather looking the best it had been the entire adventure, there was nothing else for it than to venture down to Barafundle Bay. A National Trust area known for its beautiful beaches and stunning coastal paths, we grabbed our wetsuits from the van and headed for the beach.. seemingly along with the rest of the population of Wales.

We did our best to beat the rush and managed to get a quieter corner of the beach, favouring the slight shade over being cramped. We made ready with our things and once changed into our wetsuits, we went straight in! The water actually feeling fairly warm and refreshing (at least compared to the icy cold waters of the quarry) – We headed on out along the cove walls, knowing we could get out a long way, whilst being in the relative safety of having some rocks to cling onto! We swam for what felt like miles, through coves and in and out of sea caverns, climbing cliffs and tombstoning into the clear waters.

The awesome Barafundle Bay.

We soon realised that despite the fun we were having, hours had passed and we were starting to get cold. We opted to make our way back along the shoreline to the safety of the beach, to have found even MORE people! By this time the sand was actually burning our feet to stand on, so we made hay ready for the last night of our first proper road trip!

Settled in for our last night at the amazing Cresswell Barn Farm Campsite. The river running behind us was so peaceful! If you’re heading to Pembrokeshire, check this site out!

Like all good things, they must come to an end! We had the most amazing time in Pembrokeshire and certainly an adventure we won’t be forgetting. We learned so much, including van essentials, things we definitely don’t need to bring and some road trip must haves – Things that we’ve carried forward and still use in our adventures today!