This Charming Welsh Village Inside A National Park Is A Gem With Coastal Vibes, Fresh Seafood, And Camping

To cruise the rather wonderful A487 coast road into the far western reaches of Wales is to enjoy a montage of dramatic shoreline views, visions of rolling hills, and cute coastal towns aplenty. When it comes to the latter, there's arguably none quite as charming as little Solva, a former limestone trading port with hundreds of years of history that huddles into a rugged glacial valley opening onto the shimmering waters of Saint Brides Bay.

Solva has been championed as one of the true highlights of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, touting local craft stores next to cozy pubs, art galleries beside cafes that serve sugar-topped Welsh cakes and warming cups of tea. More than that, it's a gateway to some seriously dramatic parts of the country. The fabled Pembrokeshire Coast Path weaves right through the center, paving the way to a shoreline of jagged cliffs, secret beaches, and wave-splashed bays beloved of surfers.

One thing to note here is that part of Solva's beauty lies in just how remote the place is. It sits in one of the most far-flung corners of Wales, some two to three hours' drive from Cardiff Airport and over three hours' drive from the larger international airport at Bristol. The good news is that the drive down is a doozy, especially after you bid farewell to the motorway to pass through the darling Welsh market town of Narberth and the historic coastal town of Tenby, to name just two potential pit stops.

Solva is split into two areas: the newer, more residential Upper Solva on the hills above, and the historic core of the village, known as Lower Solva, deep in the valley bottom. Upper Solva, for its part, hosts a certain seafood takeaway that really stands out from the crowd, with a whopping 5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor from more than 480 reviews. Enter Mrs Will the Fish, purveyors of super-fresh lobster and crab that will all be packed up nicely and ready to be collected for that beach picnic with a difference.

First-time visitors are likely to be much more interested in the lower part of town. It's where the salt-caked harbor melds with the bulk of the local pubs and eateries. The hearty gastropub of the Hats and Barrels sits smack dab in the middle, a Welsh inn that's proud to put locally caught shellfish on the menu pretty much every day, alongside other pub-grub staples like chicken breast burgers and curry specials, of course. The Cambrian Inn greets visitors as they enter the town from the northeast, touting a big outdoor space along the roadside and a selection of "fat" burgers made from things like Welsh lamb and spicy beans.

You can also dine right on the water's edge. Take the short section of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path south from the town's main car park and you'll soon emerge onto a charming marina area crammed with old lobster pots and paint-peeling fishing skiffs. Look for the Cafe on the Quay there to sip a coffee on the sea-facing terrace — it's a veritable sun trap throughout the whole morning!

If cliff-backed beaches and windblown ocean bluffs are your idea of perfection, then Solva is sure to be right up your proverbial street. The reason? This diminutive town sits within the boundaries of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, a vast reserve (though not the largest in Wales — that honor goes to the adventure haven of Eryri National Park) that stretches south and north from here, following the contours of the Welsh shoreline. It's the only national park in the country designated primarily for its coastline, and it really doesn't disappoint.

It's easy to get out and about. Simply hop onto the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which links the whole national park from tip to toe in 186 miles of marked trail. You can head southeast from Solva towards the village of Newgale to pass by harbor beaches that have glowing green-blue water in the summer. Alternatively, you can go west towards the ancient pilgrimage city of St. Davids, scaling up high cliffs clad in tough sea grasses one moment, and dipping down to hard-to-reach pebble coves the next.

If a simple day hike isn't enough to get your fill of Solva's corner of the national park, then consider camping. The website campsites.co.uk lists a whopping 95 options in the greater Pembrokeshire Coast region, and more than 40 sites in the vicinity of Solva itself. You'll find Llanungar Caravan and Camping just outside of Upper Solva, just a few minutes' drive from the village center. There's also the highly seasonal St. Davids Farm Camping a touch further down the road. They're only open in August, but offer pitches in a series of exposed fields with spectacular views of a gold-sand bay right below, not to mention walk-on access to that lovely coast path.