Newgale Beach, Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire Coast Path – Central

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Overview

Route

What's Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

7 Nights

60 miles / 96 km

Prices from: £940 per person
Start: Pembroke, Pembrokeshire
Finish: Whitesands Bay (near St Davids), Pembrokeshire
Availability: Any start date from March to October
Grading: Moderate
Way-marked: Yes

Pembrokeshire Coast Path Highlights

Welsh castles

Explore the great Norman castle at Pembroke, with its vast keep offering commanding views in all directions.

St Davids

Discover Britain’s smallest city of St Davids, with its glorious medieval cathedral and Bishop’s Palace.

Magnificent coastline

Enjoy stunning sunsets from Pembrokeshire’s pristine beaches including the enormous Newgale Sands and Marloes, an idyllic stretch of golden sand.

Marine wildlife

Look out for elusive marine life including dolphins, porpoises, whales, puffins, Atlantic grey seals, gannets and many other migrant birds.

Fishing villages

Relax in the small and wonderfully picturesque fishing villages of Solva and Newgale, brimming with charming cafes, craft shops and galleries.

Industrial maritime history

Witness the importance of historical industrial tradition in the area, such as the busy Milford Haven waterway, one of the deepest natural harbours in the world.

Discover the Welsh Coast from Pembroke to St Davids

The Central section of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path twists and turns its way through a stunning variety of landscapes, including dramatic headlands and bustling fishing villages, before finishing in the historic and picturesque city of St Davids.

This section begins in the busy town of Pembroke, full with local art and crafts shops and quaint tearooms. Pembroke is famous for its Norman castle and Pembroke Town Hall, decorated with a series of murals.

Leaving Pembroke, the route is quite industrial, following power stations and oil refineries around the Milford Haven waterway, until reaching Sandy Haven. It then continues around the Dale and Marloes Peninsulas, where you are rewarded with dramatic coastal scenery and idyllic golden sands. If you are lucky, you might be able to spot seals and their pups from the cliffs above Marloes Sands.

Continuing on to the picturesque villages of Little Haven, the next section follows the wide sweep of St Bride’s Bay, past the pretty fishing villages of Solva and Newgale. The end of this section is Whitesands Bay, close to St Davids. You will spend your final night in St Davids, which is a vibrant place known for its artists, travellers, pilgrims and surfers.

Please note that due to the rural nature of some areas of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, on occasion we may need to arrange return taxi transfers from the trail to your accommodation. The cost of these transfers would be included in your package.

Pembrokeshire Coast Path (Central) Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our PCP5 itinerary covers the route in 6 days / 7 nights.

Travel to Pembroke for your first night’s accommodation

Arrive in the town of Pembroke and visit its magnificent Norman castle, standing proudly at the head of a rocky ridge.

Day 1: Pembroke to Milford Haven (10 miles / 16 km)

From Pembroke Castle, the first section of the coastal path follows pavements and cycleways with great views of the estuary, Pembroke River and surrounding coastline.

While this section passes through an industrial area, it is still a very interesting walk rich in history, environmental and agricultural interest

Day 2: Milford Haven to Dale (8 miles / 13 km)

Today, it is important to double-check the tide tables on this section for two tidal crossings to avoid long detours on road.

From the gentle and pastoral area of the Milford Haven waterway, this is a walk of contrasts which ends on the wild and treeless Atlantic coast with spectacular views of the rugged offshore islands of Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm.

Day 3: Dale to Marloes Sands (8 miles / 13 km)

The walking is fairly easy on the Dale to Marloes plateau, around lovely St Ann’s head, with the occasional short climb out of relatively steep valleys.

At Marloes Sands, you’ll encounter multi-coloured cliffs and it will be hard to resist a refreshing dip in the inviting ocean.

Day 4: Marloes Sands to Broad Haven (13.5 miles / 22 km)

This section of the coastal path follows the wide sweep of St Bride’s Bay, with its beautiful beaches. Little Haven with narrow lanes, cottages, old inns and tiny bay and Broad Haven, a lovely village with sandy beaches nestled between the cliffs are welcome stops for walkers with a good number of pubs for well-earned refreshments.

The coastal slopes and cliff tops are rich in wildflowers. In places, the red of the Old Red Sandstone is brightly streaked with yellow algae.

Day 5: Broad Haven to Solva (12 miles / 19 km)

From Broad Haven, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path takes you along the cliff tops to the lovely beach at Druidston Haven. From there you continue to famous Newgale Sands, with over two and a half miles of stunning beaches. Complete your walk with a well-deserved visit to a tea shop in the quaint harbour village of Solva, a colourful, small port since the 13th century.

Day 6: Solva to Whitesands Bay (13 miles / 21km)

The Coastal Path continues past the pretty harbour village of Porthclais, the little harbour of saints and pilgrims, to the golden sands of Whitesands Bay. It is said that this is where St. Patrick had his vision to convert Ireland to Christianity, setting sail from this bay in the 5th century.

Your accommodation tonight is in the magnificent small city of St Davids – no more than the size of a large village. No one should miss spending some time in St Davids Cathedral taking in the truly magnificent construction and the atmosphere of 1,000 years of Celtic Christianity.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

What's Included?

Your Pembrokeshire Coast Path walking holiday includes:

Carefully selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional Welsh breakfast each morning
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals

Itineraries & Prices

Our suggested itinerary for walking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path – Central covers the route over 6 days.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

PCP5

6 Days / 7 Nights

10 miles per day

Moderate

From £940

Average miles : 10 miles per day

Tour code: PCP5

Difficulty : Moderate

6 Days / 7 Nights (PCP5)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Pembroke for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Pembroke to Milford Haven 10 miles / 16 km

Day 2 Milford Haven to Dale 8 miles / 13 km

Day 3 Dale to Marloes Sands 8 miles / 13 km

Day 4 Marloes Sands to Broad Haven 13.5 miles / 22 km

Day 5 Broad Haven to Solva 12 miles / 19 km

Day 6 Solva to Whitesands Bay (overnight St Davids) 13 miles / 21 km

Depart Onward travel from St Davids

Prices

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £940 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

Pembrokeshire Coast Path Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to Pembroke

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Birmingham International Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

Nearest Regional Airports: Cardiff Airport and Bristol Airport.

Cardiff is well connected with trains throughout the UK. There are direct trains from Cardiff to Swansea (journey time 55 min) from where you can take a direct train to Pembroke (journey time 2 hours 5 min).

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Pembroke.

There are train services from around the UK to Cardiff or Swansea train stations. From Swansea you can take a direct train to Pembroke (journey time 2 hours). From Cardiff you should take a train to Swansea (journey time 50 min) and then change here for Pembroke.

From London Victoria Coach Station there are National Express coach services to Cardiff (journey time 3 hours 30 min) and Swansea (journey time 4 hours 30 min) each day. From here we recommend taking the train to Pembroke.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to park it at the start of your trip for the duration of your holiday.We can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Departing from St Davids

By Air

Nearest International Airports: Birmingham International Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

Nearest Regional Airports: Cardiff Airport and Bristol Airport.

The closest train station to St Davids is Haverfordwest, from where you can travel on to Swansea and Cardiff. Cardiff is well connected with trains throughout the UK.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Haverfordwest

The closest train station to St Davids is Haverfordwest, which you can access by bus from St Davids (journey time 45 min). There are direct trains from Haverfordwest to Swansea (journey time 2 hours 5 min) from where you can travel on to Cardiff (journey time 55 min). Cardiff is well connected for onward transport throughout the UK.

As the train services can be very busy, we recommend booking in advance.

By Car

If you have left a car in Pembroke, there are bus connections from St Davids to Pembroke (journey time 2 hours).

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

Pembroke

Explore Pembroke Castle, with its vast keep, which provides commanding views in all directions
Admire the murals in Pembroke Town Hall, a series of wall panels painted by Mr George Lewis and Mrs Jeanne Lewis

Marloes

Wander around Deer Park for stunning coastal views from cliff tops
Take a boat to Skomer Island, a fascinating nature reserve where you could see puffins, guillemots, razorbills, along with a host of other birds and wildlife

St Davids

Spend some time in St Davids Cathedral, taking in the truly magnificent construction and the atmosphere of 1000 years of Celtic Christianity
Visit the brooding Gothic ruins of The Bishop’s Palace and explore this picturesque village
Take a boat trip around the caves and gorges of Ramsey Island, home to one of the UK’s largest colonies of Atlantic grey seals

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For more than 20 years, we’ve been weaving together unforgettable walking holidays amidst the enchanting landscapes of the British Isles. Dive deeper into how they work in our comprehensive guide. Read more

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