The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park covers almost the whole of the Pembrokeshire coast, all offshore islands, large areas of land around the River Cleddau and large areas of the Preseli and Gwaun Valley. It is one of the smallest National Parks in the United Kingdom, but it has one of the most diverse landscapes. It has a rather strange shape - at its widest, about 16km wide, and at its narrowest it is about 100m. The park's population is 22,350 (2018) and the coastline is 420 km. The Park is approximately 615 sq km. Most of it is privately owned. Less than 2% of the National Park area is owned by the Park Authority. There is clean sea water at the coast - 11 Blue Flag beaches, 13 Green Coast beaches and 15 Seaside Awards (2019). But what is the history of National Parks? The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed in 1949. National Parks exist to ensure that these special landscapes are protected for future generations to enjoy. There are two others in Wales, namely - Snowdonia National Park and Brecon Beacons National Park.

There are 15 National Parks in the United Kingdom. There are ten in England and there are two in Scotland, namely - Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, The Cairngorms (the UK's largest National Park). Our National Park is the only one in the United Kingdom designated primarily for its coastal landscape. There is no place in the National Park more than 10 miles from the sea. The Milford Haven Waterway is the second deepest natural harbour in the World (after Sydney Harbor in Australia). Ecologically, the Park is one of the richest and most diverse in Wales and is recognized as being of international importance for a wide variety of high quality habitats and rare species. One third of the British breeding pairs of chough are in Pembrokeshire. Grassholm is also one of the world's largest habitats for white cormorant.

Over the centuries the people of Pembrokeshire have travelled the world and brought their longing with them. Because of this, there are remarkable locations in New Zealand, USA and Patagonia that are named after parts of Pembrokeshire e.g. Milford Sound (New Zealand), Pembroke (Maine, Massachusetts and New York, USA) and Narberth in Pennsylvania. Why not compare your area with one of them?