Wales's first National Trail, 186 miles along the Pembrokeshire cliffs from St Dogmaels on the Teifi to Amroth near Tenby
Indicative — sampled from open terrain data along the simplified route.
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs 186 miles (299 km) from St Dogmaels, on the Teifi estuary across the river from Cardigan, round the county’s coast to Amroth on Carmarthen Bay. Almost all of it lies inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It’s harder going than a coast path might sound, because the path keeps dropping into coves and climbing out again, which adds up to roughly 35,000 feet of ascent and descent. The national park reckons on 10 to 15 days for the whole route, and most people walk it a few days at a time.
After the national park was set up in 1952, the naturalist Ronald Lockley surveyed a route around the coast, and the line was approved in 1953. Building it took until 16 May 1970, when the broadcaster Wynford Vaughan-Thomas opened it as the first National Trail in Wales. Since 2012 the path has also formed part of the Wales Coast Path, which follows the same line through Pembrokeshire and carries on north into Ceredigion and east along Carmarthen Bay.
Most of the walking is on cliff tops, broken up by beaches, harbours and long estuary detours. The highest point is Pen yr Afr on Cemaes Head, 175 metres up, near the northern end. Further round, the path passes the old brickworks and lime kilns at Porthgain, the little city of St Davids and the castles at Pembroke and Manorbier, then goes through Tenby on the way to Amroth.
Two crossings near Dale, at Sandy Haven and the Gann, are tidal. The national park says Sandy Haven is passable for 2½ to 3 hours either side of low tide and the Gann for 3 to 3½, so check the tide tables or take the longer road alternative. The path also runs past the Castlemartin and Penally firing ranges, which are normally open to walkers at weekends, on public holidays and through August, with an inland alternative when firing is on. Trains reach Fishguard, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock and Tenby.
