EVER thought, this weekend I’m going to jump off a cliff? That’s what I told my friends, and they worried I’d reached the end of my tether, but no – I was planning a trip to an award-winning Pembrokeshire activity centre for three days of coasteering and sea kayaking.

Coasteering is the exploration of the coastline by clambering across rocks at sea level, swimming through gorges and caves, wave riding and cliff jumping (from a height of up to 30 feet, optional).

In wetsuit, helmet and carefully health-and-safety checked gung-ho attitude, we set off along the coastal path to a pebble beach and scrambled across rocks, jumped into deep, cold and refreshing coastal pools, and swam across the bay to explore smugglers’ caves and a passage through an offshore island.

It was all very 007 and although James Bond might have managed this sort of thing alone, local knowledge is imperative for non-fictional characters.

We were grateful to have a local guide in full body neoprene (how often do you get to say that?) to take us on this adrenaline-fuelled journey.

And unlike the reception Bond receives when he traverses the ocean and clambers into unknown territory, we were warmly welcomed into cosy accommodation in Mathry, near Haverfordwest, where adventurers may stay (or you can just opt for daytime activities).

The key organiser, Libby, was so fun that, quite frankly, I wanted to take her home with me at the end of our stay.

Preseli Venture Activity Centre is a lovely place, an ecolodge rather than a hotel: it’s simple with a smart driftwood feel, nestled among green rolling hills reminiscent of the Teletubbies set. Tranquil yet infused with energy, there’s a small bar area, wi-fi, hot tea on tap and a magic-porridge-pot biscuit barrel that was replenished as fast as I could eat – and eat I did.

The home-cooked vegetable lasagne alone was worth travelling for, and I haven’t space to wax lyrical about the perfect chocolate brownies.

After an amazing sunset at the dining table, watching an evening fox trot boldly across the fields, we snuggled down in a comfy double bed up a funky wooden ladder. There’s a range of bedroom options including singles, doubles, family rooms and shared bunkrooms.

Set away from the main house, there’s also a new ecodome with proper beds and a wood burner for anyone who fancies a spot of glamping.

The weekend dawned and we were off sea kayaking on a rock and roll course, exploring the rocks of the picturesque Pembrokeshire coastline and rolling on the waves, buffeted by a stiff sea breeze.

Over a map and a hearty cooked breakfast, our course leader, well-versed in the vagaries of the coastline, explained the effect of the weather fronts and the tides on the swell and how this guided the plan for the day.

With gale force southwesterly winds, we were happy to shelter on the northern edge of the St David’s peninsula, venturing from the calm harbour of Fishguard into increasingly challenging conditions towards Dinas Head.

The leaders, equipped with flares, a Kissu (an emergency shelter that packs into a pocket-sized pouch) and emergency bananas, tailored the day’s trip to the group’s abilities and aspirations, teaching paddle strokes amidst exploration, with pauses for wildlife spotting alongside high-octane rock hopping for some of us.

After magnificent caves where the sea gleamed rich emerald and turquoise blue, it was a thrill to moor up for a picnic lunch on a beach, inaccessible except by sea, beneath towering cliffs, allegedly the nesting site of a peregrine falcon.

As you would expect from an organisation that’s won accolades for its environmental and ethical approach to adventure tourism, the staff at Preseli Venture know the local flora and fauna inside out, and for the bird-watching brethren, there were birds aplenty, including vocal oyster catchers, razorbills, guillemots, a range of adult seagull species and their perching fluffy chicks.

Our weekend also followed a rarely-seen sunfish who swings its shark-like dorsal fin from side-to-side through the water, and a couple of seals poked their heads up. September is the best time to see seals aplenty.

Preseli Venture is a place people return to again and again, and this was a return trip for me.

During an Introduction to Sea Kayaking, we had seen dozens of seals, including babies on the beaches and a pair of porpoises leaping across the Irish Sea. I was hoping for puffins, but will have to venture further from the mainland to spot these.

ESSENTIAL FACTS

  • Preseli Venture Eco Lodge and Activity Centre, www.preseliventure.co.uk
  • Parcynole Fach, Mathry, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62 5HN 01348 837709
  • By car: 210 miles from Oxford, approximately 3.5 hours journey
  • By train: Preseli Venture run a shuttle service to and from Haverfordwest station.
  • Preseli Venture is open to individuals mid-week for £39 a night B&B, or £59 a night fully catered. Activites include coasteering, sea kayaking, surfing and hiking as well as family adventure days, activity weekends and five-day holidays. Wetsuits and all equipment ARE provided.
  • For more information on Pembrokeshire, see www.visitpembrokeshire.com