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Charismatic St Davids (yes, it has dropped the apostrophe from its name) is Britain's smallest city, its enduring appeal ensured by the magnificent 12th-century cathedral that marks Wales' holiest site. The birthplace and burial place of the nation's patron saint, St Davids has been a pilgrimage site for 1500 years.
The setting itself has a mystical presence. The sea is just beyond the horizon on three sides, so you're constantly surprised by glimpses of it at the ends of streets. Then there are those strangely shaped hills in the distance, sprouting from an ancient landscape.
Today St Davids attracts hordes of nonreligious pilgrims, too, drawn by the town's laid-back vibe, good sights and eating, and the excellent hiking, surfing and wildlife-watching in the surrounding area.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout St Davids (Tyddewi).
Cathedral
Hidden in a hollow and behind high walls, St David's Cathedral is intentionally unassuming. The valley site was chosen in the vain hope that the church would be overlooked by Saxon raiders, but it was ransacked at least seven times. Yet once you pass through the gatehouse separating it from the town and its stone walls come into view, it's as imposing as any of its contemporaries.
Ruins
Immediately south of St Davids, this ruggedly beautiful spot is named after St David's mother and traditionally accepted as his birthplace. A path leads to the 13th-century ruins of St Non's Chapel. Only the base of the walls remains, along with a stone marked with a cross within a circle that's believed to date from the 7th century. Standing stones in the surrounding field suggest that the chapel may have been built within an ancient pagan stone circle.
Bird Sanctuary
Ramsey Island (Ynys Dewi) lies off the headland to the west of St Davids, ringed by dramatic sea cliffs and an offshore armada of rocky islets and reefs. The island is a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reserve famous for its large breeding population of choughs – members of the crow family with glossy black feathers and distinctive red bills and legs – and for its grey seals.
Area
This atmospheric heather-wreathed promontory, formed from the oldest rock in Wales, was fortified by the Celts. The jumbled stones and ditch of an Iron Age rampart are still visible, as are rock circles, once the foundations of huts. The tip of the headland is a series of rock and turf ledges, a great place for a picnic or wildlife spotting – in summer you can see gannets diving and choughs soaring. Adding to the ancient ambience, wild ponies can often be seen.
Beach
This mile-long sandy beach is a popular surfing, swimming and strolling spot. At extremely low tide you can see the wreck of a paddle tugboat that ran aground here in 1882, and the fossil remains of a prehistoric forest. If Whitesands is really busy – and it often is – you can escape the worst of the crowds by walking north along the coastal path for 10 to 15 minutes to the smaller, more secluded beach at Porthmelgan.
Ruins
This atmospheric ruined palace was begun at the same time as St David's Cathedral, adjacent, but its final, imposing Decorated Gothic form owes most to Henry de Gower, bishop from 1327 to 1347. The most distinctive feature is the arcaded parapet that runs around the courtyard, adorned with a chequerboard pattern of purple and yellow stone blocks. The corbels that support the arches are richly adorned with a menagerie of carved figures – animals, grotesque mythical creatures and human heads.
Gallery
Occupying a bold, semicircular, environmentally friendly building on the edge of town, Oriel y Parc is a winning collaboration between the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and the National Museum Wales. Not only does it function as a tourist office and national-park visitor centre (open slightly longer than the gallery), it houses changing exhibitions from the museum's art collection. The focus is on landscapes, particularly scenes from Pembrokeshire's rich cache of natural beauty.