Pembrokeshire, Wales | Travel With Dogs

Last week we set off on the 5 hour car journey to Pembrokeshire in Wales for our annual doggie holiday. Every year we like to take the dogs away for a week somewhere in the UK and it makes such nice change to actually enjoy a holiday with them all in tow as we're usually spending our time missing them when we are away. 

After much searching on Air BnB I came across this beautiful converted church, High Haven, which ticked all the boxes for us and it's importantly dog friendly. I love how many dog friendly properties there are available on Air BnB and in the past we have also used Unique Home Stays to find our perfect holiday home. 

The church really was an amazing place to stay for the week and it was so different to anywhere else we have ever stayed. We always like to go for something a little out of the ordinary with our holidays and this really did surpass everything else I looked at. It has been so beautifully renovated and they have kept so many of the original features. 

Another plus point for us was the large garden, or should I say graveyard! At first I was unsure how I felt about staying on top of a graveyard and I admit it did feel a little bit spooky at night when we came home in the dark. But we soon got over it and to be honest it felt like any other garden. Anyway, this was perfect for the dogs to be able to use and it was great that it wasn't surrounded by anything else other than a farm building next door.

Staying at High Haven really did feel like we were in the middle of no where but it is also conveniently close to so many beautiful beaches only a short drive away. Our favourite little spot of the week was Little Haven which has an amazing sandy beach and the really lovely Swan Inn pub where we were able to get ourselves a delicious Sunday vegan roast dinner. 

I think my favourite day whilst we were in Wales was when we made a visit to the infamous Barafundle Bay which you can only reach by water or foot. It said in our guide book that this beach had Caribbean qualities and has been voted the best beach in the UK so we knew we had to make a visit. The site is owned by The National Trust so there were all the facilities we needed on site - car park, small cafe and toilets. From there it was about a twenty minute walk down to Barandundle Bay where we took in some amazing scenic views and when the bay came into sight it really was breathtaking. 

Despite it being a really bad week weather wise for us, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a couple of hours of sunshine on this beach and we loved every minute! We really didn't feel like we were in the UK whilst we were there.

The weather really was a battle for us during this trip and it rained quite heavily for the majority of the time we were there which certainly made everything feel like a challenge, especially with the dogs. We ended up making the decision to cut the week short because of it but on the one day which was completely dry we decided to visit Tenby which so many of you had recommended to me. 

This is a great little town with lots of small shops, cafes and pubs. It was perfect for an afternoon mooch about and I loved all the colourful buildings along the seafront. I was hoping to make a visit to the much heard about Plantagenet House for lunch but sadly they had stopped serving by the time we had arrived. This was really disappointing as they seemed to have some really good vegan options on the menu. 

If I am being honest I found eating out vegan in Wales a real struggle, despite going with a list of recommendations. In some ways I was impressed that there seemed to be vegan options available at places which were clearly labelled, but on the other hand they seemed really difficult to get hold of. Many options were already sold out or different opening and serving times meant we missed out. We found ourselves returning to Tesco's on a regular basis to stock up on food for the house, when really we were hoping to eat out more on our week away. I also ate way more chips than I had planned to!

One eatery I really liked was Cafe Rio in Haverfordwest. Sadly their vegan burger and veg curry had sold out when we arrived at 2pm but they did have a really substantial sandwiches menu from which I was able to make my own hummus, cucumber and roasted red pepper baguette. I was gutted to not be able to try the burger though! 

If you're a vegan planning to holiday in Wales I would really recommend doing some thorough research before you go and even call ahead to places to be certain of their opening times and to get a rough idea of when they sell out of their vegan options. I would also recommend looking at the Eat Out Vegan Wales group on Facebook where you can also ask for recommendations and advice. I also found the Eat Out Vegan Wales website so useful and informative. 

What with the weather and the hit and miss food it wasn't one of our best weeks away but we loved spending time outdoors, exploring new areas and getting to see an abundance of beautiful beaches. It's an ideal location if you are looking for a UK getaway with dogs and the scenery really is breathtaking. I just wish we could have seen more of it! 

As it stands, this is the first time in 2017 we have no trips booked ahead of us and I'm really not sure if we will go anywhere else this year. We usually like to do a cold Europe break around my birthday in early December so we'll see how we feel nearer the time. I'd also like to visit Glasgow which has been on my hit list for quite a while now. But part of me also just wants to enjoy the new house and being in one place! 

Have you been to Wales? Do you have any vegan recommendations for other readers? If so comment below and let us all know!