The Route
The trail begins at Amroth, where a pretty beach gives way to wooded clifftops and the first taste of the dramatic coastline ahead. Winding past headlands and hidden coves, the path leads to the charming harbour town of Saundersfoot and on to Tenby, one of the most beautiful and characterful seaside towns in Wales, its medieval walls and golden beaches making it a highlight of the southern section.
Beyond Tenby, the clifftops reveal ever more spectacular scenery, past Lydstep and the famous ‘Church Doors’ natural arch at Skrinkle Haven, before the trail skirts the Royal Military Range at Manorbier, home to a magnificent Norman castle and the King’s Quoit, a Neolithic burial chamber perched above the sea. The path then leads past some of the finest beaches in Wales, including the glorious Barafundle, frequently voted the best beach in the country, to the village of Bosherston with its enchanting Lily Ponds.
From Bosherston, the trail passes St Govan’s Chapel, a tiny medieval chapel tucked into a cleft in the cliff face, before continuing along dramatic clifftops to the sweeping sands of Freshwater West and around the headland towards Angle, with sweeping views over Milford Haven, one of the deepest natural harbours in the world. The southern section ends at Pembroke, where one of the finest Norman castles in Britain makes for a memorable final landmark.
A transfer north brings you to Broad Haven and a coast of quite different character. The trail winds along low clifftops and dips into a succession of small, sheltered coves, passing the historic Druidstone and the remnants of a forgotten coal mining past, before the path suddenly opens onto the magnificent sweep of Newgale Sands, one of the finest beaches in Pembrokeshire. Beyond Newgale, the walking grows wilder and more rewarding, climbing past the headland of Dinas Fawr before descending into Solva, one of the most charming and unspoilt harbour villages on the Welsh coast.
From Solva, the trail climbs back onto spectacular clifftops, past the ramparts of an Iron Age promontory fort, through the sheltered coves of Caerbwdi and Caerfai to St Non’s, birthplace of Wales’s patron saint, and the lovely little harbour of Porthclais. As the path approaches Ramsey Sound, the scenery becomes truly breathtaking — the churning current, the bird sanctuary of Ramsey Island rising beyond it, and the wild, open Atlantic stretching to the horizon. From the lifeboat station at St Justinian, the cliffs gradually soften towards the glorious expanse of Whitesands Bay, one of the finest surf beaches in Wales.
The final section is perhaps the most dramatic of all. From Whitesands, the trail rounds the ancient headland of St Davids Head, passing the three-thousand-year-old ramparts of Clawdd y Milwyr and a Neolithic dolmen silhouetted against the sky. Beyond the headland the coast grows wilder and more remote, climbing over the shoulder of Carn Penberry before descending to Abereiddy and its extraordinary Blue Lagoon, a flooded quarry whose impossibly turquoise waters are one of the most striking sights on the entire trail. The walk ends at Porthgain, a picture-perfect harbour village whose old stone quays and converted industrial buildings tell the story of a coast that has always been shaped by the sea.
Terrain Overview
The walking on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is generally not too strenuous. While some sections are more rugged and exposed, the route is well maintained and signposted throughout, and anyone with reasonable fitness should have no problem following the trail. However, keep in mind that the paths frequently lead down from the cliffs to beaches or bays and back up again, adding a surprising amount of ascent and descent over the course of a day. Those ups and downs are sometimes a little steeper, though they are usually short. The route on our tours reaches its highest point at Carn Penberry, north of St Davids, where you climb to around 100m (330 ft). Note that the trail often follows very close to the cliff edge and we do not recommend these tours for walkers with vertigo or a fear of heights.
The section between Amroth and Manorbier passes through several seaside towns and is generally the most accessible part of the trail, with well-trodden paths and plenty of facilities along the way. Beyond Manorbier the trail becomes more remote, passing through the military ranges around Bosherston and Castlemartin before reaching the more industrial section between Angle and Pembroke – though this still feels surprisingly quiet, passing mostly through farmland and forestry and away from roads.
A transfer north brings a noticeable change of character. The St Davids peninsula section is wilder, more rugged and more remote than the south, with narrower paths, rockier terrain underfoot and fewer facilities along the way. The walking between Broad Haven and Solva is moderately strenuous, while the sections from Solva onwards grow progressively wilder and more dramatic, reaching their most remote and rewarding on the final stretch from Whitesands to Porthgain. This is walking at its most elemental, with wave-battered cliffs, ancient headlands and very few signs of the modern world.
Elevation Profile
