Pembrokeshire, 4th - 7th June 2010 Print
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Written by Julian Haines   
Thursday, 20 May 2010 10:42

This meet is in a great location, aimed at paddlers of all levels and suitable for non-kayaking family activities too. Pembrokeshire is in south Wales (UK) and is accessible conveniently by ferry from Rosslare. We're going for a long weekend over the June bank-holiday, 4th - 7th June, camping by the sea just outside St. David's, adjacent to a small natural harbour, Porthclais.

 

Porthclais HarbourKayaking

There are lots of possibilities. There are several easy paddles around the coastline of St. David's head, mostly medium height cliffs punctuated by sandy bays, natural harbours and such like. The peninsular is long and narrow making the possibility of shuttles (one-way) straightforward. Many of these bays and harbours are civilised places to stop for a spot of grub, an ice cream or a drink.

Ramsey island is the nearest, only a mile or so offshore and that offers an intermediate trip to circumnavigate and look at the wildlife. Skomer Island may also be a possibility in this category, although tides are particularly strong here.

For the more experienced there are plenty of possibilities, including offshore islands, Skomer, Skokholm and The Bishops and Clerks to name the most likely candidates. There's also an interesting tidal race with a reputation, The Bitches, in Ramsey Sound just off St. David's head. Playboaters and others go here to surf in the right conditions!

As usual, what actually happens depends on who's going and what the conditions are like. We will endeavour to split into two groups to suit different abilities and desires, perhaps with the assistance of a local instructor (depending on numbers).


Family and other activities

 

Caerfai BayThere are many possibilities. St. David's itself is a nice place to spend a morning or afternoon. The main tourist attraction is the cathedral, but there are plenty of interesting shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants there too.

There are several good beaches very nearby. Caerfai bay is a pleasant walk along the cliffs from the campsite, a deep cove with high cliffs and sandy beach. Whitesands bay is a short drive to the other side of St. David's and is a huge wide sandy beach with local "facilities".

If you like birds, Ramsey Island is very close and Skomer Island about an hour's drive, both of which have a short ferry service. Skomer in particular is known for it's puffin colony. At this time of the year they're nesting all over the island, so there should be plenty to be seen.

 If you are looking for a bit of action, there's the TYF adventure centre in St. Davids that runs coasteering, rock climbing and surfing, as well as sea kayaking.

There are also lots of interesting small local villages dotted around the coastline of the peninsular, often with a good pub (beer and food) or ice cream.Ferry to Skomer Island


 

Everyone is responsible for making their own travel and accomodation arrangements. Please ask for assistance if you need help or want to be put in touch with someone to share either with.

Getting there and back

The easiest option is a conventional ferry from Rosslare to Fishguard run by Stena line, leaving Rosslare at 0900 and returning from Fishguard at 1430, daily. It's about 2 hours from Dublin to Rosslare and about 20 minutes or so to the campsite from Fishguard.

The alternative is an Irish Ferries boat from Rosslare to Pembroke. Times and prices are similar, but it's a much longer drive, probably an hour or so from Pembroke to the camp site.

It is not necessary for everyone to take their own car on the ferry! You're welcome to do so, of course, but cars are expensive compared to foot passenger fares so it would be as well to fill them up. If you're taking a car and have space for other people, please let us know! If you need transport, or don't want to take you car, please ask.

Camping (or other accomodation)

Portclais Farm camp siteWe're intending to camp at Porthclais Farm campsite. It's a large campsite overlooking the sea, about a mile outside St. Davids, a short walk along the cliffs on the coastal path to reach Caerfai bay or two minutes down to the adjacent Portclais Harbour. The site is unlikely to be particularly busy as the UK bank-holiday is the previous weekend. There are usual campsite facilities and plenty of space for kids to run around.

Alternatively, there's lots of other local accomodation including hotels, B&Bs and self-catering in or near to St. Davids.


 

Please:

  1. Book your ferry. It's busy, so you may be out of luck if you leave it late.
  2. Consider booking the campsite or other accomodation.
  3. Send an email to let us know that you're coming, roughly what level you're at and what sort of paddling interests you. This will help enormously with planning, especially if we're to hire a local instructor.
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 June 2010 05:00