Castlemartin can be explored through a range of interests: walking trails, nature watching and history. The Castlemartin Range Trail is a particular focus for planning; coastal formations, wetlands and historic sites add to the options. You can start by considering whether activity, scenery or heritage will shape your trip.

Walking Trails and Coastal Spots

The Castlemartin Range Trail is 9 km long and open to walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Because of firing activity at military training areas, visitors should stay on the trail. When the Castlemartin firing range is closed, the trail provides an authorised riding and walking route along the edge of the training area throughout the year. Check the latest range notices before making plans.

A shorter route listed here runs from Stack Rocks to St Govan’s and is 3.1 miles, or 4.83 km, long. There is a viewing platform at Stack Rocks. A path leads to the car park at St Govan’s Chapel, passing Bullslaughter Bay and Huntsman’s Leap and following a dramatic cliff landscape. The Stack Rocks to St Govan’s route is therefore shorter than the 9 km Range Trail—a specific difference to consider when choosing a route, without implying a walking time.

At St Govan’s Head, an accessible walking route follows a surfaced path with only very slight gradients. The car park for this walk is at St Govan’s Chapel. Check the latest range notices about the car park before travelling.

History and Buildings

Castlemartin Castle is an oval, double-banked site surrounded by ditches, measuring 60 × 70 m. In the centre of the village, Castlemartin Pound was fitted with bunkers during the Second World War and used as a machine-gun emplacement. The two sites offer different ways to explore the area’s history.

St Michael’s is a disused church with Grade I listed status. The building dates back to the late 12th or early 13th century. Its medieval architectural history thus sits alongside the village’s more recent military traces, without the two places representing the same function or period.

Flimston Bay Camp is another historic site: a promontory fort with three curved lines of defences on the landward side, extending over 120 m. The form and extent of its fortifications set it apart from Castlemartin Castle and the Pound in the village centre.

Wetlands, Coast and Birdlife

Castlemartin Corse is a 30.4-hectare wetland designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its biological features. Guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and cormorants breed at the Elegug Stacks, also known as Stack Rocks. The cliffs at St Govan’s Head are important for seabirds such as guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes; the coastal heath and unimproved grassland there provide a habitat for the stonechat.

Another striking natural attraction is the Green Bridge of Wales, a natural rock arch near Castlemartin, close to Pembroke. Further afield, Freshwater West lies in front of an extensive wetland known as Castlemartin Corse. At Freshwater West, authorised paths lead to a wooden birdwatching hide. Check its current availability before travelling.

Planning and Accommodation

If a holiday apartment is part of your plans, first choose the focus of your stay: longer trails, coastal scenery, birdwatching or historic buildings. The Castlemartin Peninsula is served by Coastal-Cruiser routes 387/388, which connect the villages on the peninsula with Pembroke and Pembroke Dock. If you plan to travel by bus, check the timetable for your travel date. This lets you consider your accommodation choices and planned activities together, without assuming a fixed order for visiting the sites.

Discover more destinations: Tenby, Solva, Llangwm, Cosheston, Cilgerran, Clynderwen, Moylegrove, Narberth

For the wider travel overview: Pembrokeshire.