Last month, my boyfriend James and I took a five-day long trip to Pembrokeshire in Wales. Neither of us had ever been to that part of the country before – what had driven us to that specific area then? In all honesty, it was solely me and my insane love for Harry Potter. You may, or may not, be aware that one of the famous filming locations for Potter was in fact at Freshwater West beach along the Pembrokeshire coast (or commonly known amongst fans as ‘Dobby death beach’). You can spot the scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, when Harry, Ron and Hermione travel to Shell Cottage just after escaping Malfoy Manor. Shortly after arriving, Dobby dies and it’s on this beach where they lay him to rest. 

Freshwater West

Freshwater West had been on my must-see travel list for a while and so, when I brought it up in conversation with James and he suggested that we go this summer, I didn’t hesitate to say yes!

When we reached the spot that is ‘Dobby’s grave’ (this is an actual location you can tag on Instagram by the way), we were both completely blown away by the sheer amount of rocks, pebbles and socks that had been left by previous visitors, all full of messages, quotes and drawings of Dobby. Of course, being the super fan that I am, I had to leave my own piece of memorabilia!

As well as having this amazing connection to the Wizarding World, Freshwater West is also a fantastic spot for surfing and body boarding! You can book to have a surf lesson with Outer Reef Surf School or hire out boards and wetsuits from them. 

If that wasn’t enough to convince you to visit this beautiful beach, there is also an incredible café located in the beach car park – Café Mor – serving utterly amazing food and drinks. We both agreed that the burgers and chips were some of the best we had ever tasted. 

The Blue Lagoon, Abereiddi

If you’re fancying a bit of wild swimming, then a trip to the The Blue Lagoon should definitely be at the top of your list. Despite being in the UK, this beautiful location is still as exotic as it sounds; the naturally formed sea-pool surrounded by rocks is popular with paddle-boarders and swimmers alike. There is also the opportunity to try your hand at coasteering if you’re brave enough! If you do decide to go in the water, I would definitely recommend wearing a thick, long wetsuit along with water shoes to provide you with a bit more warmth, as the water was very chilly (even on a red hot day). James unfortunately couldn’t last as long as I did in the water because he had a shorter wetsuit, but still really enjoyed it!

Saundersfoot Beach

If you’re into paddle-boarding or kayaking, Saundersfoot is the ideal place to do it. On the day that we went out, the conditions of the water were perfect. We paddled along the coastline and could even see Tenby (the next beach along from Saundersfoot). Outer Reef are also based here too, so don’t worry if you haven’t got your own paddle boards or kayaks, as these are available to hire!

Where to stay?

We stayed in Haverfordwest, which ended up being an ideal basecamp for everywhere that we wanted to visit – being around a 40 minute drive from Freshwater West and about 30 minutes away from Saundersfoot. We didn’t strictly plan out every day prior to our trip, instead deciding to just go with the flow. We actually ended up going back to Freshwater and Saundersfoot more than once because we liked them so much and they were within a reasonable travelling distance. 

Remember 

If you’re going in the water, always choose a lifeguarded beach and stay between the red and yellow flags (checkered for surfing), stay within your depth and check the wave report on magicseaweed.com – but remember to have fun!

Thanks for reading x