Musselwick Sands

Musselwick is the beach on the northern side of the Marloes peninsula, facing into St Brides Bay, and it's the one locals use when Marloes Sands is busy or the wind is in the south. You park in the village or at the National Trust car park and walk out across the fields for fifteen minutes or so to the cliff top, then take a steep, narrow path down to the sand.

The tide dictates everything. At low water there's a long, clean, quiet beach with rocks and pools at either end. At high water the sea comes right up to the cliffs and the beach disappears entirely. The path down is the only way off the beach — there is no scrambling out at the far end — so read the tide table, note the time of high water, and give yourself a wide margin. People have to be rescued from here, and it's always the same story.

Given that caution, it's a lovely spot: usually near-empty, good for swimming on a calm day (unguarded), and with views across the bay to Newgale and the St Davids peninsula. There are no facilities. The village of Marloes has a pub and a shop; Martin's Haven and the Skomer boats are a couple of miles down the lane; Marloes Sands is on the other side of the peninsula and worth doing on the same trip. Between the two beaches and the Deer Park, this small peninsula holds more good coast per square mile than almost anywhere in Wales.