LOCATION :: Broadhaven Beach
One of the best all round beaches in Pembrokeshire for a whole range of watersports, BROAD HAVEN’s small waves in Summer make it great for first ventures onto the open sea.
Windsurfing, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Surf Kayaking, kitesurfing and first time surfing for the youngest surfers. When you get your first view of St. Brides Bay as you come over the hill from Haverfordwest and begin the descent into the village, in the Springtime with a North wind, you could be looking at the East Coast of any of the Canary Islands during the windy Summer season of North East tradewinds.
The sea is a fantastic cobalt blue and the white waketrails of speeding windsurfers criss cross the bay.
All this changes when the weather takes a turn for the worse (or better!) as the dark lowering clouds and rain pull in from the South over the Goultrop Roads headland beyond Little Haven as the swell builds and surfers, locals and visitors alike, emerge from the urban ratruns of the village to hit the waves. It’s a great place to watch the surf action on high tide and everything is right on the seafront providing a degree of shelter from the wind and rain. HAVEN SPORTS (one of the best stocked watersports shops in Pembrokeshire) has a wide range of up to date equipment, wetsuits and clothing for hire and sale.
Two Cafes contrast in style with great fish and chips from the BEACH CAFÉ (Masterclass Surfing’s meeting point for both Surfing and Paddleboarding courses) or lattes at “THE BAY”. THE GALLEON next door, a favourite spot with locals, does a wide range of pub food and more very, very well. And the modern promenade style OCEAN BAR and RESTAURANT with its café covers all tastes from cream cakes to multi course evening meals as you take in the amazing sunsets.
A twenty minute stroll over the headland (or along the beach at low tide) brings you to Little Haven with it’s three foody pubs, corner café on the seafront and the “LOBSTER and MOR” seafood bistro .. spoilt for choice between Gastro pub style at the SWAN or well tried favourites at the CASTLE and the ST.BRIDES Inn. (book early to avoid disappointment!)
Accommodation
Broad Haven’s Accommodation ranges from self catering apartments at Rocks Drift, cedar wood cabins at Timber hill to the beachfront B&B with yet another Café (with delicious authentic Italian food) at ANCHOR HOUSE, and the caravans of BROAD HAVEN HOLIDAY PARK, with the Y.H.A. hostel as a great base for families or groups.
Guest houses like “Penderyn “ in Little Haven and the superb eclectic clifftop hotel at DRUIDSTONE are only a few minutes from the beach by car or foot. Walton West’s campsite is a short walk from the beach.
Things to do locally include wildlife watching boatrips to Skomer island for the puffins, seals and occasional dolphins and grassholm island with its world famous gannet colony.
