Pembrokeshire Coast named one of UK’s top sights by Lonely Planet

Pembrokeshire Coast is named one of the UK’s most incredible sights by Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet ranks the top 500 unmissable experiences and hidden gems across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands for the first time in the ultimate UK travel hitlist

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has today (Tuesday 13 August) been named one of the UK’s top sights by leading travel media company, Lonely Planet, in a new ranked list of the 500 most memorable, beautiful, surprising and compelling experiences to be had across Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. 

The UK’s four constituent countries and countless small islands comprise a powerhouse of history, culture and intrigue. Now for the first time, Lonely Planet’s community of travel experts have chosen the best sights and experiences and ranked them in order of their brilliance in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist.

Racing into the list in 10th position, makes the Pembrokeshire Coast – a “ravishing stretch of cliff-flanked coves, thrashing seas, wildflower-freckled moors and hedgerowed tracks leading to one-pub villages” – one of the highest entries. 

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe takes the top spot in the list, staking its claim because “the Fringe floods the city with art and nowhere beats it for spectacle or scale… There is theatre, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, opera, music and spoken word, and whatever the time of day, an acrobat, trapeze artist, contortionist or tried-and-tested bagpiping busker will be pleased to entertain you… Simply step through the looking glass and prepare to be dazzled by the greatest show of arts and culture on Earth.”

In total, 47 Welsh sights and experiences feature in the list, from taking on Snowdon (45) to squeezing into the UK’s dinkiest residence at Quay House in Conwy (484).

To create Lonely Planet’s Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist, the Lonely Planet team compiled every highlight from the Lonely Planet guidebooks to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Every sight, attraction and experience that had caught their writers’ attention over the years were included. Everyone in Lonely Planet’s London office, plus 20 leading figures in the country’s travel sector, were then asked to reveal their favourite spots and experiences before the voting began. Everybody in Lonely Planet’s UK community was asked to vote for their top 20 experiences. With hundreds of votes cast, Lonely Planet ended up with a score for each of the 500 experiences in the book.  

Lonely Planet’s VP of Experience, Tom Hall, said: “Lonely Planet’s Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist brings together the UK’s most compelling sights and experiences, ranging from world-class museums and giant cathedrals to rollicking festivals, inky lochs and tiny pubs. We’re thrilled to name the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park one of the UK’s very best experiences – it offers staggering beauty, adventure and a wonderful escape.“