Explore the rugged coasts and remote islands of Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes and wonderful wildlife.
Scenic Pembrokeshire is always an exciting place to visit, especially as it’s such a long way from anywhere! Amongst naturalists, it’s most well-known for its famous seabird colonies on the offshore islands. We will visit two of these in depth: exploring both Skomer and Ramsey Islands on foot and from the sea to enjoy their abundance of birdlife and beautiful landscapes.
Our short boat crossing to Skomer is an unforgettable experience, as hundreds of puffins whizz around us at head height. A clear turquoise sea is bordered by a dramatic rocky shoreline at the base of sheer cliffs, that are often packed with thousands of guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. Time will also be spent exploring the mainland wildlife hotspots, visiting lakes, beautiful coastal bays and estuaries with stops at favoured nature reserves and the occasional historic site.
Typical Itinerary
Day1: Arrive in Pembrokeshire
We meet at our accommodation in the early afternoon where our leader will meet us in reception before checking in. Later, we head out on our first excursion in Pembrokeshire.
Accommodation: 4-nights, St David’s Cross Hotel
Day2: Skomer Island
This morning we travel a short distance south-west to the coast where we board a small ferry for our crossing to the island of Skomer.
At just under three square kilometres, Skomer is the perfect size for a day visit, enabling visitors enjoy its remarkable bird and botanical life, whilst also appreciating the spectacular cliff-top views. Home to the largest colony of puffins in the south of Britain, there will be ample time to observe these charismatic birds at close quarters, alongside a wealth of other seabirds, passerines and raptors, including both little and short-eared owls, fulmar, guillemot, razorbill, shag and oystercatcher.
Day3: Visit Ramsey
To start the day, we head to St Justinian’s to board a boat bound for the picturesque isle of Ramsey, just one kilometre off the coast from St David’s Head and an island many believe to be the most beautiful of the Pembrokeshire islands. We spend an hour and a half sailing around the island admiring the spectacular cliffs and geological formations as well as the variety of seabirds such as razorbills, fulmars, guillemots, oystercatchers and kittiwakes.
Afterwards, we disembark the boat on the island of Ramsey where we continue to explore on foot. It perfectly complements Skomer with its subtle differences and has large populations of Atlantic grey seal and resident red deer. Ramsey is blessed with high cliffs rising over 100 metres in height making them perfect for breeding seabirds and their predators. We should observe large numbers of guillemot, chough and Manx shearwater with the occasional peregrine falcon passing by and disturbing the roosts.
Day4: Explore mainland Pembrokeshire
Today is devoted to exploring mainland Pembrokeshire, visiting oceanic heathlands, beautiful coastal bays and beaches, estuaries and stops at favoured nature reserves looking for birds, mammals, plants and insects, including local specialities, and a visit to the famous St David’s Cathedral.
Depending on time and weather, we will also spend time at Stackpole, another iconic wildlife location in Pembrokeshire, including the scenic Bosheston Lakes that are superb for dragonflies and a regular haunt of otter. There are very few places in the UK like Stackpole that have such a diversity of habitats in such a small area ranging from limestone cliffs and sweeping beaches to shallow freshwater lakes filled with rare freshwater plants and the beautiful white waterlilies. This diversity helps to support a wonderful array of wildlife with Atlantic puffin, reed warbler, stonechat, skylark, oystercatcher, razorbill, dark green fritillary, brown argus and chough being just a few of the notable highlights.
Day5: Departure
This morning we have time for one more outing to try and observe any species that we haven't enjoyed already before checking out of our hotel as the tour draws to a close at midday.
Please note: Being on the exposed western margins of Britain, the weather can be quite changeable even in July, so due to our reliance on boats, our schedule may vary depending on the weather conditions.
Key info
Duration and price excluding international flights: 5 daysfrom £1,395 pp
Barry has a degree in ecology and a lifelong interest in nature which led to a career in nature conservation and habitat restoration working for the RSPB and the Woodland Trust.
A keen general naturalist and dendrologist, Barry has lived in Australia before returning to the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, working as a forest ranger and also sharing his passion for nature as a local guide. His travels have taken him worldwide, with a particular fondness for Europe and the Arctic.
Perched on the south-west tip of Wales, the remote and wild county of Pembrokeshire is known for its rugged coastline, stunning beaches, beautiful islands and plentiful wildlife. From Atlantic puffin to otter and peregrine falcon, there is more than enough to see here for any discerning naturalist.
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Skomer Island - Ynys Sgomer in Welsh - is situated off the lovely Pembrokeshire coast, and is famed for its wildlife. Some 50% of the world population of Manx shearwaters nests here, and the colony of Atlantic puffins is the largest in southern Britain, while its one unique mammal - the Skomer vole - is endemic.
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Where: Wales
Ideal for viewing: Atlantic puffin, Manx shearwater, short-eared owl, Skomer vole, grey seal
