St Davids

Britain’s smallest city, though only the size of a village, St David’s is the spiritual capital of Wales and a perfect stop over for exploring some of the best beaches in the UK.

The Welsh name for the town, ‘Tyddewi’, simply means David’s House and as home to the patron saint of the Wales and his cathedral, St David’s is immensely important to Welsh nationhood. The stunning St David’s Cathedral is what gives St David’s its status as a city, even though it has a population of just 1800 people.

St David’s is built around the medieval town plan of a central market cross from which the town’s narrow streets span out. The town has a bustling air to it, a remnant of its past with modern day visitors replacing medieval pilgrims travelling from far and wide to pay homage to wonderfully serene St David’s Cathedral and the nearby ruins of the Bishop’s Palace .

The sanctity of these pilgrims is balanced against the more profane pursuits of largely younger visitors, for whom St David’s is perfectly located for the surf and sand of St Bride’s bay and Whitesands Bay.

But whatever floats your boat, or indeed board, St David’s is ideally placed for exploring some of the most rugged an unspoilt coastal scenery in Europe, it has the heritage and importance to justify the journey and there are enough eateries to make a short stay a pleasant one.