Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
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Headland cliffs in Pembrokeshire Coast |
The Pembrokeshire Coast National
park occupies almost all the coastline of south-west Wales. it includes
the offshore islands of Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm off the southern
headland, and Ramsey Island off the northern headland of St. Bride's Bay
as well as Caldey Island, which is further south, off Tenby. It also
includes the inland Daugleddau estuary and some of the moorland in the
Preselli Hills. The Pembrokeshire coastal path stretches for 300 km (186
miles), which takes at least two weeks to walk and is a real test of
endurance - most people opt for walking a section at a time.
The rugged coastline and
spectacular cliffs, probably the most spectacular in the country, are
dotted with little fishing villages and vast sandy beaches. It is an
austere and remote landscape filled with castles - more than 50 of them -
and also St David's Cathedral, which is the most significant religious
site in Wales and was built in the late twelfth century on land where a
church had already stood for 600 years. Generally speaking, tourists come
for three reasons - to walk the coastal path, to look for wildlife (the
islands are all marine nature reserves) and to practice outdoor pursuits
such as surfing and windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, scuba diving,
fishing, riding, sea kayaking and coasteering, which is a kind of rock
climbing in the sea.
Several companies offer boat
trips to the islands, and in spring and summer you can see colonies of
thousands of seabirds including puffins and guillemots. Skomer and
Skokholm jointly have the largest colony of Manx shearwaters in the
world. You can see seals, porpoises, dolphins and even, if you are lucky
enough, the minke whale.
