Martin's Haven

Martin's Haven is a small stony cove at the western end of the Marloes peninsula, and its purpose is embarkation: this is where the boats leave for Skomer, Skokholm and the Grassholm gannetry, and where the round-island wildlife cruises start. There's a National Trust car park up the hill, an information point, toilets, and a steep road down to the slipway. There is very little in the way of a beach — shingle and rock — and it isn't somewhere to spend a beach day.

Come for the wildlife. The waters here form the Skomer Marine Conservation Zone, the first statutory marine nature reserve in Britain, and the visibility and life make it one of the best snorkelling and diving sites in Wales. Grey seals haul out on the rocks and in the coves around the Deer Park, and pups appear on nearby beaches through the autumn. In late spring and early summer, the puffins on Skomer are the main draw — landing tickets are limited and boats depend entirely on weather, so book ahead and have a plan B.

Above the haven, the Deer Park (which has no deer) is a walled headland with an Iron Age rampart and a superb short circular walk with Jack Sound raging between you and Skomer. The tide race there is genuinely fierce — good to watch, no place to swim. Between boat trips, the Deer Park circuit, Marloes Sands and Musselwick, this peninsula fills a week on its own.