Great beaches, fab food and spectacular walking
48 hours in Newport
Whatever the season, whatever the weather, Newport is an evocative landscape with a bucket full of charm.
This artists’ haunt brings you whole food shopping, co-operative art, street cafés and some of the best fine-dining restaurants Pembrokeshire has to offer.
Jam-packed days.
Head to Blas at Fronlas or PWNC Cafe for breakfast then take a good wander around town. Be sure to visit the Carn Ingli centre and the Newport Collective Gallery run by local artists and makers.
Take home that ‘must have’ item from The Gallery yr Oriel packed full of fine art, ceramics and sculpture or spend some time browsing the delights of Ffynnon, a lifestyle store selling home interiors in their ever so cute vintage shop.
Newport is one of the few places where you can walk sea to summit, in a leisurely morning. Carningli is the mountain that towers over the town and is regularly tackled by locals of all ages, all year round – so go for it!
Lunch on the mountain might be calling, so pop into Wholefood’s of Newport and pick up an organic picnic of local bread, cheese and salad before you go.
In the afternoon you can stay on foot and walk from the Parrog to Newport Sands beach, around the estuary, and be sure to pop into Cat Rock Cafe in Newport Links golf club for a coffee and cake, and incredible views, before the walk home.
In the evening you’ve got the pick of the crop when it comes to eating out. Award-winning restaurant with rooms, Llys Meddyg, offer a menu that supports the very best local, artisan food the area has to offer.
If you fancy something less formal, try The Canteen for incredible pizza. There are two pubs, The Castle (lovely outdoor seating area) serving pub classics and Royal Oak with a great range of curries.
The Golden Lion is a gastropub with excellent food and Tides Kitchen & Wine Bar specialises in seafood and local ingredients and there’s fizz and fish nights on Thursdays.
Newport locals love a good shindig, so be sure to check if the Memorial Hall have an event, Llys Meddyg has garden gigs or the Golden Lion has live music. A short distance away in Fishguard, there is a community theatre cinema Theatr Gwaun and at The Royal Oak it could be folk night or local bands playing in the garden.
If you’re here for a while.
You can walk in four different directions from Newport, without retracing your steps.
Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs through Newport Parrog and offers two spectacular walks from Fishguard and Poppit Sands. Be sure to hop on the Poppit Rocket bus – a quick bus ride out of town, in either direction, means you can enjoy a leisurely walk back to Newport, taking in the spectacular coast path scenery along the way.
If the walk up Carningli has whet your appetite then venture deeper into the Preseli Hills for more summit walks and unbroken views as far as Ireland and North Wales.
More adventure awaits you in the beautiful Gwaun Valley. Here you will find two microbreweries, Penlan Uchaf gardens and some of the oldest woodlands in Wales. Not to mention the Dyffryn Arms – better known as Bessie’s. One of the most charismatic pub experiences you can hope to find in Pembrokeshire and a great place to practice your Welsh.
Carningli Common is a land of wild horses and one of the best ways to experience this landscape is with the help of a horse. Several local riding stables offer rides onto the moor and into the Gwaun Valley – an experience well worth taking home.
Try and stay for a Monday morning, when Market Street closes to traffic and becomes a spontaneous festival produce market. Expect live music, café tables spilling into the street and a memorable market atmosphere.
For legend lovers.
Pembrokeshire is steeped in myths and legends and if you love history you will love Castell Henllys Iron Age Village. Discover your inner Celt at this living Iron Age village and find out more about the ancient landscape you are visiting.
On your way back explore Pentre Ifan neolithic burial chamber and the gnarly oak forest of Ty Canol woods, just east of Newport. This is a landscape of legends and fairy tales, dripping with green moss and magic – perfect for stirring the imagination!
Make time to visit the tiny village of Nevern on the River Nyfer – it’s packed with history and legend. Nevern was an important administrative centre in medieval times and as a result has a 12th-century motte and bailey castle, a Celtic Cross and several inscribed stones carved with Ogham script from the late 10th century. Take time to find the 700 year old ‘bleeding’ yew tree in the churchyard that oozes red sap!
Pack your bags and search for your perfect getaway today.