Marloes Sands

Marloes Sands rewards the fifteen-minute walk in with one of the great British beach reveals: nearly a mile of sand backed by dramatically folded sandstone cliffs, the Three Chimneys strata standing on end, Gateholm Island guarding the western end (reachable with care at low tide), and usually only a scatter of people. The Sandy Haven scenes of countless film shoots were done here for a reason.

Check the tide: at high water the sand all but disappears, so plan around the falling tide. Swimming is possible on calm days but unguarded; most visitors come to walk, photograph, rockpool and be awed. Skomer's puffin boats leave from Martin's Haven a mile up the road — pairing the two makes one of Pembrokeshire's best days. National Trust car park above; steps and a track down.