Sweet Things About Staying in Saundersfoot

Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Saundersfoot has about 3,000 residents, which made us small-town women feel right at home. It’s an active, friendly community, with a beach that gets long and wide when the tide is out. Many people more stalwart than us were frolicking in the surf at the end of May. It’s such a clean place, we suspected town elves came out nightly to tidy up before the new day dawned. With the ready availability of ice cream (stores, beachside trucks, booths) we started to wonder if it was the official town food.

We rented the self-catering Edith Cottage and were pleased with the accommodation. It’s a ten-minute stroll from the beach in a quiet neighborhood. Plenty of room for (more than) two people, an electric fireplace—and most important: Wine glasses. Sara, the owner, rocks.

Antony, at the information center, was extremely helpful in trying to get us to Kilgetty to visit the lovespoons shop. This office is also the community library and a couple told us which bus to take and where to walk from the bus stop. We didn’t end up making it, but the conversations were great fun.

According to a couple of different people, Saundersfoot is known as “Little England beyond the borders” because of the number of folks moving from England to Saundersfoot. When we told a fellow that we’d been to Fishguard on our previous Welsh adventure, he said, “More Welsh over there.” Both bits of coastline have their advantages and beauty.

Saundersfoot Shops to Enjoy

Jackie was making purchases in Elements—a store where the items are created in Pembrokeshire. A community policeman came in and announced to us and two other women that he was, “the spending police.” He quipped on and on to ensure we were spending enough. He had us in stitches in no time.

In Chobbles Sweet Shop, a delightful young woman was behind the counter. I asked, “How do you work around these beautiful chocolates?” With mock seriousness she said, “Sometimes I take one for the team.” The chocolates were delicious and the store is full of vintage items.

Sue’s Pantry has the best cake and cupcake window display we’ve ever glimpsed. The treats are as delicious as they are pretty. This said by a woman who has Pittsburgh’s Prantl’s Bakery to drool over—their windows aren’t this gorgeous.

Welsh Humor to be Had

We enjoyed our first-ever afternoon tea at St. Bride’s Spa. The diverse staff was very gracious—from Italy, France, Wales. We had a lovely window table that provided a grand view of the beach. There were small, crustless sandwiches, scones and sweets. We weren’t sure of the protocol for the leftovers—is it a blatantly American thing to ask for a box?—, but at forty pounds and delicious, we sure didn’t want to leave any treats behind. Jackie made the decision to wrap them in a napkin and stuff them in my purse. We were giggling and wondering if Saundersfoot also had a “tea police.” Not a minute later, two older British ladies asked, “May we have a box?” We barely held it together.

At checkout, the waiter walked by with our tiered dish, the lone lemon cakes remaining. He asked, “Do you want me to box these for you?” Jackie calmly said, “No thank you, we don’t like lemon.”

By the time we got outside, we were laughing like drunken sailors. Jackie was quickly in SLM (silent laugh mode).

Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, Wales

The beach at Saundersfoot is a great place to indulge collecting stones and shells. Jackie is as possessed as I am. The tide was so far out at times that these two land-locked people were amazed. We never came to understand the tides scientifically, but we did like the varying views the ins and outs of it gave us.

If you want to learn more about this lovely town, check out the official “Visit Saundersfoot” Facebook page. Maybe you’ll add it to your upcoming trip list!

Saundersfoot’s quaintness made us country gals feel at home. It’s an active, friendly community, with a beach that gets long and wide when the tide is out.

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Read: Once Upon a Luxurious Night in Merthyr Tydfil