Crabbing at Solva Harbour
Welcome to Solva, a small harbour village south of St Davids at the top of St. Brides Bay, for a small place, there are lots to do, see and enjoy.
Where to Find Us
A few miles from St Davids and 22 miles from Bluestone is the picturesque harbour village of Solva. The bustling High Street has cafes, pubs, craft shops, and galleries and is a must-visit when exploring Pembrokeshire. You can’t miss the big harbour wall that snakes along the coast at the foot of the hillside and it’s well worth a walk to admire the view. It’s well known by locals as one of the best crabbing spots around as well – perfect for Free Range Fun!
A Guide to Crabbing
If you've never been before, then don't worry it's simple to pick up. Here is our guide:
1. Find a suitable spot on the harbour wall. No need for a hook just tie on some bacon (crabs love the rind best) tinned sardines or any fish offcuts to the lines that you can buy in the coffee shop above the Harbour Master’s Office.
2. Drop your line in the water and wait. About five minutes should do it but after a few minutes, there will probably be crabs galore!
3. Try raising your line, it should feel a little heavier and watch. Clustered to your now half-eaten bait, there should be a few happy crabs munching away.
4. If you want to keep your crabs in a bucket for a while to look at, make sure you only put a few in at a time. They don’t like crowds and can become quite cross.
5. Make sure you place your bucket in the shade, crabs are not accustomed to bright sunlight and don’t carry suntan lotion.
6. After you’ve observed their antics, carefully place them back into the water.
7. They are not edible so please don’t try them on the barbecue. Let them go back home!
Visiting Solva
Even if you don't fancy crabbing, Solva is a great place to visit for a walk or just a look around.
At high tide, the beach is just a little strip beside the village but at low tide the harbour is almost completely dry, leaving you lots of time to explore. During low tide, if you head down the beach you’ll find lots of rock pools and caves to explore. You can swim here as well. At high tide, the harbour wall isn’t just good for crabbing – feel free to jump off! You can also walk up several paths to The Gribbin for superb views.
If you’re planning to visit, check out the tide times to make sure you’ve plenty of beach to play on and that you don’t get cut off by the incoming tide. There are plenty of facilities in Solva, including toilets and parking.
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