Exploring Milford Haven, West Wales

Milford Haven, a fishing town in Pembrokeshire West Wales is quickly becoming a must-visit destination in Wales, especially with the continually evolving multi-million pound Milford Waterfront Development which has been going from strength to strength in the past few years. creating a haven of boutique shops, independent businesses, watersports cafes and restaurants with beautiful views across the Marina and Eastury. 

My boys and I were recently invited to come and spend a night in Milford Haven and experience everything it has to offer and we were not disappointed. 

The drive from Cardiff to Milford Haven is just under 2hrs and we stayed at the lovely Tŷ Milford Waterfront which opened last year and is right on the marina. On our arrival, there was plenty of parking adjacent to the hotel which is complimentary and walking through the doors you are immediately welcomed by the friendly reception staff. We stayed on the 3rd floor in a family room which was not only spacious but offered incredible views across the bay, in fact, I could have spent hours just sitting on the balcony just soaking it all in. 

But of course, we wanted to make the most of our stay in Milford Haven so as soon as we had settled into our room we headed back out with the aim to explore as much of the local area as possible. The kids were also a little peckish at this point so went in hunt of some gelato because when you're beside the seaside who can say no to some delicious homemade Gelato? Not me! Luckily we didn't have to walk that far before coming across Velluto Gelato on Nelson Quay and it was great to see they make their small batch gelato on-site and the kids gave thumbs up to their pistachio and salted caramel iced delights. 

We then took a short stroll over to the Milford Beach Activity Centre which offers stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking experiences as well as equipment hire. We had instructed 1.5-hour sessions and the staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgable and allowed my kids and I to go at our own pace exploring the crystal clear water of Milford beach. Paddleboard hire is £15 per hour and an instructed session which is perfect for kids or adults who want to give watersports a try, lasts around 1.5 hours and is £20 per person. 

We booked an early evening meal at Dulse, the ground-floor restaurant at Tŷ Milford Waterfront which prides itself in serving up the best local ingredients from the Pembrokeshire coast and countryside, which is reflected in their menu. The setting is light and open and welcoming to families plus it has incredible views across the marina and the menu caters for both young and old. I can personally recommend the Lemon, Chickpea and Tomato Quinoa Salad and my eldest thoroughly enjoyed the Dulse Deli Board and Crème Brulée Baked with Pembrokeshire Cream.

After a very good sleep we headed back downstairs to the breakfast, which we couldn't fault, plenty of choice and fresh pastries, you can't go wrong. We had another day to explore and the first thing on our list was visiting the Milford Haven Museum only a few meters away from the hotel and is well worth a visit. The museum is on the smaller side but it's both informative and interactive and both of my kids and I really enjoyed learning more about the history of Milford Haven. A family ticket is £10 and we spent just over an hour at the museum. 

Milford Haven also has an array of walking trails including a few that start from the waterfront itself. We decided to have a walk along the Scotch Bay path and spending time exploring the rock pools on Milford Beach. We also did the heritage trail around the waterfront which is perfect for younger children. 

To finish off our stay we headed to Neyland, a small fishing village by crossing the Cleddau Bridge which offers incredible views of the estuary before taking a slow drive back home. We love West Wales and visit regularly but this was the properly first time exploring  Milford Haven and really enjoyed our time there and will definitely be returning. 

*Thank you Tŷ Milford Waterfront Hotel for inviting us to explore Milford Haven. Words and opinions 100% my own