Wales' Charming Coastal Town Surrounded By A National Park Is An Historic Gem With Sea Views And Fresh Seafood

Huddled between long runs of ultra-rugged Welsh coastline on the northern flank of Pembrokeshire, in a big bay filled with kelp meadows and bobbing fishing boats, where the Irish Sea spreads out into the distance, the little town of Fishguard is often hailed as one of the most charming seaside spots in the country. It's a place where enthralling tales of swashbuckling Welsh heroines are told in cozy pubs, where cute cottages line the harbors, and nature is all around.

If there's one thing that really defines Fishguard, it's the coast, and the sea and seafaring are everywhere here. It is said that the town was first established by the Vikings over a millennium ago as a little fishing village, and later became a bustling trading port. These days, many people flow through on their way to the international ferry that runs across to Ireland, but those who linger can explore a truly handsome center packed with seafood eats and history-steeped taverns. What's more, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park extends to the east and west, offering cliff walks, beach visits, and endless Celtic surf.

Fishguard is close to the most westerly point in Wales, which means it's a fair drive of about two and a half hours from the museums and castles of Cardiff, which is also home to the nearest major international airport. There are also direct trains to Fishguard from the second-largest city in Wales, Swansea, which run multiple times each day and take just over an hour and a half in total, dropping passengers off at the nearby ferry harbor on the bay below Fishguard's main town.

Fishguard (or Abergwaun in Welsh, meaning the "mouth of the River Gwaun") has a few sides to it. For starters, it's divided into two distinct areas: a postcard-worthy Lower Town below, and a more modern, bustling main town above. Head to that Lower Town to wander a sleepy quay peppered with lobster pots beside rows of ice-cream-colored fishing cottages, some of which date back centuries. You can even follow a short part of the coast path out to Fishguard Fort, a cannon battery that has stood guard against pirates and princes in its time.

A 15-minute walk up the hill will bring you to the heart of Fishguard. It's a web of streets, lanes, and squares that spreads around Fishguard Town Hall. You can go in there to see a Welsh answer to the Bayeux tapestry, only this one tells the tale of how local shoemaker-turned-heroine Jemima Nicholas once defended the town from a French invasion force. The inviting presence of the Royal Oak pub is just opposite, complete with its own plaque honoring the spot where said French invasion force formally surrendered in 1797, not to mention a menu of hearty plates like Welsh beef lasagna, battered cod, and fish pie.

Talking of local plates, there's plenty more to tempt the taste buds in this corner of town. Head just down the road to Hooked @31, a classic British chippie that does fish-and-chip combos and homemade ice cream churned from Welsh dairy. A few steps the other way takes you to Ffwrn, a stylish bistro with a noir edge that serves seafood and meat dishes that ooze pizzazz — think tiger prawns with parsley butter and calamari in spicy garlic aioli, and that's just for starters.

Like the charming Welsh village of Solva just to the south, Fishguard is surrounded by the United Kingdom's only coast-focused national park, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It's a real whopper, offering a 186-mile path that follows almost the entire coastline from top to bottom (passing through Fishguard as it goes, of course). What's more, the coastline around Fishguard itself is among the most dramatic bits of all, a symphony of 160-foot-high cliffs and volcanic rock formations that crumble straight into the ocean.

To the west of town, you can hike out to an area called Strumble Head. It's raw, windblown, and wild up there, with soaring clifftop lookout points that gaze down to inlets that sometimes host seals. Also keep your eyes peeled for the Strumble Head Lighthouse, a 100-year-old warning station to ships that caps off its own rocky islet like a limpet. That spot has been named alongside the scenic lighthouse in Holyhead as one of the most stunning lights in all of Wales.

To the east of town, the shoreline is carved into jagged plinths of rock that emerge like daggers from the Irish Sea. After bidding farewell to civilization at Fishguard Fort, you begin scrambling over coastal farm fields and pockets of heath, peering into coves that slosh with water hundreds of feet below you. A good walk of a few hours will culminate at Pwllgwaelod Beach, where there's a convivial little pub for a well-earned drink right on the shoreline.