Pembrokeshire Coast Path hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a National Trail in the far south-west of Wales. It runs for 186 miles (299 km) around the coast of Pembrokeshire, from Amroth on Carmarthen Bay to St Dogmaels on the River Teifi near Cardigan. It opened in 1970 as the first National Trail in Wales, and most of it lies inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The path stays close to the cliff edge almost all the way. It passes more than 50 beaches, small harbours, Norman castles, Iron Age forts and the islands where seabirds and seals breed. It is also part of the Wales Coast Path. This guide follows it from south to north, from Amroth to St Dogmaels. Most guidebooks describe it the other way, and both directions are fine.

The route

The path starts at a stone marker just east of Amroth Castle. It follows the old coal-mining coast through Wiseman's Bridge and Saundersfoot to the walled town of Tenby, then climbs over limestone cliffs past Lydstep to Manorbier and its castle. Beyond Freshwater East and the Stackpole estate it reaches Barafundle Bay and Broad Haven South near Bosherston. Next comes the Castlemartin army range. When Range East is open you walk the cliffs past St Govan's Chapel to Stack Rocks and the Green Bridge of Wales; when it is closed, and always around Range West, you follow the inland Castlemartin Range Trail to Freshwater West. From Angle the path turns into the Milford Haven waterway: a long, partly urban section through Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, over the Cleddau Bridge to Neyland and on to Milford Haven, past oil and gas terminals and Victorian forts. West of Milford Haven are the two tidal crossings at Sandy Haven and The Gann, then Dale and St Ann's Head. The path goes round the wild Marloes peninsula opposite Skomer Island, along St Brides Bay to Little Haven, Broad Haven, Newgale and the harbour of Solva, and round the St Davids peninsula past St Non's Chapel and Whitesands Bay. North of St Davids it passes Abereiddi and its Blue Lagoon, the old slate and brick port of Porthgain, Strumble Head lighthouse and Goodwick, then Fishguard, Dinas Head and Newport. The last day climbs over the highest and steepest cliffs, past Ceibwr Bay and Cemaes Head, and drops to Poppit Sands and St Dogmaels.

This guide follows the main route as mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 14 stages, about 20.4 km each, ending in towns and villages with beds. The path is never higher than 175 m, but it climbs in and out of many coves: the elevation profile used here adds up to about 5,500 m of climbing, and the trail authority gives about 35,000 feet (10,700 m) of ascent and descent together.

Highlights

• Tenby: a walled medieval town with harbour, beaches and views of Caldey Island
• Barafundle Bay and the Bosherston Lily Ponds: a sandy cove reached only on foot, and lakes full of water lilies in early summer
• St Govan's Chapel and the Green Bridge of Wales: a tiny chapel built into the cliff, and a huge natural rock arch at Stack Rocks (when Range East is open)
• The Milford Haven waterway: castles at Pembroke and Angle, Victorian forts and one of the deepest natural harbours in Britain
• The Marloes peninsula: wild cliffs opposite Skomer and Skokholm, where puffins and other seabirds nest; boats leave from Martin's Haven
• St Davids: Britain's smallest city, with its cathedral, St Non's Chapel and the beach at Whitesands
• Abereiddi, Porthgain and Strumble Head: a flooded slate quarry, an old industrial harbour and a lighthouse on an island
• Cemaes Head: the highest point of the path at 175 m, with steep cliffs and folded rock above Cardigan Bay

When to walk the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

You can walk the path all year. Most people walk between April and October. Spring brings wild flowers and nesting seabirds, and autumn brings migrating birds and grey seal pups in the coves. Summer is the busiest time: single nights can be hard to find, so book well ahead. In winter the path can be very windy and muddy, many campsites and hostels close, and the coastal buses run much less often. Wind is the main danger on the cliffs at any time of year, and the sun is strong even on cloudy days, so carry sun cream.

How many days do you need?

The trail authority says most walkers take 10 to 15 days, and the official guidebook suggests 12 days of about 24 km. This guide uses 14 stages of 13 to 29 km. Two days are long: Bosherston to Angle (about 29 km, with no beds at Freshwater West) and Trefin to Goodwick (about 28 km, because YHA Pwll Deri now takes only whole-hostel bookings). In summer you can shorten Trefin to Goodwick with the Strumble Shuttle bus. The last stage, Newport to St Dogmaels, is the hardest on the whole path, with many steep climbs and no shops or cafés until Poppit Sands; you can split it with a night near Moylegrove. Many people walk the path in sections over several visits.

Getting there and logistics

Cardiff Airport is the nearest airport. For the start, take a train to Kilgetty and the 351 bus to Amroth (5 km). For the end, take a train to Haverfordwest and the T5 bus to Cardigan, then walk 2.5 km to St Dogmaels. Trains also stop at Tenby, Penally, Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven and Fishguard Harbour, near the path.

In summer coastal buses help you move bags, skip a section or return to your bed: the Puffin Shuttle (St Davids to Marloes), the Strumble Shuttle (St Davids to Fishguard), the Celtic Coaster around St Davids and the Coastal Cruiser around the Angle peninsula. In 2026 they ran daily from 23 May to 27 September. In winter only the Coastal Cruiser runs, on Thursdays and Saturdays. The old Poppit Rocket bus at the north end has been replaced by Fflecsi, an on-demand bus that you book by app or phone. Several companies carry bags and book rooms.

You sleep in B&Bs, inns, hotels, youth hostels and campsites. There is no right to wild camp: almost all the land is private, so camp only on campsites or with the landowner's permission. Small villages have few rooms. Shops are found in the towns, but not in villages such as Bosherston, Angle, Dale or Marloes. Mobile signal is unreliable on much of the coast, so carry the route offline.

Check the tide times for Sandy Haven and The Gann and the Castlemartin firing times before you go (see Difficulty). In 2026 a short section near Amroth is closed after a landslide; follow the signed road diversion.

Difficulty

The path is not technical, but it is long and has constant short, steep climbs and many steps on narrow cliff-top paths with no fences. Good boots, waterproofs and warm layers are needed, and strong wind on the cliffs can be dangerous. Keep away from the edge and do not take shortcuts across beaches, because the tide can cut you off.

Two things need planning. First, the tidal crossings between Milford Haven and Dale: Sandy Haven can be crossed only about 2.5 to 3 hours each side of low tide, and The Gann about 3 to 3.5 hours each side. Reach the first crossing as the tide is falling and allow about 2.5 hours to the second. If you miss the tide, the alternatives are about 6.5 km each, mostly on roads. Second, the Castlemartin range: Range East is closed on firing days, usually from 7.30am to 4.45pm, and is normally open at weekends, on bank holidays, in August and most evenings. Check the monthly firing notice on GOV.UK or the recorded line 01646 662367, and follow the Range Trail when the red flags fly. Range West is always closed except for a few guided walks. Dogs must be under close control, and on a lead near cliffs and livestock. In an emergency on the cliffs or beaches call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

History

People have lived on this coast for thousands of years, and the path passes Neolithic burial chambers, more than 40 Iron Age promontory forts and the chapels of early Celtic saints. The Normans built the castles at Pembroke, Tenby and Manorbier. Henry Tudor, later King Henry VII, was born in Pembroke Castle and landed at Mill Bay near Dale in 1485 on his way to the Battle of Bosworth. In 1797 a French force landed near Fishguard in the last invasion of Britain; a stone on the path at Carreg Wastad marks the place. After the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park was created in 1952, the naturalist Ronald Lockley surveyed a route round the coast. It was approved in 1953, but most of the land was private, and it took 17 years to agree the line and build bridges, stiles and steps. The path opened on 16 May 1970. Since 2012 it has been part of the Wales Coast Path around the whole coast of Wales.