Manor Town House, Fishguard
Luxuriously decorated accommodation with wonderful views of Cardigan Bay and the Lower Town in Fishguard
Highlights
Wild and rugged coastline with high cliffs and steep drops where the coast path hugs the edge of the cliffs to give wonderful viewpoints, like at Pwll Deri
Many beautiful small inlets and harbours with old fishing and quarrying villages like Porthgain
Beautiful and remote sandy beaches
An area rich in wildlife, including rare plants and North Atlantic seals
The historic city and cathedral of St Davids
Let 's discover the full itinerary!
Day 1: Arrival
Welcome, and night at Fishguard.
Day 2: Newport - Fishguard
Take the Bus to Newport. In Newport, you can take a detour to see a neolithic burial chamber before taking a seafront walk to the old lifeboat station and climbing to steep cliff tops. The headland Dinas Island is a highlight with amazing views in all directions and its charming little settlement of Cwm-yr-Eglwys, with the remains of its churchyard situated close to the beach. The curved beach of Pwll Gwylog is one of many delightful coves between Dinas and Fishguard. From an 18th-century fort, you descend steeply to the old port of Lower Fishguard, the setting for the 1972 film version of Under Milk Wood starring Richard Burton, before ascending to Fishguard.
Overnight: Fishguard, Walk: 19km, +705m
Day 3: Fishguard - Pwll Deri
Mostly 30 to 70m high cliffs of volcanic origin in this relatively deserted section. Excellent cliff scenery from the rocky outcrops. Heather and gorse abound a dramatic blaze of colour from August to September. From Fishguard, you will descend to a waterfront walk in the ferry port town of Goodwick. But round the headland, you reach the wooded valley of Cwm Felin and Carregwastad Point, where the French landed over 200 years ago. Further on the trail reaches Strumble Head with its lighthouse and onto Pwll Deri with its wonderful viewpoint.
Overnight: Pwll Deri, Walk: 16km, +425m
Day 4: Pwll Deri - Trefin
From the path above the bay of Pwll Deri, there's a wild and impressive stretch of cliffs to the headland of Penbwchdy, where there are magnificent views to St David's Head, Strumble and the iron age hill fort at Garn Fawr. At Aber Bach, just before the sandy beach of Aber Mawr, you can take an inland detour to visit the working woollen mill at Melin Tregwynt. Further is the small port of Abercastle, where you can take a detour to see the burial chamber of Carreg Samson.
Overnight: Trefin, Walk: 16km, +470m
Day 5: Trefin - Whitesands
From Trefin the Coast Path follows the fairly level coastal plateau, a little inland of the cliff nearly all the way to Porthgain, a former quarry town, now a small village and harbour. Some very high dramatic cliffs lead to steps down to the remote and secluded beach of Traeth Llyfn. An exhilarating section of the path heads around above high cliffs and beneath the craggy volcanic outcrops of Pen Beri, Carn Lleithyr and Carn Llidi. The wild and rocky peninsular of St David's Head abounds with archaeology. The section between Abereiddi and Whitesands feels wild and remote with hardly a building to be seen. Whitesands is one of the best surfing beaches in the country. Bus to St Davids.
Overnight: Whitesands, Walk: 19.5km, +540m
Day 6: Whitesands - Solva
Bus to Whitesands. A day of superb coastal scenery and slightly gentler climbs. The path takes you around the headland to St Justinians, where a new lifeboat station is being built. You'll have great views of Ramsey Island. After rounding the main headland the coast path snakes in and out giving new views each time and opening up to great views out across St Brides Bay to Skomer Island. You will pass St Non's Bay named after St David's mother and Caerfai Bay, with its sheltered sandy beach. Journeys end is at Solva, a delightful little village split into two separate areas, Upper and Lower Solva. Bus to St Davids.
Walk: 21km, +740m
Option 2 for Day 6: Whitesands - St Davids
A shorter day's walking that takes you back to St Davids via St Non's Bay. More time to explore St David's, Britain's smallest city with its Cathedral and Bishop's Palace.
Walk: 14.5km
Option 3 for Day 6: Boat Trip
Take your pick from the various boat trips on offer, for example, you could take a trip around Ramsey Island and see porpoises, seals and seabirds. Book in St Davids.
Overnight: Solva
Day 7: Departure
Your holiday ends after breakfast.
At a glance
1 March - 31 October
From £685 per person (based on 2 sharing)
Self-Guided
6 nights / 5 days walking
Linear Trail
Distance: 16-21km per day
Ascent: 425-750m per day
Small B&Bs, amily run hotels & inns
Bed and breakfast
Other coastal self-guided Walking holidays in Britain
Cornwall's Dramatic Northern Coast
Dorset's Jurassic Coast Path & Ridgeway
Other coastal self-guided Walking holidays in Europe
Pyrenees Coastal Trail, France & Spain
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.
Holiday Profile
6 nights/5 days: 7 days independent walking moving between guest houses
Dates
Everyday of the week subject to availability from 1 March to 31 October
Walking Profile & Grade
>A moderate-challenging walking holiday (easy end of this grade) with each day's walk averaging 18km or 11 miles with occasional steep ascents and descents with a maximum daily ascent being about 750m. The walk follows the Wales coastal path and as such it follows rugged, natural terrain. Footpaths will include rocky or uneven ground, muddy or boggy patches and paths close to cliff edges.
This walking holiday is graded moderate to challenging. You should have some experience of day walking and be in reasonable health. See more information about walking grades.
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.
Where is the North Pembrokeshire Coast?
When to Travel
Our self-guided walking holiday on the North Pembrokeshire Coast is available from the beginning of March to the end of October. Pembrokeshire has a typical maritime climate with warm summers and mild winters. Average summer high temperatures are around 19ºC on the coast with winter temperatures rarely falling below freezing. Rainfall occurs regularly but in-between, sunny, cloudless days are also common. In the summer months, temperatures in the region can reach into the high twenties °C however, the climate generally remains comfortable for walking due to sea breezes.
March average daytime temperatures are 10°C, climbing to 11°C in April, 14°C in May and 16°C in June. The weather generally becomes drier and more settled as you go from March to June, with June being the driest month of the year. October is by far the wettest month of the period when the holiday is available. The sunniest months are June, followed by July and then May. The coast is exposed to the dominant Southwest winds.
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.
6 nights / 5 days walking between guest houses
- From £685
- Prices are per person and based on 2 sharing a room
What's included in the price
- 6 night's accommodation on a B&B basis
- Transport of luggage between guest houses (1 bag per person)
- Transfer to first guest house from railway station/ferry
- Taxi transfers to and from the start/end of walk where bus times are not convenient
- Detailed walking notes with information about the local sites and suggestions for places to eat lunch and dinner
- OS walking maps
What's not included in the price
- All lunches and evening meals
- Drinks (except at breakfast)
- Transport to Goodwick/Fishguard
- Bus transfers where required
- Travel Insurance
- Any entrance fees
Payment
- A deposit payment of 30% or at least £250 or 250€ per person must be made to confirm your booking. The balance of payments is due 8 weeks before the holiday date. If the holiday date is less that 8 weeks away at the time of booking, then the full price should be paid.
This independent walking holiday in along the Pembrokeshire Coast includes 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 taken in your guest house or in local pubs and restaurants where you'll have a choice of local cuisine. Please book early to ensure that we can secure our first choice accommodation. Below you'll find an example of the type of guest house we use.
St Davids Cross Hotel
The St. Davids Cross Hotel is a bar, restaurant and hotel is located in the centre of St. Davids with 16 ensuite comfortable rooms. The hotel has a relaxed, warm and cosy atmosphere with friendly staff
Extra Nights
Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers during the holiday for example you could stay an extra night in St Davids or in Fishguard.
Tailor-made trips
If you want to learn more about the region's culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out this trip that focuses on the highlights of Wales and includes a visit to the beautiful nearby coastal village of Tenby. Contact us to add them to your hike.
Start your Welsh odyssey in the vibrant capital, Cardiff. Roam through Cardiff Castle's medieval splendour before venturing along the coast to Pembrokeshire, where pristine beaches and coastal paths are just waiting to be explored. Head to North Wales and the enchanting village of Portmeirion, a whimsical tapestry of Italian-inspired architecture. Meander the charming streets of Caernarfon, framed by its majestic castle. Absorb the historic allure and relish local cuisine.