Milford Haven Marina, Pembrokeshire and where to stay

Milford Haven Waterfront has undergone a multi-million pound transformation and become a great place from which to enjoy everything Pembrokeshire has to offer. Lined with shops, cafes and restaurants, this once industrial marina is now a brilliant place to dine, shop and relax.

Milford Waterfront

Milford Haven Waterfront  (Image: NQ staff)

Once a thriving fishing port on the site of a natural harbour, Milford Haven Waterway has been used as a port since the middle ages. A multimillion pound development has allowed the marina to evolve from its industrial past into a contemporary waterfront destination, packed with attractions and bustling with visitors.

Find great, locally sourced food in one of the many independent cafes and restaurants. There are boutiques and galleries, homemade chocolate gelato and craft stores. Also within walking distance is a retail park with shops such as Boots and Tesco where you can pick up all those basic essentials, making the waterfront a really handy destination for visitors from outside Pembrokeshire who may not know the area well.

Another reason to pick Milford Haven as a great base for a break is the town puts you in the heart of Pembrokeshire county. A short drive east there are the towns of Tenby and Saundersfoot with a vast selection of tourist attractions on offer. Fresh Water West, Pembroke Dock and St David's city are all in close proximity to Milford Haven, along with Haverford West being minute's away. Milford Haven Waterfront really is a convenient location allowing easy access to Pembrokeshire.

What's on in Milford Haven?

Visitors, of course, may just want to stay in Milford Haven and enjoy everything the town and its vibrant marina has to offer. So, what else can you do when you are here? Well, aside from shopping and fine dining, there's also a packed calendar of events throughout the year. This includes markets, parkruns, crafts activities, curry nights and the Milford Haven Roundtable Fireworks Display. Find a full schedule here. There's also a bowling alley, picnic areas and places to walk. A big shout out deserves to go to Milford Haven Museum, a compact but beautifully thought out attraction telling the maritime history of the town. So much care has gone into each exhibit with puzzles for children to keep them entertained throughout the visit. Plan your trip here.

New for summer are some great free events for visitors that make the most of the waterfront destination. These include a series of pop-up local craft and produce markets. There are also free craft activities at the museum from 20-29th August and free summer trail, with the chance to win a hamper of goodies. 

Where to stay in Milford Haven?

Ty Milford Hotel, part of the Celtic Collection (Image: NQ staff)

During out visit to Milford Haven, we stayed at Ty Milford Waterfront Hotel, part of the Celtic Collection of hotels and resorts. This new and contemporary hotel opened in 2022 offering 100 high-quality rooms, four floatel rooms and one apartment. Anyone whose visited the Celtic Manor in Newport, south Wales, will be familiar with the five star luxury this brand offers and Ty Milford delivers the same high end experience. Rooms are spacious, comfortable and with a crisp, stylish look that's signature to the Celtic brand. We had a family room which included a double bedroom with balcony and duel aspect views over the marina. There was also a twin room next door and both were accessed via a second door on to the corridor. The room set up was excellent for a family group and came an iron, safe, kettle and selection of tea, coffee and biscuits, Elemis shower gels, TV and separate seating area. There was ample storage for clothes and cases and lots of fluffy towels. Ty Milford offers excellent hospitality and well thought out touches throughout.

Food served at Dulse restaurant, Ty Milford (Image: NQ staff)

This was particularly on show at Dulse, the hotel's restaurant and bar. What a beautiful location to watch the sun setting over the marina and yachts, with a glass of wine enjoying locally sourced food created by Executive Head Chef Simon Crockford. We enjoyed artisan bread with seaweed butter and Pembrokeshire salt, pea and mint soup, lamb and chargrilled onions and roast chicken breast. It was a delight to see locally sourced Pembrokeshire and Welsh produce throughout the menu with staff having a great working knowledge of where our food had come from that day. Dulse has a private dining area and comfortable bar with menu for diners. Our party also stayed for breakfast which is buffet style with a great variety on offer. From bacon and eggs, Danish pastries, Welsh butter and juices, there was a generous spread to set you up for the day.

For prices and to book a room at the Ty Milford visit here.

Water sports at Milford Haven

The latest addition to the rejuvenated Milford Waterfront in Pembrokeshire is an upcycled blue shipping container housing an exciting specialist activity centre.  Milford Beach Activity Centre provides instructor-led shoreline kayak tours as well as kayak and SUP hire for individuals, families and groups. Milford Beach Activity Centre is the brainchild of a trio of local friends – Sam, Mike and Chris – who were keen to give something back to their hometown. Having seen other small businesses flourish along the Waterfront, the friends decided to team up to bring something different to the area and to offer the opportunity for both locals and visitors to discover the busy waterway in a safe and supervised manner. Dependent on the weather and tides, each hour-long rental includes full safety briefing, equipment and wetsuits. If the conditions are favourable, participants can expect to have enough time to work on their paddling skills, explore the foreshore along Milford Beach and even venture into Castle Pill, a secluded wood-fringed estuary that’s home to plenty of wildlife. Find out about hiring costs and times here.