Pwlluog Bay

The approach to Pwlluog Bay is half the appeal - you'll wind down narrow country lanes from Haverfordwest, past hedgerows and stone walls, until the coast suddenly opens up before you. It's a proper little beach, the kind that doesn't appear on every postcard rack, with golden sand, rock pools, and that particular quality of light you only get on the Pembrokeshire coast.

The beach itself is modest in size but generous in character. At low tide the sand stretches wider, revealing pools where kids can spend hours flipping rocks for crabs and sea anemones. The cliffs backing the bay aren't dramatic - they're manageable, green-topped, nothing that'll leave you breathless - but they shelter the beach nicely from the wind. Swimming is possible when conditions allow, though the water stays properly cold even in summer.

This isn't the place to come if you're after facilities or a concession stand. There's no car park in the traditional sense, just a handful of spaces where locals know to pull in. It works best for families based at nearby parks like Tregroes or Fishguard Holiday Park who want a quieter alternative to the honeypots. Walkers on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path will recognise it as a decent spot to pause and actually descend to the sand rather than just gazing from the clifftop.

Allow two to three hours if you're properly exploring, longer if the rock pools have your attention. Visit on a weekday morning and you might have the whole thing to yourself. That's the real luxury here.