The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a 186-mile (299km) National Trail tracing almost the entire coastline of southwest Wales, from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south. It runs almost entirely within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park — Britain’s only National Park that is fully coastal — taking in cliff tops, sheltered coves, wide sandy beaches and winding estuaries in roughly equal measure. Very few visitors walk the whole thing in one go; the trail is built, and waymarked, just as much for a single afternoon’s circular walk as for a full end-to-end trek, with a genuinely useful network of coastal buses designed specifically to make that easy.

History of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Wales’ First National Trail

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path opened in 1970, making it the first National Trail established in Wales, predating both Offa’s Dyke Path and Glyndŵr’s Way, the country’s two other National Trails. It sits almost entirely inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, itself designated in 1952 specifically to protect this stretch of coastline, and remains Britain’s only National Park defined primarily by its coast rather than mountains, moorland or forest. Since 2012, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path has also formed the western section of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path, a continuous route around the entire coastline of Wales — though the Pembrokeshire stretch, as the original and longest-established section, is still widely regarded as its finest.

From Neolithic Cromlechs to Norman Castles

The path passes evidence of human activity in Pembrokeshire stretching back to the Neolithic period, including ancient burial chambers (cromlechs) such as Pentre Ifan, whose huge capstone still balances on its supporting stones much as it has for roughly 5,500 years, and a string of Iron Age coastal hillforts built to exploit the same clifftop defensive positions the path now follows for very different reasons — steep-sided headlands that made a natural rampart against attack from the landward side, with the sea itself guarding the rest. The Norman conquest of Wales left its own mark directly on the route, and considerably more visibly: the castles at Pembroke, Tenby and Manorbier all sit close to or directly on the Coast Path, each testament to a period when this coastline was a genuine frontier between Norman and Welsh power rather than the peaceful walking route it is today. Pembroke Castle, the most formidable of the three, was the birthplace of Henry Tudor in 1457, three decades before he returned to nearby Mill Bay to launch the campaign that would make him king. Manorbier, smaller and more domestic in character, was the birthplace of the medieval chronicler Gerald of Wales, who wrote so fondly of it that he called it the pleasantest spot in all of Wales. Tenby, meanwhile, grew into one of the best-preserved walled towns in Britain, its medieval defences still largely intact around a harbour that has shifted from a fortified trading port into one of the coast path’s most popular stopping points. Together, the three castles turn a walk that’s mostly about cliffs and beaches into one that quietly tracks the whole arc of Anglo-Welsh conflict along this coastline, from first conquest to eventual accommodation.

Henry VII’s Landing and the Last Invasion of Britain

Two genuinely significant moments in British history happened on this stretch of coast, three centuries apart. In August 1485, Henry Tudor landed at Mill Bay, near Dale, with a modest invasion force of roughly 2,000 men — French and Scottish mercenaries alongside Welsh and English exiles who had gathered around him during his years of continental exile. He chose Wales deliberately: as a Welshman by descent through his father’s line, Henry leaned hard on Welsh prophetic tradition and the idea of the “Mab Darogan,” or son of destiny, to rally support as he marched inland, gathering more men to his banner with every mile before crossing into England. The campaign ended three weeks later at the Battle of Bosworth Field, where he defeated and killed Richard III to become King Henry VII, founding the Tudor dynasty from a beach the Coast Path now walks straight past without any great fanfare marking the spot.

In February 1797, Fishguard, near the trail’s northern end, was the site of the so-called Last Invasion of Britain, when a French force of around 1,400 men — a scratch force known as La Légion Noire, made up of perhaps 600 regular soldiers padded out with several hundred released convicts — landed at nearby Carreg Wastad Point under the command of an ageing Irish-American officer, Colonel William Tate. What followed was less a battle than a slow collapse in discipline: the invaders promptly found and looted a wrecked cargo of Portuguese wine, and within two days most were reportedly too drunk to fight. Local tradition holds that a Fishguard cobbler, Jemima Nicholas, single-handedly rounded up twelve stray French soldiers and marched them into St Mary’s Church at pitchfork-point — a story with no contemporary source to confirm it, though it’s told locally as settled fact. Whether or not that particular tale is true, the invasion did end in an unconditional surrender, signed in a building now known as the Royal Oak pub, after local militia commander Lord Cawdor bluffed his way through negotiations without revealing how heavily his own forces were outnumbered. It remains the most recent occasion on which a hostile foreign force has landed on British soil.

St Davids: Britain’s Smallest City

Roughly at the path’s midpoint sits St Davids, Britain’s smallest city by population — around 1,600 people — its status owed entirely to its cathedral rather than its size. In Britain, a settlement’s city status traditionally follows from having a cathedral, regardless of how few people actually live there, and St Davids has held that claim since Saint David himself founded a monastery here in the mid-6th century, on the banks of the River Alun near where he was reputedly born. The site’s wealth and reputation for learning made it a magnet for Viking raiders for centuries afterward: the monastery was attacked repeatedly between 645 and 1097, and at least two bishops were killed in the raids, Morgenau in 999 and Abraham in 1080. William the Conqueror made his own pilgrimage here in 1081, ostensibly out of piety, though most historians suspect he was equally interested in assessing the site’s vulnerability to attack from Ireland. The building visitors see today largely dates from 1181, begun under Bishop Peter de Leia after Pope Calixtus II had granted St Davids formal pilgrimage status decades earlier — with the striking claim that two pilgrimages here were worth one to Rome, and three the equivalent of a journey all the way to Jerusalem. St Davids Cathedral is tucked into a hollow below the level of the surrounding town, reportedly to shield it from Viking raiders who might otherwise have spotted it from the sea, and built from a distinctive local purple-toned sandstone that shifts colour dramatically with the light, from plum to gold depending on the hour. It has drawn pilgrims for close to a thousand years since, and remains a genuine highlight for walkers passing through today, well worth the short detour off the coast path itself to see properly.

Walking the Path: Practical Information

How Long Is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path?

The full trail measures 186 miles (299km), with a total of roughly 35,000 feet (11,000m) of ascent and descent across its length — more cumulative climbing than reaching the summit of Everest from sea level, spread across the trip rather than in one climb. Its highest point, Pen yr afr on Cemaes Head near the northern end, reaches only 574 feet (175m); its lowest, the Sandy Haven crossing near Milford Haven, sits just 6 feet (2m) above low water. The path is mostly walked at clifftop level, so the total distance and elevation change come from a huge number of small ups and downs rather than any single sustained climb.

Where Does It Start and End?

Officially, the trail runs from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south, though it can genuinely be walked in either direction and plenty of people start from Amroth instead. The original marker plaque for the northern end was sited at nearby Poppit Sands; a newer marker was unveiled directly in St Dogmaels in 2009. Most guidebooks, including the official National Trail route description, describe the walk north to south, tackling the more strenuous, undulating northern terrain first before finishing on the gentler beaches around Amroth — the single hardest stretch of the entire trail, St Dogmaels to Newport, comes right at the start of that direction.

How Long Does It Take to Walk the Whole Trail?

Most people completing the full end-to-end walk take 12 to 15 days, though fit, experienced long-distance walkers have done it in 9, and plenty of people spread it over considerably longer, splitting the walk across multiple separate trips rather than one continuous fortnight away. There’s no time pressure built into the trail itself — no huts to reach by a certain hour, no permits tied to a schedule — so the right pace depends entirely on fitness, how many rest days you want, and how much time you’re willing to spend detouring into villages for food, a pint, or a proper night’s sleep rather than wild camping.

Walking It in Sections: Circular Day Walks

The great majority of people who walk any part of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path never attempt the whole thing in one go, and the trail is genuinely set up for that: the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority itself lists well over a hundred shorter circular walks using sections of the coast path, ranging from an hour’s stroll to a full day out. This is, for most visitors on a standard holiday, the more realistic and arguably more enjoyable way to experience it — a handful of the best sections rather than the grinding middle stretches that even committed end-to-enders describe as filler between the highlights.

The Coastal Bus Network

A genuinely distinctive practical feature of walking here: a dedicated network of coastal buses, with names like the Puffin Shuttle (St Davids to Marloes, via Martin’s Haven, the departure point for Skomer Island boat trips), the Strumble Shuttle (St Davids to Fishguard, via Abereiddy for the Blue Lagoon, Porthgain and Strumble Head), the Celtic Coaster (around the St Davids peninsula) and the Coastal Cruiser (around the Angle peninsula), run specifically to serve walkers rather than commuters. Nearly the entire length of the trail is accessible by these services, which operate on a hail-and-ride basis — flag one down anywhere along the coast road — and take dogs and buggies. They run daily from May to September and on a reduced timetable in winter; check current timetables before relying on one to get back to your car or starting point at the end of a day walk.

Tide-Dependent Crossings: Dale and Sandy Haven

Two points on the trail, at Dale and Sandy Haven, can only be crossed directly at low tide; arrive at high tide and you’re facing a lengthy inland detour rather than a direct crossing. This is a genuine planning consideration, not a minor inconvenience — check current tide times for your specific date before walking either section, rather than assuming you can simply wait a short while for the water to drop, since the detour required if you time it wrong can add hours to a day’s walk.

Accommodation Along the Trail

Options range from campsites and a handful of youth hostels, concentrated more heavily along the northern half of the route, to small, often family-run hotels, guesthouses and self-catering cottages in the coastal towns and villages the path passes through, including Tenby, St Davids, Solva and Newport. Availability genuinely tightens in peak summer months and around popular villages, so booking ahead matters more here than the trail’s rural setting might suggest, particularly if walking end to end and needing a bed in a specific place on a specific night rather than having flexibility to adjust.

Highlights Not to Miss

Beyond St Davids Cathedral, standout sections include the Green Bridge of Wales, a natural limestone arch near the southern end of the trail; Barafundle Bay, consistently rated among Britain’s best beaches, reachable only on foot; the Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy, a flooded former slate quarry now a genuinely striking swimming and coasteering spot; and the seabird colonies of Skomer and Skokholm islands, visible from the mainland and reachable by boat from Martin’s Haven, home to one of Britain’s largest puffin colonies through the spring and early summer. Tenby’s colourful harbourfront and Strumble Head’s lighthouse and remote, rugged headland are both worth building a day around in their own right.

Safety on the Coast Path

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority publishes an official Coast Path Safety Code, and it’s genuinely worth reading before setting out: this is rugged, natural clifftop terrain, with real drops, sections that can be slippery in wet weather, and stretches with limited mobile signal. Sturdy footwear, a weather check specific to your walking date, and telling someone your planned route and expected return time are all sensible basics, particularly for longer or more remote sections away from the busier, better-served stretches near St Davids and Tenby.

Best Time to Walk

Late spring through early summer offers the strongest overall combination of good weather, blooming coastal wildflowers, and puffins on Skomer and Skokholm, while July and August bring the warmest weather alongside the heaviest crowds and least available accommodation. See our guide to the best time to visit Wales for a fuller seasonal breakdown, including how Pembrokeshire’s coastal weather compares to the mountainous interior.

The Free Completion Certificate

Anyone who completes the entire 186-mile trail, at their own pace and however many separate trips it takes, can claim a free certificate from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority — a small but genuinely nice touch for end-to-enders who’ve earned some recognition for the effort, whether it took nine days or nine years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path?

186 miles (299km), running from St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south, with around 35,000 feet (11,000m) of total ascent and descent across its length.

How many days does it take to walk the whole path?

Most walkers take 12 to 15 days end to end, though experienced long-distance walkers have completed it in 9, and many people spread it across multiple separate trips rather than one continuous walk.

Where does the Pembrokeshire Coast Path start and end?

Officially St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south, though it can be walked in either direction. Most guidebooks recommend north to south, tackling the more strenuous northern terrain first.

Do I need to walk the whole path, or can I do sections?

Most visitors walk sections rather than the full trail. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority lists over a hundred shorter circular walks using parts of the coast path, and the dedicated coastal bus network makes one-way day walks genuinely practical.

Is the Pembrokeshire Coast Path difficult?

It varies significantly by section. Most of the trail is manageable clifftop walking, but stretches like St Dogmaels to Newport in the north involve frequent steep hills, and the path overall includes real elevation change from constant small ascents and descents rather than one sustained climb.

How do I get back to my start point without two cars?

The dedicated coastal bus network — including the Puffin Shuttle, Strumble Shuttle, Celtic Coaster and Coastal Cruiser — covers nearly the entire trail on a hail-and-ride basis, letting you walk one way and bus back to your start point.

What’s the best time of year to walk it?

Late spring to early summer offers the best balance of good weather, wildflowers and puffins on Skomer and Skokholm, while July and August are warmest but busiest, with accommodation booking up furthest in advance.

The path passes directly beside castles worth their own detour, including Pembroke Castle, and pairs naturally with a wider South Wales trip taking in Pen y Fan further inland. Browse the full Wales guides collection for more of the country’s landmarks and landscapes.