St Davids is Britain’s smallest city — village-sized, built around a magnificent 12th-century cathedral — and it sits in the middle of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which means the real attractions are beaches, boats, and wildlife.
Why Go
Puffins, seal pups, surf lessons, and a cathedral city you can walk across in five minutes: St Davids condenses the best of coastal Wales into a single peninsula, and children who visit tend to remember the boat trips for the rest of their lives.
Key Sights
St Davids Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace — the shrine of Wales’s patron saint in a hollow so deep the tower barely clears the rooftops; the ruined palace next door, with spiral stairs and arcaded walls, is the half kids prefer.
Whitesands Beach — one of Wales’s best family beaches: a broad arc of sand, lifeguards in season, and reliable beginner surf.
Ramsey Island — the RSPB reserve offshore, ringed by seal colonies and seabird cliffs.
Porthclais Harbour — the tiny inlet where St David was reputedly baptised, with rock pools at low tide.
Things To Do
- Take a boat trip from St Justinians: seals year-round (pups from late August), puffins and porpoises in early summer, or the jet-boat ride through the Bitches tidal race for older kids.
- Book a beginner surf lesson at Whitesands (from about age 8).
- Walk a short, dramatic stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path either side of Porthclais.
- Try coasteering — it was invented here; local operators run family sessions from age 8.
- Meet the tarantulas (and try the insect burgers) at Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm just outside the city.
Travel Time
- From Cardiff: about 2 hours by car
- From London: about 4 hours by train to Haverfordwest, then a 35-minute bus or drive
- City centre to Whitesands Beach: 10 minutes by car or the seasonal shuttle
- City centre to the St Justinians boat station: 5 minutes by car
Travel Route
Drive if you can — Pembrokeshire rewards flexibility — or train to Haverfordwest and finish by bus. Base in or near the city and alternate: beach days at Whitesands, a boat morning from St Justinians, the cathedral and Bug Farm for changeable weather. In summer the Celtic Coaster shuttle loops the peninsula, so you can leave the car parked.
Planning a longer trip? See our full United Kingdom family travel guide.