We visited South Pembrokeshire in early summer hoping to spend a day on Skomer with the puffins and many other sea birds, weather permitting. The Beggars Reach hotel was comfortable and provided a good base from which to travel by mini-bus. We had wonderful weather throughout the week. Each evening a moth trap was set up in the hotel grounds which was opened before breakfast each morning. We were very fortunate that one of our guides was an entomologist and was able to identify all the moths and explain their favoured habitats. The day on Skomer was spectacular with thousands of puffins almost within arm's reach and other sea birds nesting on the cliffs. The red campion was in full bloom further enhancing the beauty of Skomer. The day on the coast of mainland Pembrokeshire provided wonderful scenery with a succession of birds, jelly fish, plants etc. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and also sensitive to the needs of older guests with minor mobility difficulties.. Our day in the wetlands provided the chance to see an amazing variety of insect life, including damsel flies and dragon flies. Birds and wildflowers, including orchids also featured. A truly wonderful holiday! The booking process was easy. Communication with the clients was excellent with plenty of information provided before our departure. A feedback form was provided to review the experience. We would book with Naturetrek again.
S.A. Cambridgeshire, Jun 23
Tour Itinerary and Reports
- Itinerary
- Tour report - June 2024
- Tour report - June 2024
- Tour report - June 2023
- Tour report - June 2023
- Tour report - June 2021
- Tour report - June 2019
- Tour report - June 2018
- Tour report - June 2017
- Tour report - June 2016
- Tour report - June 2015
- Tour report - June 2014
- Tour report - June 2013
- Tour report - June 2012
- Tour report - June 2011
- Tour report - June 2010
Click to see moreClick to see less
Can I help you?
Pembrokeshire in Early Summer
Tour Code: GBR18A 5-day holiday to enjoy Pembrokeshire's spectacular seabird colonies, marine-life and other wildlife.
£945 (land only)
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
- Itinerary
- Tour report - June 2024
- Tour report - June 2024
- Tour report - June 2023
- Tour report - June 2023
- Tour report - June 2021
- Tour report - June 2019
- Tour report - June 2017
- Tour report - June 2018
- Tour report - June 2015
- Tour report - June 2016
- Tour report - June 2014
- Tour report - June 2013
- Tour report - June 2012
- Tour report - June 2011
- Tour report - June 2010
Click to see moreClick to see less
Can I help you?
Quick Enquiry
Summary
This wildlife holiday offers an introduction to Pembrokeshire’s special natural history, at its best in early summer. It includes visits to spectacular seabird colonies, a rich marine-life and an abundance of wild flowers. Weather permitting, we’ll land on Skomer which at this time of year accommodates over half a million seabirds, including Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins galore – the latter only an arm’s length away! Offshore, dolphins and porpoises are regularly seen, while on the mainland we’ll search for some of Pembrokeshire’s other natural history delights including a variety of orchids, as well as rare butterflies and dragonflies.
- Spectacular seabird colonies on Skomer & Puffins galore
- Harbour Porpoise & Common, Bottlenose & Risso’s Dolphins all possible
- Silver-studded Blue, Marsh Fritillary & up to 20 species of dragonfly
- Numerous limestone flowers, including Lesser Butterfly and other orchids
- Comfortable hotel based near Milford Haven
- Expertly escorted by a Naturetrek naturalist
Grading
Boat trips to Skomer, and possibly Ramsey or Grassholm; there will also be land-based wildlife-watching opportunities, with gentle-paced walks.By June, the remote south-western tip of Wales is teeming with a rich diversity of wildlife from the mainland out to its famous Atlantic islands. The islands of Ramsey, Grassholm and Skomer are transformed during the early summer by the arrival of vast numbers of nesting seabirds: Grassholm is home to 30,000 pairs of Gannets; Skomer, pink-tinged with swathes of Red Campion, accommodates over half a million seabirds, including large numbers of Puffins. Pembrokeshire is well known for its populations of cetaceans, while Grey Seals and Choughs can be seen in many coastal areas. As well as enjoying the area's impressive marine fauna, we'll also take time to explore some of the peninsula's terrestrial habitats from our base in the village of Burton near Milford Haven.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Accommodation: A comfortable 3-star hotel in Burton, near Milford Haven; all rooms are non-smoking with private facilities
- Food: Breakfast, and evening meals are included. Lunches are not included in the cost of the tour.
Reviews
-
-
We have very happy memories of our trip to St. David's. Thank you to everyone at Naturetrek.
M.C. Cambridgeshire -
Matt was an excellent leader. He was professional, friendly, knowledgeable, able to adapt the itinerary to suit the weather, hard working and enthusiastic. He gave time to everyone and we gained a good deal of insight from him.
V.F. Nottinghamshire -
A very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere with lots to see and do. A good holiday!
A.C. Gloucestershire -
The trip was brilliant, the guide, Barry Oxley gave far more interest, patience, knowledge and humour than other trips we have been on. The day trip to Skomer Island was magical and the highlight of the trip. The Puffins were a delight. A day that will last with me all my life, brilliant.
L.W. Surrey
Dates & Prices
2025
Array ( [168] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 168 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/shortbreak [title] => Short Break [alias] => shortbreak [description] =>Short Break Wildlife Holidays
Among our programme is a significant range of short breaks, designed specially for those wishing to enjoy some of Europe’s top natural history highlights at the best time of year. All of these holidays have the bonus of being short-haul and supported by like-minded wildlife enthusiasts.
Naturetrek Short Break Wildlife Tours
Short breaks are becoming increasingly popular and in response to the high demand for this type of holiday we are continuing to increase our programme both within the UK and abroad. Most of our short breaks are within Europe, for convenience of travel.
For some of our mini-breaks there is an option to travel by plane or train, and we offer a choice of duration and type of break, from a weekend’s birdwatching in the Somerset Levels to a 6-day whale watching tour in the Azores.
A selection of our UK short breaks:
- A winter bird watching break in Norfolk
- An autumn holiday to enjoy the Red Deer rut in Ardnamurchan, Scotland
- A wildlife weekend in the New Forest
A selection of our overseas short breaks:
- In Spain we look for the world’s rarest cat, the Iberian Lynx
- Wolves on the plains in rural northern Spain
- An exploration of La Brenne’s exceptionally rich butterfly-life in northern France
Our specialist recommends...
"We offer two superb short breaks to the lovely island of Madeira in search of whales, dolphins and seabirds. It’s hard to beat our Just Brown Bears trip for families, while if you fancy something off the beaten track, try Estonia in Early Spring for some excellent spring birdwatching."
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
Birding Tours Led by Expert Naturalists
The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
[params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/4nqk52HDKwI4/w:1500/h:824/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => Birds [note] => 02 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) [190] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 190 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/dolphin-watching [title] => Dolphin Watching [alias] => dolphin-watching [description] =>
Dolphin Watching – See Dolphins in the Wild
Seeing dolphins in the wild consistently ranks high on people’s lists of ’10 Things To See Before I Die’. Dolphins have captured the public imagination arguably more than any other animal – we marvel at their intelligence, grace and agility, as well as their apparent curiosity of their human observers.
Naturetrek Dolphin Watching Tours
Naturetrek offers the chance to watch dolphins all over the world, from the UK to the tropics and polar regions. Many of our dolphin tours also offer the opportunity to see whales. We offer:
- Dedicated dolphin tours focusing on one or a few key species
- Dolphin watching as part of a broader wildlife watching tour
- A range of tours from day trips out on small boats to week-long liveaboard cruises
- Expert biologist-led, photographer-led and researcher-led tours
- A wide range of the world’s dolphin species seen, from Bottlenose and Risso’s, to Spinner, Striped and Heaviside’s
Our range of dolphin watching holidays includes:
- A Maldives Cruise – a cruise through the turquoise waters surrounding the Maldives, searching for dolphins and whales as well as snorkeling over the reefs
- Monterey Bay – enjoying the dolphins, whales and bird life of California’s Monterey Bay
- The Azores – Look for Sperm Whales and other cetaceans
- Madeira – a 5-day holiday focusing on dolphin watching
Our specialist recommends...
Sara Frost - Tour Leader & Marketing Manager
[params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/4nqk52HDKwI4/w:1500/h:824/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => Dolphin Watching [note] => 24 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) [192] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 192 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/general-natural-history [title] => General natural history [alias] => general-natural-history [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/4nqk52HDKwI4/w:1500/h:824/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => General natural history [note] => 26 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) [197] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 197 [parent_id] => 165 [level] => 2 [path] => tour-focus/no-fly-tours [title] => No Flight [alias] => no-fly-tours [description] =>
Flight-free Wildlife Holidays
At Naturetrek we make full use of the Eurostar rail service through the channel tunnel, and of the ferry routes between England’s south coast and France and Spain, to offer a range of ‘flightless’ wildlife holidays in Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. In addition, we also offer the widest selection of wildlife holidays within the UK, none of which require a flight to participate in. Therefore, if you prefer not to fly, for whatever reason, we have a range of varied and exciting wildlife holidays for you to choose from, and we are committed to regularly adding more.
It is also the case that many of our other holidays within Europe are also accessible by rail. Generally, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and we’d be pleased to offer advice to anybody who wishes to join any of our tours within Europe by a means other than flying!
Our specialist recommends...
Kerrie Porteous - Operations Manager
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
EnquireTour Reports
- Tour report - June 2024
- Tour report - June 2024
- Tour report - June 2023
- Tour report - June 2023
- Tour report - June 2021
- Tour report - June 2019
- Tour report - June 2018
- Tour report - June 2017
- Tour report - June 2016
- Tour report - June 2015
- Tour report - June 2014
- Tour report - June 2013
- Tour report - June 2012
- Tour report - June 2011
- Tour report - June 2010
CLICK TO SEE MOREClick to see less
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!