Wonderfully Wild: North Pembrokeshire Coast

Pembrokeshire Coast

This self-guided walking holiday in west Wales explores the beautiful north Pembrokeshire coast. Your walk starts in the town of Newport whose Welsh name, Trefdraeth, can be literally translated as ‘town by the beach.’ It has a long, golden stretch of sand protected by craggy headlands and is home to a neolithic burial chamber, Carreg Coetan Arthur, dating from about 3500 BC. The route follows the North Pembrokeshire coast path which winds its way over rugged cliffs, passed sandy beaches with views of rocky islands and rare wildlife. The coastline, with its volcanic headlands and glacial valleys, was designated a National Park in 1952 mainly because of its extraordinary variety of rock types and landforms; a unique coastal landscape that makes an ideal habitat for wildlife.

The coastal path goes around Dinas Head (owned by the National Trust), where there are impressive views in all directions and you’ll have some steep, but short, ups and downs to access some small beaches before reaching the quaint fishing village of Lower Fishguard or Lower Town and then climbing back up to the main Fishguard town. The town is situated at the back of a north-facing bay known as Fishguard Bay offering protection from the prevailing westerly winds. The following day goes around the northern facing headland made up of 30 to 70m high cliffs of volcanic origin. Typical of this section are the frequent rocky outcrops and loose volcanic stone, where heather and gorse show a dramatic blaze of color in August.

The trail then follows a generally southwesterly direction to reach the wild and rocky peninsular of St David’s Head which abounds with archeology. On route, you can keep a lookout for seals in the rocky coves below the path and you may be lucky and see the grey dorsal fins of porpoises hunting for fish. The path is rugged and exhilarating as it follows dramatic sheer cliffs on this section beneath the dramatic craggy volcanic outcrops of Pen Beri, Carn Lleithyr and Carn Llidi. Below St David’s Head is the sandy beach of Whitesands popular with surfers and from there the path goes around the peninsula with views across Ramsey Sound to Ramsey Island. The coastline now takes an easterly direction and you are never far from the City of St Davids, in reality, a small village with a large cathedral. St Davids Cathedral dates from the 12th century and was a popular pilgrimage destination throughout the Middle Ages and still gets many thousands of visitors every year and adjacent to the cathedral stands the ruins of the medieval Bishops Palace.

Accommodation & Meals

6 nights B&B in a variety of small quality guest houses or small hotels with ensuite accommodation. Lunches are picnic meals, often provided by your guest house. Evening meals are served in your guest house or in local pubs and restaurants where you’ll have a choice of local cuisine.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

Most of this walking holiday follows the long distance South West Coast path which is signposted along its entire length. The symbol for the trail is an acorn and these are often shown on signposts accompanied by the words coastal path or a particular direction and the distance. The walking follows clear paths, tracks and minor roads for its entire duration. The walk will use other footpaths to access accommodation, villages or local sites. Our walking notes are very detailed.

Travel Options

To Get to Goodwick/Fishguard

By Train

To Fishguard: a journey from London Paddington, changing at Cardiff and/or Swansea takes about 5 hours. Trains from the north go via Cardiff or Bristol. It is also possible to catch a train to Haverfordwest and then a local coach service to Fishguard. To return from St Davids, either bus service to Fishguard or Haverfordwest.

By Car

It is possible to use the long-stay car parks at the Ferry terminal at Goodwick. Cost is £35 for 7 days.

By Air

The most local airport with international flights is Cardiff, which is a 2-and-a-half-hour drive from Fishguard.

By Bus

National Express operates services to Haverfordwest with a local coach service to Fishguard. Advance tickets are required.

By Ferry

Stena Line operates daily Ferries from Rosslare in Ireland to Fishguard

Note: Please check concerning the availability of a holiday before booking any flights or trains. If you need further information or would like to discuss any aspect of your travel arrangements, please contact us, we’re here to help you.