Marloes Peninsula and Deer Park Coast Walk

Marloes Peninsula juts out at the very western edge of Pembrokeshire, reaching out towards Skomer Island, and it’s one of the coast path’s ‘must-sees’. It hosts an array of seabirds, including families of colourful puffins, with glorious guaranteed views along every inch of its craggy coastline.

There is a multitude of paths you can take around the peninsula, but the one we’ll show you below should take your average family about half an hour. That’s if you can resist stopping along the way to take pictures worthy of the most impressive of Instagram followings. In the middle of the peninsula is Deer Park, which this walk will take you along the southern and western edge of, before cutting back across the middle of it.

If the weather’s fine (and not too windy) it’s a lovely place to plan a picnic. The walk’s not too long to be carrying your food, but you’ll probably want to pack it on your back still.

Walking Guide:

Walk time: 30-45 minutes

Difficulty: Relatively easy, be careful with children on the tall cliffs

Distance from Bluestone: Martin’s Haven car park is about a 45-minute drive - it’s relatively easy to find as it’s basically the car park at the end of the road into the peninsula.

Parking: It’s a National Trust operated car park

Toilets: Yes

Food and drink: Nearby Marloe Sands has plenty of options in and around it, and the beach is beautiful so it’s easy to tie in a visit on the way home for a fuller day out.

1. Start in the car park of Martin’s Haven, and go through the gate and turn left - you’ll want to be heading south to the sea.

2. When you reach the sea follow the path to the right, taking you along the coastline and around the outskirts of Deer Park. You’ll see islands off the shore, with Skomer in the distance.

3. When you reach a footbridge just before a white cottage, turn right - this path will take you back towards Martin’s Haven via the Coastguard lookout.

4. The path will fork towards the right - over an Iron Age Fort.

5. Eventually you’ll rejoin the path to the car park you walked along at the start.

As you’re walking along the peninsula, give yourself time to stop and spot the seabirds on the cliffs below and out towards the islands.

You’ll see Grassholm to the south and Midland Isle to your west. In-between lies the waters of Jack Sound. You might be able to spot:

• Puffins - lots more of these to be found on Skomer if you wanted to tie this walk in with a visit - the ferry is not too far north from the car park.

• Choughs (a type of crow)

• Ravens

• Peregrines

• Kestrels

• Gannets