Knowles Farm, Lawrenny
For ultimate romance, leave the car behind and sail a dinghy or kayak up to this cosy farmhouse B&B, which has its own mooring on the shores of the upper Cleddau estuary. There's good reason for landlubbers to visit too. Surrounded by 1,000 acres of farmland (the cows here produce some of the milk for Rachel's yoghurts, which are served as part of the B&B's organic farmhouse breakfasts), staying here is all about escapism. Rustle up your own barbecue on the terrace, head down to the coast or just take a rug and a book out onto the lawn.
• 01834 891221, lawrenny.org.uk. Doubles from £72 B&B. Evening meals from £12pp
Bay House, Tenby
A modern take on the traditional seaside guesthouse, this five-star B&B is set in a 19th-century townhouse, on a row of pastel-coloured houses just back from the seafront. That its three immaculate bedrooms and guest dining/living area are decorated in shades of butter, cream and biscuit is entirely appropriate; owner, Debra, either makes her own cakes or buys them in from local bakers every day for a "help yourself" afternoon tea. The one downside? It's only open from Easter to October.
• 5 Picton Road, 01834 849015, tenbybandb.co.uk. Doubles from £75, including breakfast and afternoon tea
YHA Broad Haven
Recently overhauled to better cater for the largely family groups who stay here, rooms at Broad Haven's 80-bed youth hostel are now fully en suite. Set a little way back from a wide sandy beach (and close to even more spectacular Newgale beach), its great selling point is its functionality. As well as self-catering facilities, there's a smart blue and white dining room looking out towards the coast and, in summer, the hostel runs barbecues for both guests and non-guests. There are pubs and a chippie in Broad Haven but it's worth heading round the bay to prettier Little Haven if you want to eat out in more atmospheric surroundings. Try the Swan Inn.
• 0845 371 9008, yha.org.uk. Dorm beds from £17.50, double rooms from £42, family rooms for four from £50. Full breakfasts from £4.95, evening meals from £5.95 for a main course
Oriel Milgi, St Dogmaels
Opened last November in this pretty coastal village right at the far northern reaches of the county, Oriel Milgi's name refers to its owners' twin passions for art and whippets. Once a sea captain's house, the B&B's three bedrooms now set rustic wooden headboards and French linen sheets against sleek, contemporary bathrooms, vintage furniture and local art ("Coed" is the most decadent with its attached wet room and views out across the garden to the estuary beyond) but, more importantly, hospitality is done to Olympic standards.
• 01239 612556, orielmilgi.co.uk. Doubles from £75 B&B
Crug Glas, Abereiddy, near Solva
The five-star luxury here is heartfelt. A seven-bedroom Georgian country house that was once one of the residences of the Bishop of St David's, it's now run as a small, family-owned restaurant with rooms. Part of a 600-acre working arable farm, Crug Glas is big on old-fashioned pampering, with fresh flowers and cream-laced porridge two of many small indulgences. The five bedrooms in the main house are decked out with family heirlooms (room one, with its four-poster and freestanding copper bath, is the sexiest) while two newer suites across the farmyard are more contemporary. Head down to nearby Abereiddy beach for the day, then tuck into a dinner of Pembrokeshire lamb or sea bass fillet with laverbread sauce.
• 01348 831302, crug-glas.co.uk. Doubles from £115 B&B
Plas Farmhouse, Narberth
A budget alternative to the swanky Grove Hotel (thegrove-narberth.co.uk), just down the road, this three-room farmhouse B&B is full of happy contradictions. Though set in a 16th-century building and packed with antique and vintage finds, its rooms feel very 21st-century, with Wi-Fi, great beds and more than a hint of an acquaintance with the Farrow & Ball paint chart. And, while it's set in Narberth, one of Pembrokeshire's liveliest villages, Plas Farmhouse feels peaceful and rural. A posy of fresh flowers by the bed, an invitation to light the fire in the guest lounge after returning from dinner at nearby Diablo's , and lashings of local breakfast supplies make this more than just B&B-ing by numbers. See Rhiannon's full review of the farmhouse here.
• 01834 869089, plasfarmhouse.co.uk. Doubles from £60 B&B
Hayston Farmhouse, Merrion
This farmhouse B&B, south of Pembroke, is an ideal retreat after a day spent hiking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path or strolling between Bosherstons' lily ponds. Though it's no longer part of a working farm, you'd think it was from the Doctor Dolittle collection of horses, dogs and chickens running around the courtyard. Inside, it's just as homely with wellies by the door and jars of homemade marmalade cooling beside an Aga. The "Library", an antique-scattered sitting and dining room with an open fire, makes a grand setting for breakfast or dinner or you can eat on the terrace in good weather. Its two bedrooms have recently been redecorated, as has a lovely self-catering suite across the courtyard, which is occasionally let out for B&B, too.
• 01646 661462, haystonfarmhouse.co.uk. Doubles from £75 B&B. Evening meals from £15 per head
Preseli Venture, Mathry
Popular for 40th birthday parties or hen and stag weekends, this five-star lodge works as well for groups as it does for couples, families and singles. Built sustainably but not grungily, it sleeps up to 40 in dorm bedrooms that hold between two and eight people (the doubles are the most stylish, with wooden "hayloft" style beds, reached via ladders). Though you can't self-cater, if you don't want to have lunches and dinners thrown in you can opt just for B&B. There's a huge range of outdoor activities on offer, too.
• 01348 837709, preseliventure.co.uk). Beds cost from £39pppn B&B, or from £59pppn full-board. Add-on activities start from £49pp per half day
Canaston Oaks, Canaston Bridge, near Narberth
It's not often you find faggots on a breakfast menu but they'll do them here if you don't fancy a full Welsh. But, then, scratch beneath the surface of this contemporary seven-room B&B and you realise that there's more history in its walls than first appears. Family owned, its rooms have been developed from calves' cots, pigsties and stable blocks. Apart from some exposed stonework and antique chests of drawers, however, the feel is now modern, with underfloor heating, solid oak doors, designer bathroom fittings and Melin Tregwynt throws. All are smart and comfortable but, unless you have children and need kitchen facilities, avoid Yr Onnen; the decor isn't up to the same standard as the other rooms.
• 01437 541254, canastonoaks.co.uk. Doubles from £110 B&B
The Clockhouse, Marloes
As the jumping-off point for Skomer Island, and with a lovely beach on the doorstep, this breezy blue and white, seaside-themed B&B gets busy – May and June are often booked out by twitchers wanting to catch puffin season on Skomer. The bedrooms aren't fancy but they're clean, comfortable and practical. Even if you're not staying here, it's worth making a detour for lunch at the attached summer-only cafe. Its grilled mackerel salads are perennially popular and crab claws are new on the 2012 menu.
• 01646 636527, chmarloes.co.uk. Doubles from £84 B&B
Rhiannon Batten travelled to Pembrokeshire with First Great Western (firstgreatwestern.co.uk) and Arriva Trains (arrivatrainswales.co.uk). For more general information on Pembrokeshire see visitpembrokeshire.com
