The Marloes Peninsula and Deer Park

From the car park, drop down the path to Marloes Sands — a long beach under tilted, banded cliffs that geologists come a long way to look at. At low tide you can walk most of its length. At the far western end sits Gateholm, a flat-topped island accessible at low water, with the outlines of over a hundred ancient hut platforms on top.

Climb back to the Coast Path and follow it west around the peninsula. The cliffs here are constantly busy in spring and early summer — guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and choughs.

At the tip you reach the Deer Park, which has no deer: it's a walled headland enclosed in the 18th century for a deer park that never happened. It's now one of the best places in Pembrokeshire to stand still and look. Grey seals haul out in the coves below, and from late August they pup there.

Martin's Haven below is where the Skomer boat leaves from. If you want to see puffins — April to late July, and the island is world-famous for its Manx shearwaters — book that separately and early.

Return along the northern side of the peninsula and the lane back to Marloes village, or retrace the coast path if you'd rather stay on the cliff.

Where to finish. The Lobster Pot in Marloes village is the only pub within reach, which makes it either convenient or essential.