Barafundle Bay and the Bosherston Lily Ponds

Park at Stackpole Quay and walk south past the tiny harbour — one of the smallest in Britain, cut into the limestone for the estate that used to own all of this.

The path climbs the headland and drops through an arch in a stone wall onto Barafundle Bay. That arrival is the reason people come. There's no road to Barafundle and no facilities of any kind, which is exactly why it still looks the way it does. If you're only here for the beach, this half-mile is the walk.

Carry on over the pine-backed dunes at the far end and along the cliff to Broad Haven South, a wider beach with a stack, Church Rock, sitting offshore. Turn inland here.

The Bosherston lily ponds are three flooded limestone valleys, dug as an ornamental lake by the Cawdor family in the 18th and 19th centuries and now a National Nature Reserve. Cross the causeways and follow the eastern arm. The lilies flower from late May into June and are worth timing a trip around. There are otters in here; the odds go up at dawn, in silence, on the arms away from the car park.

Come out at Bosherston village, then follow the lane and field path back east to Stackpole Quay.

Where to finish. The Stackpole Inn is a dining pub rather than a quick-pint pub, so book at weekends. The Boathouse tearoom at Stackpole Quay is the shorter option and sits right by the car park.

Doing it shorter. Stackpole Quay to Barafundle and back is about 1½ miles round trip and takes under an hour. The lily ponds on their own, from the Bosherston car park, are flat and about 2 miles.