Sitting on the terrace in the warm August heat overlooking a stunning coastal bay, a friend remarked that it felt like we were in southern Europe somewhere, maybe on the Med - it was actually St Bride’s Bay in Pembrokeshire.

Staycations are increasingly on my radar, and supposedly on everyone else's. One in five UK adults are now seeking domestic travel according to YouGov, with almost half citing the cost of living crisis as the biggest factor impacting travel plans.

Wales has long been a popular destination for Brits from the rest of the UK, but how about Wales visiting Wales? It might be accommodation costs, airfare prices, or seeking a greener holiday without the air miles, or maybe it’s the summer-long heatwave causing a rethink for the need to leave the British Isles in search of R+R and a tan.

Wales has always been a place of hidden treasures no matter how well you think you know it. For us, between work commitments and family responsibilities, my partner and I were lucky to carve out time for a weekend away. So when the option came to look no further than a pootle down the coast from our home in the Dyfi Valley, we breathed a sigh of relief.

It felt like cheating to holiday so near to home, but between days on the beach, kayak trips and a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Skomer Island aka Puffin land, we quickly forgot we were only a two-hour drive away.

Puffins-Skomer-Island-Pembrokeshire-Wales
Skomer Island is the summer home to 41,000 puffins. (Simply Sea Views)

Pembrokeshire for me was associated with blustery UK holidays as a kid and ripping my jeans while counting barnacles for an A-level biology project (which was only slightly more exciting than it sounds).

So I was delighted to find out the coastline has a lot more to offer than family embarrassment and windburn.

It was blustery, yes, but our home for the weekend at Rwts Rooms & Resto was sheltered and warm.

Refreshingly different from our home coast of Cardigan Bay and the Dyfi Valley, Broad Haven is a short distance from the launch point for boats to the stunning nature reserve Skomer Island. The summer home of 41,000 Atlantic puffins and 350,000 pairs of Manx Shearwaters, the island’s own hostel is also often booked out for the entire summer months.

The spot in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is well-known but still under the radar. The place was full of life without being over busy.

Though we can spot dolphins from Aberystwyth beach, we can’t from our bedroom- something on offer at the beachfront hotel where the outside terrace, festoon lights and cliffs hugging the bay perpetually frame the sunset and the marine visitors. I definitely spotted something splashing out of the water; let’s say it was a porpoise!

Rwts Rooms and Resto looks out over St Brides Bay.
Rwts Rooms and Resto looks out over St Brides Bay. (Deb Luxon)

The family-run establishment transformed a B&B and Italian restaurant two years ago by Pembrokeshire entrepreneur Tim Rees (the man behind TreeDwellers in Oxfordshire and Pembrokeshire’s Unearthed Festival), aiming to become a trendy destination for the far (and near), for families, surfers, wildlife enthusiasts and those like us, who desired being horizontal on a beach for as long as possible.

“Pembrokeshire arguably has the best coastline in the world. I’m biased,” says Rees. “But we’ve been missing a spot in Pembs where you can sit by the beach, eat healthy world-inspired food, and feel like you’ve gone somewhere — without leaving Wales.”

The Blue-flag beach you merely had to cross a road to access helped us do just that, not having to touch the car keys for days if desired. Rwts has dog-friendly rooms, and the beach opposite has a section where four-legged companions are allowed all year round, so there was no moral conundrum needed for leaving ours at home, which he was grateful for - ‘seaside’ is his favourite word for good reason.

The Wood 'n Waves event earlier this summer.
The Wood 'n Waves event earlier this summer. (Rwts Rooms & Resto)

The unassuming strip that makes up Broad Haven seems to have been pulled together with this new hub - it seems most Rwts staff are locals with the business open all year round, offering job stability and supporting a town which, like many holiday destinations, may otherwise struggle in winter months. The front window is covered in events coming up from the Broad Haven carnival to a memorial fundraiser, music live sessions, open mic nights, yoga, DJ sets and community markets. The business offers date night packages in winter, music evenings on Fridays and festivals like Wood ‘n Waves surf and skate event in early summer.

Staff spoke to me about the spring they all worked together to turn the building into what it is now: an open-plan, airy restaurant, bar and lounge, with nine rooms from £100 a night and a large front garden perfect for sunset concerts. The result is an entertaining mix of tasteful furniture and decor with remnants of the classic Welsh B&B it once was, reminding me of family trips with elderly relatives thanks to the rogue bathroom tiles and ornately puckered ceilings.

The staff are relaxed, helpful and at ease with each other, a mix of young and experienced crew who are enthusiastic about the menu and knowledgeable about how you might like to spend your time in the havens. One helpful member of staff ordered food for me because the menu was so good I couldn’t choose. The team said they’d bonded by doing up the place together as a team, and their almost familial bond was clear; on Saturday night the business closed early so they could all attend the wedding of two staff.

The Rhudd spritz, made with a Pembrokeshire-made liqueur from Still Wild.
The Rhudd spritz, made with a Pembrokeshire-made liqueur from Still Wild. (Deb Luxon)

The terrace (where I admittedly spent most of my time when I wasn’t on the beach - it was a sun trap) was just missing one thing to complete this European-Welsh combo - a glass of Aperol in my hand, which bar staff Dylan explained wasn’t on the menu because they offered a Pembrokeshire version - a Rhudd spritz (an old Welsh word for red), an aperitif not from Italy but using the coastline’s own botanics (rosehips, rowan berries, yarrow) from company Still Wild.

The menu, offering a relaxed brunch menu from a full cooked breakfast to granola bowls to Toast on the Coast salmon until midday, and Buddha bowls, pizza, and tapas in the evening, is sourced as locally as possible: “If we can’t get it from Pembrokeshire, we’ll get it from the rest of Wales”, explained Dylan. It’s worth noting the place is an idyll for coeliacs, with gluten-free options across the entire menu, including the recommended gluten-free pizza bases.

Whilst you could try your hand at surfing, with plenty of lessons and equipment shops along the bay, kayak or paddle board on the calm waters, or take a jaunt to one of the islands, your day could easily be filled wandering the beaches as we did.

Some of the tapas on offer - a Greek salad, halloumi and pomegranates, edamame miso salad, and butter and garlic prawns.
Some of the tapas on offer - a Greek salad, halloumi and pomegranates, edamame miso salad, and butter and garlic prawns. (Deb Luxon)

We walked the coastline at low tide, stopping at rock pools before eventually arriving at Little Haven, where you can find boutique shops, crab sandwiches, lobster rolls, pubs whose punters spill out onto the sunny streets, charming pastel-coloured terraces and bouncing flowers under quintessential bunting, and of course, ice cream.

Watching the sun go down, local little ones danced to the music from a jazz band whilst punters of all ages reclined against the coastal light. At only two hours from home, I would happily take Pembrokeshire over the Med again and again.

Find out what’s happening at Rwts Rooms & Resto via their website - https://rwts.uk/