North of St Davids Peninsula
This is part two of my 3 part blog series on how you can help have a lower impact on our little community, when you visit us, by helping ease congestion on our roads.
Destinations like St Davids are heavily impacted by huge volumes of traffic during busy summer months, but the good news is that during your stay at our apartments Galwad y Mor, which is Welsh for ‘the call of the sea’ you can leave the car behind, in your own private car parking bay, right in the centre of St Davids. Here’s our guide to remote beach hopping by using the local coastal bus shuttle services. So even if you are not up to walking the whole coastal path you can access more remote parts of it. Our friendly onsite office is manned daily and we’ll point you in the right direction for bus stops and provide you with timetables, along with our valuable local knowledge. Leave the stress behind and unwind, let someone else drive you around and you’ll get a fabulous birds eye view over the hedgerows as you fly around on the buses. You don’t need to battle for car parking space and you’ll be doing your bit for our precious community and the planet too!.
Our 17 apartments take their names from local beaches or harbours. From Abercastle in the North to Solva in the South, here on the St Davids Peninsular in Pembrokeshire here’s part two of our exclusive Galwad y Mor Apartments 3 part guide to them, along with their local Welsh names and an insight to their history and what makes them special.
404 Strumble Shuttle/Gwibiwr Strwmbl Monday to Saturday only, from 28th May to 2nd October 2022. Calling at New Street bus stop at 09:10, 13:50 and 17:50, arriving at Abereiddi Car Park at 09:26, 14:06 18:06, Porthgain Harbour at 09:39, 4:19 and 18:19 and Abercastell at 08:13, 12:10. To return to St Davids the bus leaves Abercastle at 09:50 14:30 and 8:30, Porthgain Harbour at 08:24 12:21 and 17:11, Abereiddi Car Park at 12:32 17:22, getting back to St David’s New Street at 08:43 12:48 and 17:38. From October through to May the bus still runs but on a reduced timetable, so please check times with the operator before you travel.
Abercastell Harbour
The picturesque, north Pembrokeshire cove of Abercastell, is a sheltered little muddy sand and shingle beach with a slip-way which is a great harbour for boats, kayakers and divers alike. Known affectionately by locals, in busier sea faring days gone by as ‘Cwm Badau’ (bay of boats). Overlooking the beach is an island called ‘Ynys y Castell’ which means Castle Island which is where the beach gets its name. Just inland of the beach is Carreg Sampson, an impressive ancient burial chamber. There is very limited parking here and the single lane access can get congested in busy summer months so getting the coastal bus, especially in the summer, makes for a stress free day. Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Abercastell apartment, where you can park for free and access the bus at the bus stop outside on New Street just on the corner of our street.
Abermawr
Take the Strumble shuttle to Abercastle and walk north on the coast path to Abermawr beach pictured above on the right or its neighbour on the left. Abermawr is a pebble bank, backed by earthed cliffs with a large sandy beach at low tide where you can often see tree stumps, the remains of a forest drowned by a sudden flood as an ice sheet melted 8000 years ago. The stumps have been perfectly preserved by salt. Behind the beach are an interesting ruined cottage, a wildlife-rich marshy area and bluebell woods climbing the hill at the southern end. There are no amenities or lifeguards so beware the currents when swimming and the climb down and steps are steep. Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Abermawr apartment, where you can park for free and access the bus at the bus stop outside on New Street just on the corner of our street.
Aberbach Beach
Aberbach is a small steep shingle, north Pembrokeshire beach, to the north of Abermawr, which at low tide has golden sand. Bach is Welsh for small. It’s a great place to watch seals playing in the surf and there’s a local tale about a farmer who caught a mermaid here. The name Aberbach means little river mouth and its river runs down its wooded valley walk. You can either walk from Tregwynt Mill down this valley or from Neighbouring Abermawr. Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Aberbach apartment, where you can park for free and access the bus at the bus stop outside on New Street just on the corner of our street.
Aberfelin Beach
Aberfelin is the beach just before Trefin which has a bus stop on the Strumble Shuttle bus route, so you just have to walk a little way back down the hill. Its a rocky shale cove perfect for exploring rock pools but not a sandy beach. The name ‘felin’ refers to the ruined corn mill that stands on the clifftop of the river valley approach, a reminder of its busy past. It’s a lovely place for a walk and a spot of rock pooling or a picnic but not so much a swimming beach as there is little sand and many rocks and the access down the steep steps is tricky for some. Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Aberfelin apartment, where you can park for free and access the bus at the bus stop outside on New Street just on the corner of our street.
Porthgain
Porthgain is a charming little harbour village, on the north Pembrokeshire coast, just 7 miles from St Davids, which has a popular pub The Sloop, the famous Shed fish and chip restaurant, Harbour Lights Gallery and a gift shop, and a big industrial past. Ships used to dock here to export slate from the nearby quarry at Aberieddi and today its ivy clad, derelict old brick built hoppers, have been reclaimed by nature blending in with the natural surroundings, yet echoing a very different past. Porthgain is Welsh for ‘chisel port’ which refers to these days, when the quarry was king and slate and crushed granite road stone was shipped far and wide. Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Porthgain apartment, where you can park for free and access the bus at the bus stop outside on New Street just on the corner of our street.
Traeth Llyfn Beach
Traeth Llyfn beach is situated on the north coast and is one of Pembrokeshire’s jewels in the crown, Traeth Llyfn which translated means smooth even or flat beach, a reflection of its beautiful golden sands at low tide. Traeth Llyfn beach involves a coastal path walk from either neighbouring Abereiddi or Porthgain where you can get the Strumble Shuttle bus to. It has a steep metal staircase to ascend the high cliffs from the coast path. Its spectacular remote desert island light sands and crystal clear waters on a calm day are inviting, however beware as the currents are dangerous and there are no lifeguards or amenities in this remote location. Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Traeth Llyfn apartment.
Abereiddi
Abereiddi, a north Pembrokeshire beach famous for it black sand which is a result of its slate cliffs. Just a walk up the far north hill and out onto the headland and you’ll come across the famous Blue Lagoon. A quarry which had its sea wall blown up to create a man made sheltered harbour which is extremely deep and has a distinct turquoise blue colour. Seals often shelter here and it’s popular too with outdoor activity providers for coasteering, as its disused quarry walls provide different levels for jumping in from. But please do this safely with guides who know these waters and are trained in water and adventure safety.Click for availability and prices of accommodation at our Abereiddi apartment, where you can park for free and access the bus at the bus stop outside on New Street just on the corner of our street.
Fflescsi bus
Fflecsi bus is a new way to travel! Plan ahead and book this local bus to pick you up and drop you off around the peninsula if the shuttle bus doesn’t suit your needs. Just book in advance for a particular service by using the app or by calling 0300 234 0300. The bus service is then able to plan its route with slight detours so that all passengers can get to where they need to go. You’ll be able to choose from a range of services. The services are designed so that people in Northwest Pembrokeshire have travel options every week. As the services cover a big area they do vary from day to day, serving one village or area one day and another the next.
However you travel around the peninsula please remember to tread lightly and to take your litter home or to place it in the bins and recycling points along the way. We hope you have a wonderful time and make wonderful memories, take lots of photographs and leave only your footsteps………..
Becky x
