Broad Haven is your typical sea side resort with a long stretch of sand and numerous cafes and shops along a paved front. We recently discovered a lot more to do in Broad Haven though which I've documented below. This is a great place to visit if you're staying in the South of Pembrokeshire as it's about 15-20 minutes from Haverfordwest.
Why Visit Broad Haven?
THE BEACH
We've been coming here for as long as I can remember and even more so since having Cooper. This is definitely one of the nicer beaches to spend the day due to the sand being lovely, soft and vast.
There is a large car park as you enter Broad Haven and it costs £1 an hour or £5 for the day to park there. In the unlikely event that the car park is full, if you follow the road around and along the beach front, you will find another smaller car park. This is closer to the beach and shops although the main car park isn't a long walk either.
Toilets are situated in both car parks although the ones in the main car park are free and the ones by the smaller car park and closer to the beach are 40p.
This is a life guarded beach and you can take your dog onto the left side of the sand all year round.
The promenade walk isn't very long but it's paved and flat and suitable for both wheelchairs and prams. When I took my friend here who's in an electric wheelchair, I managed to convince her to go down the slope and onto the beach itself. Even at the top of the beach the sand isn't dry and she manoeuvred around quite easily on the beach itself.
We've eaten in most of the cafes and pubs on the sea front and had good food in all - nothing amazing so I wouldn't recommend one before the other. The Galleon pub does a great Caesar salad though!
Have a scroll to see some of our photos on Broadhaven beach :-)
THE SLASH POND
I have to give credit to Carwyn for finding this place as I don't think I would ever have just come across it whilst there!
You'll find the Slash Pond by following the road along the front and towards the hill for Little Haven. When you get to the Galleon Pub, turn left. You'll find a car park immediately on your right (you could park here but there's a closer one a little further on.) After turning left at the pub, carry along that road until you see a small car park on your left, The Haven car park. Here it's an honesty box system and only 50p for an hour or £3 for the day.
In this car park you'll find the entrance for the slash pond, so it's quite well hidden!
It's not a particularly long walk and you don't see much of the pond either as the surroundings are really over grown unfortunately, but it's still a great place to go for a stroll.
There are numerous picnic benches and seating areas along this short walk and plenty of factual signs about the wildlife that keep little legs walking and interested.
The second time we visited we took Cooper's balance bike as it's perfectly safe and not too steep.
We also took Nessa with us the second time but as she's so small, her foot kept falling through the gaps in the boardwalk bless her, so maybe not the best place to take a SMALL dog as we had to carry her along these parts!
Take a pot with you if it's blackberry season as they were EVERYWHERE along this walk.
When you get to the end of the boardwalk, you can either turn right to loop back on yourself along the road (where you'll actually see more of the pond) or turn left for a longer walk that will take you past the park and back along the sea front.
THE PARK
I love to find a really good play park and this definitely is one. It feels quite new and it's well looked after.
There park is split into two so that the older children are playing in a different area to the younger ones.
You'll find the park in the middle of a housing estate and you'll come to it if you turn left after the boardwalk stroll. Keep walking through the housing estate and you'll see some metal barriers on your right. If you turn up there you'll come to the park. You could also get to it by parking in the big car park and walking up through the street opposite.
No dogs allowed in this park though, but we just tie Ness on the fence so you can still see her!
They've also added a new small wooden climbing frame down by the main car park and opposite the toilets now. We haven't been there yet but passed in on the way to this park and it looked lovely.
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