Sandy Haven

Sandy Haven is a sheltered inlet on the north side of the Milford Haven waterway near St Ishmael's, where a wooded tidal creek — the pill — meets the main channel. It's an estuary beach rather than a coastal one: sand and mud flats at low water, calm sheltered water, woodland and reeds behind, and a quiet that's surprising given the refineries a few miles up the waterway.

The famous feature is the stepping stones. The Coast Path crosses the mouth of the pill on a line of stones that are only passable for a couple of hours either side of low water; miss the window and the official diversion inland is a long, dull road walk of several miles. Anyone walking the Coast Path through here needs to plan the day around that crossing, and there are tide boards to help. Watch the stones themselves — they're weeded and slippery.

For a beach day it's a modest but pleasant spot: sheltered swimming on a rising tide, easy paddling, birds on the mudflats (curlew, oystercatcher, egrets), and a good deal of peace. There's limited parking near the beach at the end of narrow lanes and no real facilities, so bring what you need. It's best treated as a walking and wildlife destination, or as a calm-water alternative when the open coast is unusable — combine it with Lindsway Bay along the path, or the pubs and shops of St Ishmael's and Herbrandston inland.