Martin's Haven

Martin's Haven is a tiny north-facing harbour at the end of the Marloes Peninsula, the gateway to Skomer Island and its visiting puffins and Manx shearwaters. Above the cove rises the Deer Park, coastal heathland that was once a well-defended Iron Age fort and takes its name from a failed attempt to establish a deer park at the turn of the 20th century; cattle graze it today. The cliff tops look across St Bride's Bay and are excellent for watching seals in the breeding season, while a 9th or 10th-century inscribed stone cross near the harbour may have served travellers as a prayer station. The Trust's one-mile deer park walk starts from the car park, and its four-mile Marloes Peninsula coastal walk passes the haven. Dogs must stay on leads on the Deer Park because of livestock and steep cliff edges. Reviewers praise the large car park and the toilets down the slipway. Tips from visitors: the ticket machine takes coins only and phone signal is patchy, so download the JustPark app beforehand, and island tickets are collected from Lockley Lodge.