If you love the seaside, than the Pembrokeshire Fish Week 2008 is right up your alley, err, waterway. The sunny community in West Wales is holding their annual festival this year from June 21 – 29. In short, participants will be able to take in the rugged Welsh coastal cliffs, traipse along the sandy beaches and sample local cuisine from the ocean below.

You will not go bored or hungry either. More than 150 events will transpire over the course of Fish Week including fishing trips, water sports, competitions, exhibitions, arts and crafts, crab catching, harbor tours, river boat cruises, cook-offs and one seafood extravaganza after another.

This year also holds promises of being better than the proceeding nine. A stimulating fish and shellfish class by British restaurateur Milford Haven, who has opened twelve FishWorks and is more notably visible on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, will be given on June 26. There are other new events worth a mention including a chowder trail, hovercraft trips into the ocean, learn how to fish from a kayak lessons and an adventure day dedicated solely to exciting water sports.

But the real brain behind the operation is the beloved sea. Discussions on the deeply rooted history of the local fishing industry and modern conservation efforts will also take place with high hopes of preserving the coastline for future generations and Fish Week’s.

There are also some truly charming places in Pembroke to stay and kick up your heels after a day by the sea.

The Lamphey Hall Hotel is a secret gem. It is a traditional, family run hotel and the loving aura is what really gives the hotel its country charm. Though it is known for its peace and quiet, (it was a rectory in a previous life) the hotel does have a bubbly little bar in the lush outdoor gardens.

The Cleddau Bridge Hotel is set a bit closer to Fish Week, less than a mile from the center of town. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the best of both worlds – the bustle of Fish Week intermixed with the tranquility of the hotel’s peaceful grounds that overlook the slow flow of the River Cleddau.

Photos of the Pembrokeshire Harbor and a little fisherman courtesy of Pembrokeshire.gov