Hey everyone! We've been quiet on our social media platforms over the last week, but there's a reason for it... We've been on a family holiday to Solva in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. I wanted to share some of the places we have visited whilst in Wales, as so much of Wales is dog friendly!
Dog Friendly Accommodation in Wales
So first up I want to start with the self-catering accommodation we booked. There was 7 humans and 2 dogs that we needed accommodation for on this holiday, so after much searching, we found St Harmon self-catering accommodation through Sykes Cottages which we felt met our requirements for the holiday. There was plenty of space for all 9 of us in the communal areas; living room, kitchen/diner and secure garden/patio space. We also had plenty of space within our bedroom (on the ground floor with access to outside), to set up the dog's large crate.
Outside there was a paved patio area which linked the ground and first floors of the house together. The garden/patio space at St Harmon wasn't what the dogs are used too for toileting; they have grassy/lawned areas at home in our garden. However we discovered a lovely medium sized secure green communal space about 5 minute walk up the road. So we took the dogs there morning and night, so they had chance to do their toilet business.
There was a side gate for pedestrian / dog access without taking the dogs into / through the house; ideal if you have a dog that likes to get wet and muddy on their walks! We used the side gate as our main entry and exit access for the dogs. At the front of the property there was space for 3 cars to be parked on the drive area.
Solva - The Local Area
Solva is a small harbour village in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. Before going on this family holiday, we had never heard of Solva, but after visiting the area, it's definitely a location I'd recommend you visit at some point! Solva is a lovely area to spend time in, down by the harbour there are a variety of shops, eateries and footpaths which take you up to some absolutely stunning view points! You can read more about Solva here.
Things to do with your Dog in Wales
As we had the dogs with us, we did lots of walks along the costal paths which were within easy walking distance from our accommodation St Harmon. We found a couple of lovely secluded small-medium pebble beaches along the costal path from Solva Harbour, which the dogs loved exploring!
We visited local attractions including Solva Woolen Mill (Dog Friendly), Melin Tregwynt Woolen Mill (Dog Friendly), St David's City which is the smallest city in Britain (Dog Friendly), and St David's Cathedral.
We also visited the tiny but lovely Perennial Gardens & Cafe, which was very dog friendly and served the most wonderful paninis and cakes! Yummy Yummy!! Definitely worth a visit, especially if you enjoy wandering around beautiful garden spaces, the opportunity to buy plants and local produce and enjoy some yummy homemade food.
We had meals out at The Harbour Inn, here myself and my partner enjoyed a meal in the pub garden, and at the Hats & Barrels Pub we enjoyed a meal as a family. Both pubs were dog friendly pubs, so paws up from us!
We had a wonderful week in Wales, and we didn't want to leave... Even the car didn't want to leave. This is where our holiday became, well interesting haha. So on the Friday when we were heading home, my poor old car decided that she didn't want to do the long journey home, and 40 miles from St Harmon, she gave up on us! After finally admitting defeat, and realising we weren't going to get home in the car, we called our breakdown/recovery company and began the long 12 hours... YES 12 HOURS... Journey home. The dogs coped amazingly well, as they had to stay in the Trans-K9 Dog Cages within the car, which was then loaded on to the back of 3... YES 3... Recovery vans, which managed to get us home! WHAT A NIGHTMARE!
All in all we had a lovely week in Wales, discovering places we'd never been to before. If you're planning a trip to Wales, we'd definitely recommend Solva and the surrounding areas, as it's a great place to be with your dogs!