Photo: Roger Davies (CC BY-SA 2.0)Dale
Watersports village on a sheltered bay near St Ann's Head — sailing, paddleboarding, a legendary pub, and the Marloes peninsula's great walks next door.
Dale sits on a broad, sheltered bay just inside the mouth of the Milford Haven waterway, which makes it the county's natural watersports base: dinghy sailing, windsurfing, kayaking and paddleboarding all run from the beach in season, with hire and instruction on hand. The Griffin Inn, on the water's edge, is one of Pembrokeshire's best-loved pubs — crab from the bay, boats on the moorings, sunsets over the anchorage.
The walking is superb: out to St Ann's Head lighthouse past Mill Bay (where Henry Tudor landed in 1485 on his way to Bosworth), or over the neck of the peninsula to west-facing Westdale Bay for the last light. Marloes Sands and the Skomer boats at Martin's Haven are minutes away. Dale is small and self-contained — a village for people whose holiday happens on and in the water.
Where to stay in Dale
Around the seafront and Blue Anchor Way for bay views and a stroll to the Griffin; the lanes towards St Ann's Head for quiet. Nearby Marloes village adds more cottage supply ten minutes away.
Stays in Dale by feature
Places to stay in Dale
Dale · Sleeps 6 · 3 beds
Sea viewWalk to beach
With a lighthouse for your neighbour the sea dominates this stunning location. Sitting on the coastal path and with fields to the rear this cottage enjoys the best of both worlds. Historic Mill Bay the landing place of Henry Tudor offers a sandy beach and rock pools and is a shor
from £703/week
View stay →Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Dale · Sleeps 2 · 1 bed
Sea viewWalk to beach
With a lighthouse for your neighbour the sea dominates this location. Sitting on the coastal path and with fields to the rear this cottage enjoys the best of both worlds. Historic Mill Bay the landing place of Henry Tudor is just a short walk and offers a sandy beach and rock poo
from £703/week
View stay →Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Read the full guide: Where to Stay in Dale: The Watersports Village and St Ann's Head
Hotels, B&Bs and inns in Dale
Paid links
Our hand-picked stays above are cottages and holiday homes. For a hotel, a guesthouse, a B&B or a pub with rooms, this search covers what is bookable in and around Dale.
- Search hotels, B&Bs and inns in Dale on Booking.comvia Booking.com
Opens Booking.com's search for Dale — add your dates to see live prices and what is actually free. Hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and pubs with rooms, which the cottage agencies don't list.
We earn a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. We have not been paid to place them and no partner can buy a position here — they are on this page because the page is where the question comes up. Prices, availability and terms are the provider’s, not ours; check them before you book.
Beaches near Dale
Dogs all yearDale Beach
The sailing village's sheltered shingle-and-sand beach on the Milford Haven waterway — flat water, boats and a pub on the front.
Dogs all yearCastlebeach Bay
A small wooded cove with a restored lime kiln, five minutes' walk from Dale towards St Ann's Head.
Dogs all yearWestdale Bay
Fifteen minutes' walk across the peninsula from Dale and a completely different sea — open Atlantic sand, and dangerous swimming.
Dogs all yearWatwick Bay
The Dale peninsula's white-sand surprise — sheltered, walk-in only, and startlingly beautiful at low tide.
Dogs all yearMill Bay
The small shingle cove near St Ann's Head where Henry Tudor landed in 1485 on his way to Bosworth — history, not sunbathing.
Dogs all yearMarloes Sands
A vast, wild strand of folded rock and clean sand — many regulars' pick for the most beautiful beach in Wales.
Compare all 14 beaches near Dale — distance, dogs, lifeguards, parking →
Eating out and things to do in Dale
Pubs, restaurants, cafés, attractions and activities in and around Dale.
Everything to do in and around Dale, in one place →
Parking (2)Pubs (1)Activities (1)Dog-friendly pubs (1)B&Bs & guest houses (1)Castles (1)Toilets (1)Campsites (1)Nature (2)Ancient sites (2)Defibrillators (2)
Paddleboarding & sailing at Dale
ActivitiesThe county's sheltered watersports bay — hire, tuition and moorings, best on a flooding tide.
Three-hundred-year-old pub on Dale's sea wall at the mouth of the Haven — lobster from pots in the bay, Bluestone ales and its own amber beer, and the last pub standing of a village that once had fifteen.
- Phone
- +44 1646 636227
- Website
- griffindale.co.uk
Cobbler's Hole
ViewpointCliff viewpoint near St Ann's Head at the tip of the Dale peninsula — savagely folded rock strata that geology field trips cross Britain to sketch.
Gann Lime Kilns
Historic siteLime kilns on the Gann estuary flats between Dale and Musselwick — industrial archaeology amid the wading birds.
Dale
Car park£1.50 an hour, £3 for two hours, £4.50 for four, £6 for 24 hours, £30 a week. Seasonal charging.129 spaces
Run by Pembrokeshire County Council
Coastal walks near Dale
Dale to Sandy Haven
A gentle stage along the north shore of the Haven with two tidal stepping-stone crossings that will add four miles to your day if you get them wrong.
7 miles · 3½–4 hours · Moderate
The Dale Peninsula and St Ann's Head
A full-day circuit of the peninsula that guards the mouth of the Milford Haven waterway, past a lighthouse, three forts and the beach where Henry Tudor landed.
8 miles · 4–5 hours · Moderate
Dale: common questions
Which beaches are closest to Dale?
Dale Beach is the nearest we list, about 150m away, followed by Castlebeach Bay (850m) and Westdale Bay (1.2km (0.7 miles)). Distances are straight-line from the centre of the village, so allow more by road.
Where can I park in Dale?
We map 2 car parks in and around Dale, 1 of which charge. Coastal car parks fill early in July and August — arriving before 10am or after 4pm makes a real difference.
Can I walk the Coast Path from Dale?
Yes — we have 2 written-up routes starting at or passing through Dale: Dale to Sandy Haven and The Dale Peninsula and St Ann's Head. Each one has distance, ascent, parking and the bits that catch people out.
Where should I stay in Dale?
We currently list 7 places to stay in and around Dale. We show prices and availability from the booking provider rather than holding our own, so what you see is what they have.
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.
Also consider
Tenby
Pembrokeshire's postcard town: pastel Georgian houses above three superb beaches, a working harbour and medieval walls — the classic Welsh seaside holiday.
Saundersfoot
Big sandy beach, busy little harbour and a proper seaside village centre — Tenby's more relaxed neighbour, three miles up the coast.
St Davids
Britain's smallest city — a cathedral in a hollow, Whitesands Bay up the road, and the wildest, most beautiful corner of the national park all around.