I finally made it to Saundersfoot after a bit of a faff on the drive down from Carmarthen – nothing major, just a rogue seagull dive-bombing my windscreen with what I swear was a chip stolen from a nearby bin, leaving me scrubbing gull guano off the glass at a layby. Laughable now, but at the time I was muttering about my luck. Still, pulling up to Wilde Spa (Pet) just outside the village felt like a proper treat. This cosy pet-friendly cottage, perched with those smashing sea views over Saundersfoot Bay, promised a cracking three-day getaway, and from the off, it delivered.

First impressions? Blimey, the place is a hug in cottage form. Stone walls, a private hot tub bubbling away on the deck (perfect for my soppy spaniel, who immediately claimed it as his throne), and floor-to-ceiling windows framing the beach. We arrived mid-morning under a rare patch of Pembrokeshire blue sky, the kind that tricks you into thinking summer's sorted. Unpacking was a doddle – wood burner stocked, spa shower gleaming, and that massive telly for rainy backups. My dog was in heaven, sniffing every corner like he'd discovered Narnia. I plonked my bag down, grabbed my wellies, and we were off for our first hike before the clouds could gatecrash.

Saundersfoot's a walker's paradise, innit? That initial stroll along the coastal path from the beach car park was pure magic. Ten minutes from the cottage, and we're crunching over pebbles, the sea sparkling like it'd been polished. The tide was out, exposing rock pools teeming with crabs – I spent a good half-hour poking about with a stick, feeling like a daft kid again. The path climbs gently towards Coppet Hill, with gorse buzzing with bees and wildflowers nodding in the breeze. Weather was holding – warm enough for a light jacket, views stretching to Tenby on a clear day. We pushed on, my spaniel bounding ahead, tail like a windscreen wiper on full pelt. Light-hearted giggles when he face-planted into a muddy puddle, emerging like a chocolate lab. Proper comedy gold.

But oh, the British weather – it's got a wicked sense of humour. By lunch, the sky turned from azure to battleship grey faster than you can say "sodding typical." Fat raindrops started, then it was lashing down proper, wind whipping off the bay like Neptune's having a tantrum. Plans for the full Coppet Hill loop? Scrambled. We legged it back towards the village, ducking into The Mermaid for a pint and fish 'n' chips – steaming hot, battered cod flaking perfectly, the kind that warms your cockles. Sat there dripping, watching the bay turn soupy white with waves, I couldn't help a chuckle at us lot, soaked to the skin but grinning. "This is Wales," I said to the dog, who was hoovering up a rogue chip under the table.

Afternoon brought a tease of respite – drizzle easing to mizzle – so we ventured out again, this time the easier Saundersfoot to Wiseman's Bridge path. Muddy underfoot after the downpour, but that's half the fun, right? Slipping and sliding, laughing at my squelching boots, the cliffs dramatic under scudding clouds. Sea mist rolled in, turning everything ethereal, like hiking through a watercolour painting. The weather flipped again, sun piercing through for golden moments that lit up the heather. Back at the cottage by dusk, we thawed in the hot tub, steam rising as rain pattered down. My dog sprawled beside me, knackered and content.

Reflecting on it now, that first day was a gentle nudge from the universe – life's hikes don't always stick to the map, do they? The weather's whims forced us to savour the small stuff: the crunch of shingle, a sudden rainbow arch over the bay, the simple joy of sheltering together. Wilde Spa (Pet) nailed it as a base – comfy, scenic, dog-blissful. Can't wait for day two's whatever-the-sky-throws-next adventure.