48 hours in Fishguard

Set across two parts, the main township perches on the top of the hill, while Lower Town cups a small river that flows into an idyllic harbour.

On your first day…

What better way to start than a sumptuous breakfast to fuel the rest of your day?
A stay at Manor Townhouse offers a daily-changing four-course breakfast that has earned rave reviews. Owner and chef Helen Sheldon ensures the menu features seasonal, locally sourced ingredients and caters to various dietary preferences. Start your day with fresh fruit skewers, homemade granola, and compotes with yogurt, followed by a cooked special such as scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and asparagus, or chargrilled sourdough with vanilla-whipped ricotta and thyme-roasted peaches.

Accompany your meal with freshly ground Welsh coffee or specialty teas. Guests can enjoy their breakfast indoors or alfresco on the garden terrace, both offering stunning sea views over Fishguard Bay.

When you’re fuelled up and ready to explore, make your way up to the old fort, a one mile walk from the town centre or half a mile from Lower Town. Facing north and with expansive views both east and west, this spot makes the perfect vantage point to survey your surroundings, watch the Stena Line ferry come in, or have a picnic in a spot of historic interest. The canons, which can still be found at the fortress, formed the defence line that prevented the last invasion of Britain in 1797 – along with a crowd of local women who looked so fierce in their tall black hats and red cloaks that the French withdrew in terror!

Once you’ve had your fill of clifftop views, head back up to town for lunch and afterwards, stop in at the town hall to marvel at the impressive 100ft Last Invasion Tapestry, designed and hand-woven by more than 80 local women on the invasion’s bicentenary to tell the story of the dramatic event, before taking an amble down to Lower Town to explore the picturesque harbour (best at high tide).

Quaint cottages border the water, tiny boats gently sway and move in the current, twisting slowly around their moorings, and sunny benches dotted along the harbour wall provide the perfect spot for you to sit and enjoy the view.
You could even book a stay at No. 33 or No. 37 Quay Street cottages, packed full of charm and history.

Quaint cottages border the water, tiny boats gently sway and move in the current, twisting slowly around their moorings, and sunny benches dotted along the harbour wall provide the perfect spot for you to sit and enjoy the view.
You could even book a stay at No. 33 or No. 37 Quay Street cottages, packed full of charm and history.

After an afternoon of activity, catch a film or performance at Theatre Gwaun, a community trust owned theatre and cinema screening a range of films including art house and foreign cinema. Embedded in north Pembrokeshire’s cultural scene, Theatre Gwaun hosts events as part of several annual Fishguard-based music festivals.

In May the town plays host to a series of events for the Fishguard Folk Festival. On the August bank holiday, jazz and blues music take over during AberJazz; for classical music lovers, the Fishguard International Music Festival is a ten-day extravaganza that attracts excellent musicians, orchestras and ensembles from across the globe to perform in venues across north Pembrokeshire.

The next day…

Start your day by taking the Art Afoot trail.

Art Afoot is a series of three new trails linking Fishguard and Goodwick. The trails showcase work by artists based locally and includes sculptures, interactive and kinetic artworks and augmented reality digital artworks that walkers can access using a smartphone.

The trails, which are free, family friendly and open daily, make use of existing pathways such as the boardwalk on the wildlife reserve at Goodwick Moor and the Marine Walk which is an accessible coastal path with stunning views over Fishguard Harbour and Lower Town as well as a walk that takes you through a community orchard.

Celebrating the unique biodiversity and wildlife of the area and telling the ‘twin towns’ heritage stories were two themes that emerged strongly from the community.

Many of the artworks have been inspired by community drawings made during the engagement process. The trail map, which is available online as well as in printed form at local venues, also includes some already existing artworks and memorial works that were already present within the town.

While you’re in Goodwick, visit The Ocean Lab and explore the Sea Mor Aquarium or join a seashore safari. The aquarium is home to a variety of marine creatures, representing the diversity of life found in Welsh waters. The aquarium allows close up views of the animals possibly only glimpsed in their natural environment. It makes for a great rainy day activity, and there’s also a café and gift shop.

If you’d like to experience Pembrokeshire from the water, book a Fishguard Bay Boat Trip. Fishguard Harbour is the ideal departure point to take in the full breadth of Fishguard bay and Goodwick Parrog. It is no secret Pembrokeshire has some of the UK’s most breathtaking coastal walks, beautiful from land but now you can view this stunning landscape from the sea. Uncover the hidden treasures of the north Pembrokeshire coastline, which boasts fascinating prehistoric rock formations and an abundance of remarkable wildlife.

Throughout the trip, you may encounter various seabird species, including visiting Auks, Kittiwakes, and Fulmars, as well as witnessing gannets diving for food in the tide. The towering cliffs also serve as a sanctuary for rare species such as the Chough and Peregrine Falcon.

Whilst out on this voyage, visitors frequently encounter Atlantic grey seals, and the resident Harbour porpoise which can be seen feeding in the tidal races. The Strumble Head area is an excellent location for whale-watching, and it’s not uncommon to observe Common or Bottlenose dolphins, and occasionally Risso’s dolphin.

There are so many beautiful spots near Fishguard to explore, jump on the Strumble Shuttle Bus (summer only) and head out to Strumble Head, where you’ll find a picturesque lighthouse atop a small island just off the coast. As one of the best seal and porpoise watching spots – not only in Pembrokeshire but the whole of the UK – in autumn the pebbled beaches play host to young pups that are easily visible from the coastal path. The walking both north and south along the coast path from Strumble Head is fantastic. Carry on along the road to Melin Tregwynt where you can watch the original looms whirring away creating the iconic wool patterns and enjoy a cup of tea and cake in the tranquil outside space.

There are also some lovely woodland walks in the Gwaun Valley, following the river Gwaun that gives its name to the Fishguard’s Welsh title, Abergwaun. You can amble through ancient oaks alongside burbling water – beautiful at any time of the year but even more so when the leaves turn in autumn. The car park at Sychpant Woods and picnic area is a great place to start.

Stop for a pint at the Dyffryn Arms in the village of Llanychaer, where landlady Bessie served beer from a jug in her front-room pub until she passed away in 2023. The pub remains in her family as it has done since 1840.

Garden lovers should take a trip 3 miles east of Fishguard to Dyffryn Fernant. This 6-acre garden lovingly created from a wilderness by Christina and David Shand is a joy to visit.

If you’d like to combine coffee, cake and gardens, head to Red Onion Garden Café, where the focus is on homegrown and homemade food. Established in 2021 by Rhianna Chilton, with an extensive hospitality career she brings her best customer service to this unique cafe restaurant, which is also dog friendly.

After all your adventuring, head back towards Fishguard for an evening meal at Tregroes Pantry Restaurant. The fully licensed bar and restaurant is open 5 days a week from Wednesday to Sunday throughout the year and has a wonderful reputation for being a lovely place to eat.

It is situated within the grounds of Tregroes Caravan, Camping and Glamping Park and all campsite guests will receive a 10% discount voucher which can be used for meals in the pantry restaurant on the day of arrival.

There is a full lunchtime and evening menu. The emphasis is on homemade, hearty meals. The homemade desserts and traditional Sunday lunches are firm favourites with visitors and locals alike. Tregroes Pantry regularly hold ‘Build a Burger’ nights and hand stretched delicious pizzas can be eaten in or boxed for take-out.

Other accommodation options include Fishguard Bay resort, perched on a magical spot of the North Pembrokeshire coastline. From cottages and luxury lodges, to glamping and touring and camping, there’s an option to suit everyone. With some of the accommodation including hot tubs, you could enjoy a glass of fizz while watching the sun go down.

For more camping options head to Yet-y-Gors fishery and campsite, set in 17 acres of countryside, including 4 fishing lakes. The owners actively encourage wildlife and the site boasts a trove of beautiful wild flowers. You may even spot a hedgehog or a kingfisher!

…Sounds like a perfect weekend to us, what about you?

And don’t forget, you can travel to Fishguard by train!