Runwayskiln Café
Café- Opening hours
- Bank holidays, Monday–Saturday: 09:00–17:00
Photo: Rob Purvis (CC BY-SA 2.0)Marloes Sands
A vast, wild strand of folded rock and clean sand — many regulars' pick for the most beautiful beach in Wales.
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.
Where to eat and drink near Marloes Sands
The nearest pubs, cafés and restaurants, closest first. Walking times are rough estimates on lane and cliff path — check opening hours before you rely on one.
750m away · about 10 min walk
Photo: Basher Eyre (CC BY-SA 2.0)1.6km away · about 25 min walk
1.6km away · about 25 min walk
Things to do near Marloes Sands
- Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips (Skomer boat) — 2.7km
- Pump House — 4.2km
- Vomit Point — 4.4km
- Dale Fort — 4.7km
- Cobbler's Hole — 5.1km
- The Harold Stone (Marloes) — 5.2km
- West Blockhouse Fort — 5.3km
- Skomer Island — 6.0km
The next few hours
Nearest forecast point: St Brides Bay
dry for the next few hours, around 12°C, breezy, gusts near 24 mph.
01:00
12°
Fair
W 24 mph
02:00
12°
Clear
W 24 mph
03:00
12°
Clear
NW 24 mph
04:00
12°
Clear
NW 24 mph
05:00
12°
Fair
NW 23 mph
06:00
12°
Clear
NW 22 mph
07:00
12°
Clear
NW 22 mph
08:00
12°
Clear
NW 23 mph
Forecast from MET Norway, used under CC BY 4.0. It's a forecast for the nearest of six points across the county, not for this exact spot — on a coast this shaped, one headland can be in sun and the next in rain.
Light today at Marloes Sands
- Sunrise
- 07:35
- Sunset
- 18:43
- Daylight
- 11h 8m
The light goes gold from about 17:57, and this beach faces the sunset.
Calculated for these coordinates, accurate to a minute or so. A cliff or a headland to your west will take the sun sooner than this suggests.
Tides near Marloes Sands
Martin's Haven · about 2 miles away
Low water
01:00
Sat 10 Oct · 0.8m
High water
06:52
Sat 10 Oct · 6.2m
Low water
13:12
Sat 10 Oct · 0.8m
High water
19:09
Sat 10 Oct · 6.4m
Predicted times from the UK Hydrographic Office. Wind and pressure shift real water levels, and the tide at a specific cove can run earlier or later than its port. Never plan a tidal crossing on this alone.
Bathing water quality
Natural Resources Wales
ExcellentLatest annual classification for the designated bathing water at Marloes Sands
NRW notes water quality here can be affected by heavy rain — worth remembering the day after a downpour.
This is a designated bathing water, sampled by Natural Resources Wales through the May–September season. Official record (Open Government Licence v3.0, © Natural Resources Wales). Classification as published when we last checked, 2026-08-21 — the official record always has the latest.
Before you go
The practical answers, from the people responsible for them, checked 2026-08-23.
The tide can cut you off here
A fine beach to walk, but there is no safe way up at the east end — so don't plan on leaving that way.
Source: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Martin's Haven to Dale
Lifeguards
Marloes Sands is not on the RNLI’s list of patrolled beaches, so there is no lifeguard service at any time of year. Judge the water yourself, and if you are at all unsure, swim somewhere that is patrolled.
Source: RNLI, 2026 patrol dates
Parking at Marloes Sands
OpenStreetMap
2 car parks within a mile of the sand. The nearest is about 500m away — roughly a 10-minute walk if you park there and carry everything in.
- 500m
Marloes Sands - Field Summer Honesty Box
Charges apply
- 950m
Marloes Sands Car Park
Charges apply
Distances are straight-line from the beach, so the walk is usually longer — and on this coast it is often downhill on the way there. Charges and space counts come from OpenStreetMap contributors and can go out of date; we don’t print prices, because the map records whether a car park charges, not how much. In July and August the popular ones fill by mid-morning.
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Marloes Sands: common questions
Can I take a dog to Marloes Sands?
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Where do you park for Marloes Sands?
The nearest car park we map is Marloes Sands - Field Summer Honesty Box, about 500m away (charges apply). There is one more within a mile.
Are there toilets at Marloes Sands?
Yes — public toilets are mapped about 750m from the beach. Seasonal opening is normal on the Pembrokeshire coast, so treat winter as uncertain.
Answers are generated from what we actually hold in our database and refreshed as it changes. Opening hours, dog rules and prices move — check with the venue before you travel.
Stay near Marloes Sands
Hand-picked places to stay within a mile or so, nearest first. Our picks are data-driven — we haven’t stayed — and we earn a commission when you book through a partner link. How that works.
Marloes · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
- 1 mile away
- Best for: Couples with a dog · Skomer boat trips
from £387/week
View stay →Bookable via cottages.com
Marloes · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
Log burner
- 1 mile away
- Best for: Couples with a dog · Skomer puffin trips
from £630/week
View stay →Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Marloes · Sleeps 4 · 3 beds
- 1 mile away
- Best for: Families of four · two couples sharing
from £273/week
View stay →Bookable via cottages.com