Overview
After walking the National Trails, it became clear that I really enjoyed the coastal routes. My journey started in Pembrokeshire in the 1970s, so why not walk the entire coastline of Wales? The Wales Coast Path, at 870 miles, opened on 5th May 2012, which is when the first section of the English Coast Path was opened at Rufus Castle, Portland. An ammonite sculpture can be found to mark the occasion (see Experience Map). I set out to walk his stunning path in October 2018, intending to see how far I could get given the time available. I walked in three sections to Newquay (the half-way point), and then finished the final half in one go one year later.
Your starting point for adventure is to visit the Wales Coast Path website.
What impressed me the most, was the diversity of the landscape, and the mix with the urban and industrial. The path is marked with beautiful shell waymarks, and some real thought has been put into the website, to given ample information, support and guidance. In some ways, this compares with the South West Coast Path, yet it is longer by some 250 miles. This must be the longest national coastal trail, until the King Charles III England Coast Path opens in 2026, and if you join them together, that is a total of over 3,500 miles of coastline โ all walkable on marked paths.
When writing The Coast is Our Compass, I thought to add my experience of walking the coastline to the chapters, but the book would have been too long, and this path deserves its own story. I have written four blog posts for now, to help you understand what the journey can be. I have included the route on my experience maps, and will continue to develop the information, as and when I continue to explore this national treasure.
EXPERIENCE MAP โ full version with interactive panels and clickable links to resources, geology, stoical quotes and detailed maps, best viewed on a desktop/laptop.
EXPERIENCE MAP โ MOBILE version, which can be used in the field with a mobile signal, allows clickable detail on every element displayed. Use in conjuntion with you navigation maps and apps.
Please use my LinkTree for further developments as I am extending these maps to Wales and Scotland, and Ireland over time.
I also display this map here. Its is dynamic, and changes as I add new points of interest.
I also, add the entire Wales Coast Path Route to the OS Map below. The website mentioned above will have the latest route detail and information about path status, which is always changing.
My experience
I have written about the experience in 4 blogs posts
The diversity of landscape and seascape is remarkable, but more than anything, the people I have met have been fantastic – it really is a friendly, life affirming path to walk.
Highlights:
- Wildlife – dolphins, porpoises, skylarks, gannets, kingfishers, harriers, kestrels and choughs and a dawn chorus that made sure I never slept in
- Long beach walks – up to 4-miles avoiding beached jellyfish
- Rugged coastal scenery, hard walking at times, but very rewarding
- A contrast between industrial Wales and unspoilt coastline, one minute a power station or steel works, the next glorious dunes and gently breaking waves
- So many people who walked with me and chatted
- Wild weather that makes you feel insignificant and exposed.
Lowlights:
- Huge static caravan parks – empty out of season
- Villages which are now blighted by second homes, look for the Masterkey boxes
- High tides meaning awkward inland routes to follow
- Blisters until that problem was solved by a trip to the physiotherapist.
Time of year
Similar to walking the South West Coast Path – most any time of year, but avoid winter gales and severe weather
Accommodation and Transport
Accommodation is generally more affordable than the South West Coast Path. There are frequent campsites in most remote areas, and rail networks in the urban areas. I mixed up the two seeking out hostels where possible. See links below for Independent Hostels, of which there are many. I carried a tent at all times, and made my plans as I progressed, looking up cheap options, and camping as a contingency. I was welcomed into peoples homes for accommodation on more than one occasion.
Trains are found throughout the south coast to Pembroke, and again on the north coast from Caernarfon to Chester. There is a useful service between Pwllheli and Machynlleth. Coastal buses are also very useful, to make use of a central base for a few days before going on to repeat that strategy.
My itinerary
44 days I recall. I must get my diary out and check. I walked in three sections from Chepstow to Newquay (half way), and the in one journey to Chester (including Anglesey, which takes a week to circumnavigate alone). I’ll complete my schedule here later.
Resources
Wales Coast Path – formal and definitive site or in Cymru Llwybr Arfordir Cymru
Wales Coast Path – site run by Northern Eye Books, with a free interactive planning map
Wales Independent Hostels and Bunkhouses
Data Map Wales – Wales Coast Path – formal government map