SO MUCH MOOR TO DISCOVER

STEPHANIE BALLOO MAKES HERSELF AT HOME IN A FLOATING HOTEL AND LEARNS MILFORD HAVEN IS AN UNEXPECTED DELIGHT...

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IT'S not the obvious first port of call when exploring the delights of Pembrokeshire. In fact Milford Haven is perhaps best known for its oil industry, not weekends away.

Search online for the hotspots of the national coastal park, and you get the likes of charming Tenby, surf-spot Freshwater West and the smallest city of St Davids. But between these more obvious Welsh destinations this little-known port boasts romantic hotels, hidden charm and fresh-as-can-be seafood - without the crowds.

With the addition of the three-year-old Ty hotel and its relaxed "floatels" on the redeveloped waterfront, we found Milford Haven an unexpectedly ideal base for a weekend of kayaking, seal spotting, hiking and swimming.

As we arrived at the smart Ty - meaning house, in Welsh - we were surprised to be directed away from the towering 100-bed building and told to make our way down to the marina itself with a yellow buoy key ring.

My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to stay in one of the Ty's four exclusive floatels, right on the marina. Luxuriously decorated, but with bobbing boats as neighbours, we felt at ease admiring the floor-to-ceiling view.

As if in greeting, a swan glided over as soon as we stepped out on to our own waterside porch.

Rolling out from a soft slumber in the king-sized bed, we enjoyed our morning coffees al fresco, breathing in the crisp sea air and taking in the slow marina life.

One morning, we woke early enough to see the thick fog blanketing the waterfront as it lolled in with the sea tide.