Stackpole Inn

Tucked away just a pebble’s-throw from Barafundle Bay – a broad golden sweep of dune-flanked sand that is hands-down one of Wales’ loveliest beaches – the ivy-swathed Stackpole Inn has scooped a string of awards over the years, and it’s not hard to see why.  Stay the night and you’ll properly relax in one of four seasidey rooms, done up in soft blues, greys and whites, with hardwood floors, handmade cushions, DVD players and desks. Two of them have sofa beds that pull out to accommodate families of four. Owners Gary and Becky extend a warm croeso (welcome) in the bar-restaurant downstairs, where exposed stone and cream cladding, a wood burner and cheek-by-jowl wooden tables lend a modern-rustic feel. Provenance matters here, so you can expect an impressive line-up of Welsh beers, including more obscure microbrews, and the food emphasises local sourcing, whether you go for simply cooked seafood or the signature pan-roasted rump of Welsh lamb with pearl barley, charred onions and wild garlic. Base yourself here and you’re within easy striking distance of some of the country’s most dramatic cliff-rimmed coastlines, stitched together on the long-distance Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The village itself edges the National Trust Stackpole nature reserve, with its oak woods, coastal dunes and the Boshertston Lakes lily ponds.