AS the frisbee raced above the golden beach under a cloudless sky, I breathed in the salty air. This was heaven.
A picture of these unspoiled sands, backed by dunes sprouting grassy patches swaying in the wind, could fool anyone into thinking I was on my own private island.
Pembrokeshire’s Whitesands Beach is considered one of the best on the planetCredit: Shutterstock
However, I was in Wales on the Pembrokeshire coast at Whitesands Beach near St Davids, voted one of the 20 best beaches in the world.
It was only a 25 minute walk from our base, the incredible Penrhiw Priory cottage, set in ten beautiful acres full of wonderful woodland walks.
The cottage had plenty of room for our party of six.
Four of the six huge bedrooms have velor wallpaper and wood paneling, and the adjoining ensuite has two additional bedrooms.
The cavernous lounge includes a log burning stove, now dormant but perfect on a winter’s night.
I also loved the kitchen with at least two of every appliance and dish imaginable.
But if you’re not much of a cook, the cottage is connected to the nearby Twr y Felin Hotel, and there are free transfers if you want to use their on-site Blas restaurant. (Words for the entire staff: unfailingly polite and beyond kind words).
We didn’t need to leave Penrhiw Priory, but Whitesands Beach isn’t the only beautiful beach nearby.
A ten minute drive away is Solva Harbour, ready for crab harvesting at low tide, while St Davids, Britain’s smallest town of just 1,600 people, is a ten minute walk away and worth a visit to the cathedral of the waist.
But once you seriously nodded at the incredible architecture and said: “Isn’t it beautiful?” also check out the Bishop’s Palace of St. Davids next door several times.
It’s now derelict with all sorts of nooks, crannies, spiral staircases and underground rooms to explore and the kids loved it, especially the treasure hunt element which kept them fully engaged all the way through.
The incredible Penrhiw Priory cottage is set in ten picturesque acres full of wonderful woodlandCredit supplied
There are six huge bedrooms with plush velvet wallpaper and wood panellingCredit supplied
There are plenty of cafes and restaurants in the area open in high season, but if you’re on a budget, Penrhiw Priory has flasks you can take out during the day; waves lapped gently on the sand.
And while we barely saw a soul on our day out in St Davids, perhaps because we were visiting outside the peak season, when I opened the door to The Farmers Arms pub at 6pm on a Friday, I wondered if this was it. where everyone was hiding. It was PACKED.
For superior fish and chips, however, The Shed Bistro in Porthgain is the place to go, serving up local catch cooked to perfection.
Solva Harbor is only a ten minute drive away and is a great place to watch the world go byCredit: Getty:
More of a gin fan. Also the lively St Davids Gin and Kitchen has a fantastic ‘Welsh Tapas’ menu and it would be rude not to try the St Davids Seaweed Gin and Tonic.
It’s meant to pair well with seafood, but I can assure you it’s delicious on its own.
So when you load up the car for the trip here, leave room for a bottle or two of gin to bring home.
A glance at a picture of Whitesands Beach and a sip of gin will take you right back.