This blog post is part of a paid partnership with Visit Wales but all thoughts, words and images are my own.

Wales is a place close to my heart, having made plenty of memories there as both a child and an adult. Many of my childhood holidays were spent in caravans across this magical country, and my adult life has involved regular visits for weekend getaways, festivals and weddings. The rugged coastlines, forested valleys and towering mountains of Wales all tempt me to spend more time among them. When Visit Wales approached me, I jumped at the chance to visit and write about one of my favourite countries.

For this particular trip, I visited Wales for a long weekend at the beginning of autumn. As most of my recent visits have occurred during summer and winter, it was refreshing to see the wild landscapes amidst a different season. Driving from north to south, my eyes were glued to the window, admiring the rust-hued scenery.

We were based in Newport, on the Pembrokeshire coast, for the duration of the trip. A vibrant small town, complete with a surprisingly large selection of pubs, bistros and independent shops. One morning I awoke early and spent an hour or so meandering around the streets, admiring the traditional cottages, adorned with Virginia creepers. The winding streets make for an interesting walk, even before you venture further to admire the beaches and hills. There’s even a wonderfully preserved ancient burial chamber to discover!

Our base for the weekend was Llys Meddyg, but more on this wonderful boutique hotel in my next blog post. For now, I want to share some of my tips for what to see and do in the area, for anyone hoping to spend a slow weekend retreat on the Pembrokeshire coast.

No matter what time of year it is, my first stop when staying by the coast is to seek out the nearest beach. I’m just as happy wandering along a windswept beach wrapped up in a cosy knit as I am running into the waves on a summer’s day. Being by the sea always seems to be a calming experience, and time spent on the beach fits in perfectly with my slow approach to travel.

The first beach we visited on this trip was the wide expanse of Newport Sands (Traeth Mawr). At almost a mile wide, there’s plenty of beach to enjoy here, making it a popular spot for swimming, water sports and walkers. We stopped off at the beach on the Friday afternoon, on our way to the hotel - then returned for a longer stroll the next evening.

Returning to beaches was a habit on this trip. The next beach we visited, Cwm-yr-Eglwys, we inadvertently returned to part-way through our Sunday hike. We first visited this beach on the way to dinner on the Friday night, as curiosity caused us to take a slight detour. The little cove is sheltered from the wind and surrounded by quaint cottages, making it very photogenic. Interestingly, the crumbling ruins of a chapel above the beach is all that remains of the original building that was washed away in a huge storm in 1859 that created the region’s pebble banks.

The final beach visited on this trip was Pwllgwaelod beach, located on the other side of Dinas island. This picturesque bay was where we began our circular walk on the Sunday morning, climbing up along the coastal path to hike all around the edge of the ‘island’ before descending into Cwm-yr-Eglwys and returning along the valley path. This hike was one of the highlights of the trip, taking in endless incredible vistas of the surrounding coastline as we climbed up the hill. We kept our eyes peeled for signs of seals or dolphins and although we didn’t spot any on this occasion, this is apparently a great place for wildlife lovers to see them.

Another highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly the incredible food that we devoured. Most of the time, I adhere to a vegetarian diet but my exception is when I’m beside the sea and fresh, locally and sustainably caught seafood is on offer. This region of Wales didn’t disappoint, serving up some of the most delicious fish I’ve eaten in recent memory.

Our first evening, we enjoyed a treat for the taste-buds at The Shed in Porthgain. We couldn’t have been closer to the sea, sat inside this relaxed restaurant / local favourite fish and chip shop. The menu is based around seafood (although there are vegetarian options) with locally-caught fish and shellfish served within hours of catch. One touch that I really liked was the information printed at each table offering notes on the tastes and cuts of all the different fish on offer throughout the year. We shared starters of delicious (and huge!) prawns and goats cheese croquettes, followed by mains of pan-fried hake in yellow coconut curry sauce and my personal highlight, pan-fried halibut in a tomato, caper and olive dressing. Of course, the mains came with the bistro’s famous Pembrokeshire chips. Needless to say, we left no room for dessert.

The next evening, we tucked into a hearty traditional pub meal at The Golden Lion, conveniently located right next to our hotel. This bustling pub seems to do a roaring trade on a Saturday night, so I recommend booking a table! I didn’t manage to photograph my garlic mushroom starter and deliciously spicy vegan chili main - partially due to the dark and cosy atmosphere but also because I was too busy wolfing it down!

Our final meal of the trip was Sunday lunch after our hike at The Old Sailor’s at Pwllgwaelod beach. We opted to share the sea bass from the specials board (served with the most delicious shallot, caper, tomato and olive oil dressing, a bowl full of veggies and chunky chips) and there was more than enough food to keep us both satisfied through the long drive home.

Wales is often where I’ll head when I fancy a long weekend getaway. I manage to spend my birthday there almost every year and honestly can’t remember the last year that I didn’t spend at least one weekend in the Welsh countryside. I’m now planning to return to this little corner of Pembrokeshire, as there is so much more to see and do. It’s weekends like the one I’ve discussed above that make me realise that you don’t always need to head abroad for a holiday. There’s so much to discover on our own island, with no need to board a plane. Loading up your car to drive across the border to Wales is much more attuned with slow travel than jetting off abroad. The pace at which we physically travelled and our relaxed attitude to exploring the area fit perfectly with my idea of a slow weekend away.

Visit Wales are kindly hosting a free prize draw to give away the same weekend trip for two to Newport!

To enter the free prize draw , head to the Visit Wales website via this link and fill in your details.

The competition winner will be announced on the week commencing 16th December 2019.