Come rain or shine

Until then we'd avoided getting wet by visiting undercover attractions, such as castles and museums. Now Pembrokeshire's weather was throwing down a new challenge; for the next day we'd booked to go horse riding on the beach. Our misery at the thought of getting soaked was compounded by our hopes for what we'd earnestly expected to be the highlight of our holiday.

Incredibly, the next morning we woke to gloriously clear skies. All the gloom lifted as my trusty steed, Tom, picked his way down the very muddy track to the beautiful and secluded sands of Druidston, in St Bride's Bay.

We'd been having romantic visions of this moment for weeks, fuelled by the thought of thundering through the surf. Now, every part of those dreams was a reality. There may have been more flopping about than cantering, but this was something lifelong memories are made of. Certainly our daughters, Elena and Sophie, who'd never been

on anything bigger than a donkey, were hooked.

Judging from the enthusiasm of other visitors that we met, Pembrokeshire, too, has that effect on people. At the mention of beaches you could see them drooling. The description "like something out of an exotic holiday advert" kept cropping up.

Trouble was, we only had a week to find out for ourselves – and there are a lot of fantastic beaches in Pembrokeshire.

Driving against the rain still, towards St David's, we found our second perfect example – the stunning expanse of Newgale, dotted with hardy sand yachters.

When we returned in better weather, a lonely ice cream van lingered in the car park. That, we also discovered, is another of coastal Pembrokeshire's major assets away from the main summer season – pretty low-key tourism.

If it all seemed too good to be true, there was a down side and that was in finding food. It was irritating to find ourselves over a barrel somewhat in the couple of small grocery stores that we did manage to discover, paying very high prices for very poor choice. Many pubs and restaurants were very obviously geared towards "discerning diners" with prices to match.

Perhaps we should have learned from some other campers at Amroth, who were out every day at low tide picking mussels along the lovely beaches stretching between there and Saundersfoot, via Wiseman's Bridge.

Another gem we came across was picturesque Little Haven. Here again we could have walked from one beach to another; its busier "big" sister of Broad Haven in this case. As we were to find out moments later, it would certainly have been easier than driving.

The sign on the narrow coast road had warned not to proceed with vehicles longer than 16ft. Foolishly, we thought we'd be all right and the motorhome turned the sharp and steep bend into the village easily enough. But on the way back up we had to stop suddenly to avoid a rather hastily-driven van and then could not get a grip on a gravelly patch. With our wheels spinning madly, we were just inches away from a wall with a huge drop below. We were trapped – until we remembered the chocks, which I shoved under the wheels. We at last got a grip and I followed the motorhome up the hill, unable to believe how close we had come to disaster. Perhaps I should not have counted our good fortune so soon. Seconds later, I was jumping three feet sideways to narrowly avoid being run over by that man in that van again who suddenly decided to reverse out of a drive without looking. Yet another tale to tell those back home.

Plenty to see whatever the weather

Other places to visit

Folly Farm, Kilgetty: As well as friendly farm animals to feed, we found capybara sharing a pen with endangered lemurs and the cutest baby tapir. There's also an old-fashioned indoor fun fair, but rides are extra. Open all year. 01834 812731. www.folly-farm.co.uk.

Tudor Merchant's House, Tenby: What never fails to amuse custodian Alyson Bush is visitors' fascination with the cesspit of this 15th century town house. Three people could use the latrine at the same time, on different floors and positioned so that those underneath did not get "showered". Open end of March to end of October. 01834 842279. www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

Carew Castle (five miles east of Pembroke): What we liked about Carew Castle is that it shows the history of the different periods in which it has existed, from Norman times to the Elizabethan era. Carew is also home to many different species of bats, including the rare Greater Horseshoe. Open from April to end of October. 01646 651782. www.carewcastle.com.

Pembroke Castle: Beneath it lies a vast cavern where Stone Age tools have been found. The girls enjoyed finding "secret" passages and the dungeon. Open all year. 01646 684585. www.pembrokecastle.co.uk.

St David's Cathedral: You cannot help but be awestruck by the wealth of treasures here, many of which have come via pilgrims. The first Norman bishop of the cathedral persuaded the then Pope to grant a privilege which meant if pilgrims visited St David's twice, they would be blessed as if they had gone to Rome once. 01437 727272. www.stdavids cathedral.org.uk.

Fact file

Helen Werin stayed at Mill House Caravan Park, Stepaside, 01834 812069, www.millhousecaravan.co.uk. and Creampots Touring Caravan and Camping Park, Little Haven, 01437 781776, www.creampots.co.uk.

For free Pembrokeshire Holiday Guide, call 08705 103 103. www.visitpembrokeshire.com

Nolton Stables, Nolton, 01437 710360, www.noltonstables.com.