Pembrokeshire South Coast: Amroth to Milford Haven

Beautiful beaches mixed with modern industry and maybe even gun fire!

The beautiful beaches and tourist attractions around Tenby make this the busiest section of the whole route with superb views of Caldey Island, and the coasts of The Gower and Exmoor. This section really typifies why this coast is worthy of National Park status. It contains Barafundle beach which was recently voted one of the top ten beaches in the world! It also fringes the famous Lily Ponds at Bosherston which are a National Nature reserve. Care needs to be taken at Broad Haven where the tides and artillery range can make for a detour by road.

The path is quite undulating, but you’re never far from a beach or village pub. Also included is possibly the flattest section of the trail much of which is restricted because of military use. Despite being a firing range, this ranks as one of Britain’s most important wildlife sanctuaries and is protected by some of Europe’s strongest designations.

This final part of this section is very rugged and once away from Angle village it is deliberately managed to retain a ‘remote and challenging ‘ experience. The entire stretch is coastal – no roads, no houses, few stiles and no amenities at all.

Unfortunately a large part of the section around Milford Haven is not within the National Park due to the proximity of industry associated with the haven. It is however still a very interesting walk rich in history, environmental and agricultural interest. The historic town of Pembroke and its castle are well worth a visit.

Moderate

This is not a technically difficult walk and should be easy to tackle for most reasonably fit people. The paths are good, and there are no major route finding challenges. This central section includes a short urban section at the beginning, followed by cliftops and sandy beaches.

Terrain: A coastal path mainly through farmland and moorland on the cliff tops, with stretches along sandy beaches.

What’s it like underfoot? Generally good paths and tracks, although a few sections can get muddy after heavy rain.

How Much Up & Down? More than you'd think! Although you never reach more than 200m above sea level (and most of the time not more than 100m) there are many short steep sections. Most days involve ascents of 200-500m metres, although no section is very steep for very long.

Signposting: Good - the path is well waymarked.

Navigation: Pretty straightforward – good signposting, and generally well defined tracks.

Weather: You may be lucky enough to encounter warm, dry weather over the whole route and enjoy dry paths and tremendous views, but you must be prepared because the weather can change quickly. Good clothing and waterproofs are essential, but don't forget you sunhat, sunblock and shorts!

Good accommodation and friendly hosts are an essential part of any holiday. We understand this and go out of our way to find the best. We put a great deal of effort into hand picking our accommodation and matching it to individual customer requirements. As well as visiting the accommodation ourselves, we ask all our customers to complete a short evaluation on each night’s accommodation, which then gives us an insight into the day-to-day operation and lets us spot any potential issues before they become a problem.

We use a variety of accommodation. Over the course of your trip you might stay in a village inn, a bed and breakfast in a converted barn, a Victorian guest house, or on a working farm. In selecting the accommodation we look for helpful, friendly hosts with good quality, characterful accommodation close to the trail. Occasionally we may use a chain hotel.

We always try to arrange en suite accommodation, i.e. rooms with their own bathrooms for each night of your stay. However, in some of the more remote locations accommodation is limited and occasionally we may have to book rooms with shared bathrooms for one or two nights of your holiday, (especially if the booking is made at short notice), but we will always let you know if this is likely to be the case.

We are happy to book single rooms on our holidays but cannot normally book more than two for any one group. Single room bookings include a supplement.

General travel information for the Pembrokeshire Coast route will be in your holiday pack including train and bus timetables where available.

Detailed instructions on getting to your first night’s accommodation by car, or on foot from the nearest train or bus station, will also be included in the holiday pack on individual accommodation maps.

To view train times please visit trainline where you can also purchase tickets in advance. For information on bus timetables please visit traveline

If you require secure car parking whilst walking this route, please contact us for information.

Getting There:
By Air: The nearest airports are Cardiff and Bristol – International airports are London, Birmingham and Manchester. You can then travel by public transport to Tenby.
By Public Transport:
By train Tenby station is located on the on the Pembroke Dock branch of the West Wales Line with regular services between Swansea, Carmarthen and Cardiff Central.
By coach National Express from London or Birmingham to Tenby.
By Road: Tenby is located on the A478. From the A40 trunk road (Carmarthen), turn on to the A477 at St Clears (signed Pembroke Dock). Follow the A477 to the Kilgetty Roundabout then turn on to the A478 signed Tenby.

Leaving from Milford Haven:
By Public Transport: Train via Cardiff for main city links.
By Road: A40 to Carmarthen, A48 and M4 for all directions.

Tenby

Although only just into the start of the route, this typical British seaside resort with a certain charm and sophistication is well worth spending some extra time in. Colourful houses perch above the harbour and South Beach while the well preserved mediaeval town walls hide a maze of crooked streets. From here Caldey Island is clearly visible just to the south. Monks have been on the island for around 1500 years and about 20 monks live there now. Boat trips are available from Tenby and there is plenty to see on the island – unfortunately tours of the monastery are only available for men.

Pembroke

Pembroke is the birthplace of Henry VII and is steeped in history. The 900 year old castle is the focal point of the town, standing guard over the river and well worth a visit. The town itself was fortified and walled, and sections of these walls are still visible. Visitors can take the popular town trail and there is also a daily indoor market and numerous small craft, gift and specialist shops.