Pembrokeshire Coast Path – 15 nights / 14 days walking

About this trail

The first few days of the walk are distinctive for the pretty seaside towns of Saundersfoot and Tenby, the golden beaches nearby and the views across the Bristol Channel to Exmoor. You’ll pass the gorgeous Barafundle beach and have the opportunity to visit the famous Lily Ponds at Bosherston. The final stretch to Angle is particularly rugged.

From Angle, you follow the bay of Milford Haven, dominated by the port facility and docks but also home to the pretty town of Pembroke and its fabulous castle. Further west, the scenery gets more rural and wild again and you pass through the villages of Dale and Marloes –  the latter a great place for an extra night and a boat ride to Skomer for bird watching.

The next stretch of the walk follows St Brides Bay and a landscape of sand dunes and beaches, before reaching St Davids, smallest city in the UK courtesy of its incongruous cathedral.  From St Davids onwards, the route is characterised by high, rugged cliffs and rocky coves, culminating in the final, most challenging stretch of the whole route between Newport and St Dogmaels. With frequent very steep hills and no facilities of any sort on this section, it’s vital to be well prepared with food, drink and the right clothing.

Terrain and navigation

Despite the fact that the highest point on the trail is only 155m above sea level, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path involves a lot of ascent and descent as it goes from clifftop to sea level and back up again many times – see route elevation chart below! Though well within the ability of any reasonably fit walker, you’ll need to be prepared for this continual up and down, some of which does include steep cliff paths. Underfoot, the paths are good quality and generally well signed as the route crosses a mixture of farmland, open clifftops and beaches.  On a couple of occasions, timing the departure from your accommodation is important so as to be able to cross estuaries at low tide and avoid lengthy inland detours. Tide tables will be supplied by Discovery Travel. The full trail length of 186 miles is only walked if these detours, and that for the firing range near Bosherston, need to be done. Otherwise, the full trail is 177 miles.

Route elevation

Highest point: 155 metres
Total ascent / descent: 6896 metres / 6896 metres

Included as standard in the price

The price quoted is per person and is based on two people sharing a room. It includes:

• Carefully selected, en-suite bed and breakfast accommodation*
• Daily luggage transfers to your accommodation**
• All the necessary maps and guidebooks for your walk
• Route notes and maps detailing how to find your B&B at the end of each day
• The cost of any transfers that are required from the route to your accommodation if we are unable to book you into a B&B within easy walking distance of the trail
• Information of any special facilities offered by your hosts (eg hot tub or licensed bar)
• Suggestions and contact details for places for an evening meal each day
• Telephone support if and when required
• Advice from our team on travel to and from the start and end of the hike.

*En-suite is always chosen unless all options are booked out, in which case private bathrooms are sought. Customers are always consulted about non-en-suite options before details are finalised.

**Standard package includes one piece of baggage per walker, up to a maximum weight of 20kg. Additional bags can be transferred but incur an additional cost. Please enquire if you need this service.

Packed lunches and evening meals

The cost of these is not included in our standard package. All the accommodation providers we use offer packed lunches to keep you well fed during your walk. Payment is made directly to your hosts. Similarly, if you have an evening meal either at your accommodation or another local establishment, you pay them directly for it.

Optional extras that can be provided by Discovery Travel

Discovery Travel specialises in providing completely tailor-made services to our clients. This means that if our standard published itineraries do not suit our customers’ needs, we are always happy to discuss ways in which we can adjust accommodation, shorten or lengthen itineraries and distances to make for the perfect trip.

We also offer the following services to make for a seamless holiday:

• Transport to and from the start and finish of a trail
• Airport transfers
• Minibus and driver service, in particular for large groups where multiple accommodations are required each night and transfers are frequently required at the end of the day’s walk

If you are interested in any of the above or have any particular requirements, please do contact us to discuss your needs.

Make more of your break

If you would like to pause during your walk and explore one of the overnight locations for longer, you are free to select and add extra days to your holiday at any of your overnight stops. Prices for extra days are quoted above and will be added to the total cost of the holiday. If the itineraries on our website do not quite meet your requirements please do get in touch to arrange a bespoke trip.

Below are some suggestions for good places to spend an extra day or so.

Marloes for Skomer Island

Add an extra day at Marloes and take the boat over to the fantastic nature reserve of Skomer Island, a wildlife haven and home to thousands of seabirds, including razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes, storm petrels, fulmars, shags, cormorants, puffins and Manx shearwaters. This is a popular trip so make sure you get there early or book in advance!

St Davids

St Davids is named after the patron saint of Wales, Saint David and is the smallest city in Britain with a population of just over 1,600. As well at the visiting the cathedral you can access a range of wildlife watching boat trips including to the nearby RSPB reserve of Grassholm. Whale and dolphin watching trips are very popular in the summer.

Pembroke

Visit Pembroke’s enormous oval castle. Originally dating from 1093, much of the present day fortress was constructed in the 13th century and is till intact. An exhibition tells the story of the castle, including the birth of Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII.

When to go

The weather in the UK can vary hugely so be prepared for all weathers whatever time of the year especially on some of the more remote locations on this route. April, May and June are when everything comes to life so it is very green, wild flowers are abundant and blossom abounds. July and August tend to be the warmest months, but it is rarely so warm as to be uncomfortable for walking. September is one of the most pleasant times in the countryside and is quieter as most people with children have finished their holidays. By October the days are getting shorter and the weather can be much more changeable.

Getting to and from the trail

By Air: The most convenient airports are Bristol, Swansea and Cardiff and from here there are good rail connections onward.

By Rail:  Kilgetty – which is a request stop, is the nearest station to Amroth at the start of your walk. Fishguard is the nearest station to St Dogmaels at the end of your holiday. For train times and fares visit National Rail Enquiries.

By bus: You can find details on getting a bus from from St Dogmaels and a bus to Amroth using Google Maps. Click on “directions” in the left hand tab and enter your starting point.

Got a question about travel? If you need any advice about travel to and from your walk please get in touch with Discovery Travel and we will be happy to help.