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Pembrokeshire Coast: Skomer & St David's -
tour description
We have designed this tour to appeal to those who enjoy both hiking
and wildlife and would like the opportunity to walk along one
of Britain's finest coastlines for seabirds. In late spring the
coastal cliffs are also carpeted with masses of wild flowers.
A highlight of the tour is the opportunity to spend
a day on the Skomer Island National Nature Reserve, which is a
breeding site for such birds as Manx shearwaters, guillemots,
razorbills, kittiwakes, puffins, and choughs. Skomer is closed
on Mondays and the boat trip to the island is not possible in
windy weather. Gannets breed in 10,000s at nearby Grassholm island
(occasional boat trips possible, no landing) and can often be
observed from the mainland cliffs.
With its wealth of iron-age promontory forts the
Pembrokeshire coast will also be of particular interest to those
who are interested in prehistoric archaeology. Skomer Island has
abundant remains of prehistoric field systems dating back to the
neolithic period.
The great Romanesque and Gothic cathedral of St
David's, set in a small village, has long been a destination for
pilgrims, and makes a fitting climax for our walk.
The whole of our route is within the Pembrokeshire
Coast National Park, one of three national parks in Wales, and
the only coastal national park in Britain.
The crest of the coastal cliffs is closely followed by the Pembrokeshire
Coast Path national long distance trail, making this coast easily
accessible to hikers and walkers.
Route-finding is easy with our detailed route descriptions, and
the days of 12 to 18km (8 to 11 miles) are not strenuous, although
there are frequent steep gradients both up and down. The tour
is suitable for reasonably fit walkers with little or no previous
experience of hiking tours.
On the way you pass pretty fishing villages such as Little Haven
and Solva, and there is an opportunity to climb to the rocky summit
of Carn Llidi mountain, one of the finest viewpoints in Britain
although only 200 metres above the sea.
This west-facing coast is known for its mild climate. There are
a number of fine sandy beaches close to our route.
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What previous customers have told us about our Skomer & St David’s
tour:
‘[We particularly liked]
The gorgeous scenery all along the coast
The chance to go to Skomer [ island bird reserve]
The various options for side trips
The Sunday bell ringings in the bell tower beside St David’s cathedral.’
C and P Crawford
Pembrokeshire Coast: Skomer & St David's -
tour details 2014
A Discerning Traveller self-led walking tour
Duration: 7 nights. Tour code: K.
Extra nights at any point can be added on. See below for suggestions.
Dates: April to mid-October, start any day. Accommodation
on this route tends to be booked up well in advance at Bank Holiday
weekends (Easter, late May/early June) and during the summer holiday
period (late July and August).
Grade: Easy to moderate hiking. Some steep gradients. Routefinding
straightforward. For explanation of grades see Grading
and difficulty page.
Overnight stops: Night 1: Dale; 2, 3 Marloes; 4 Little Haven or Broad Haven; 5 Solva;
6, 7 St David's.
Daily distances. Day 2: 15km/9 miles/5 hours; Day 3 excursion
to Skomer island with about 6km/4 miles walking, also some optional
walking on the mainland; Day 4: 14km/9 miles/ 4.5 hours; Day 5: 18km/11
miles/5.5 hours; Day 6: 11km/7 miles/3.5 hours plus cathedral visit;
Day 7 16km/10 miles/4.5 hours. These distances can be reduced by using
local buses for which we provide timetables. Distances and times may
be increased if you visit all the archaeological sites we refer to!
Accommodation. In specially selected small guest houses (B&Bs);
some nights with en-suite or private facilities, which can be guaranteed
throughout the tour for a supplement.
Meals included. Breakfast each morning is included. Evening
meals can be obtained locally without pre-booking. Packed/picnic lunches
are obtainable locally from village shops or from your accommodation.
Baggage transfers. Each day that you walk on to new accommodation
your baggage up to 20kg per person is moved on to the next night's
stop (included in tour price).
Maps and route notes. Hikers maps at 1:25,000 scale with route
and accommodations marked, route notes (specially researched by and
exclusive to The Discerning Traveller), local bus timetables,
tide tables, other local information.
Extra nights. Prices of extra nights on
application. Second nights in Marloes and St David's are already included. For the delightful surroundings
of a small fishing village and a good beach we suggest an extra night
at Little Haven. For an opportunity to relax on the beach and possibly
to visit Ramsey Island (important breeding ground for Atlantic grey
seals) we suggest a third night in St David's.
Nearest international airports. London Heathrow, Cardiff, Bristol.
Train stations. Start of tour: Milford Haven, end of tour Haverfordwest.
These two stations are on the same line, most easily reached from
London Paddington. It is normally necessary to change trains in Swansea.
Journey time is about 5.5 hours each way. There is also in summer
1 direct train service per day (not Sundays) from London Waterloo
to Haverfordwest and Milford Haven.
Getting from (and back to) the train stations. From Milford
Haven train station to Dale travel by taxi or occasional bus; from
St David's to Haverfordwest by bus or (on Sundays) by taxi. Train,
bus and taxi fares are not included in the tour price. We provide
bus timetables.
Factsheets. These are more detailed information sheets, one
for each tour, which can be obtained from The Discerning Traveller
before booking. The Factsheet code for our tour 'Pembrokeshire Coast
- Skomer & St David's' is FSK.
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Pembrokeshire Coast: Skomer & St
David's - self-led tour prices 2014
- K7 (7 nights tour, ES or private facilities most nights):
£560. SRS*: £100. STS**: £120.
- Extra nights: £45 per person per night, except at St David's
£55.
- Supplement for en-suite/private bathroom facilities every night.
Please enquire. Most are already en-suite/private.
- SRS* = single room supplement (applicable when 3 or 5 persons book
together).
- STS** = single traveller supplement (applicable when booking is
for one person only).
- Prices quoted are per person on basis of two people in double
or twin-bedded rooms. Included in the price are bed and breakfast each
night, with baggage transfers, maps and route directions. ‘ES’ (en suite)
facilities means that there is a private bathroom with shower or tub
and toilet within the main door of your room. ‘Private facilities’ means
that the private bathroom may be outside the main door of your room.
When the booking is made for a party of 3 or 5 customers, a single room
supplement is payable. When the booking is made for a single traveller,
a single traveller supplement is payable. Maximum one single room per
booking.
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About self-led hiking and walking tours
Our postal address is The Discerning Traveller, 38 Canal Street, OXFORD OX2 6BQ, United Kingdom.
Telephone and fax 0(044) 1865 515618. E-mail:info@discerningtraveller.co.uk
www.discerningtraveller.co.uk
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