Pembrokeshire holds Britain's only truly coastal National Park, wrapping 186 miles of Atlantic sea-cliffs, secluded coves and sweeping sandy bays around the southwestern corner of Wales. From Britain's smallest city nestled in a sheltered vale to the pastel-washed Regency townhouses of Tenby, this is a landscape steeped in Celtic pilgrimage, Norman conquest and maritime wildlife.
Access across the coast path varies widely: some headlands and beaches require negotiating steep, unpaved descents, while harbours and cathedral precincts provide level paths. Where details have not been personally audited, we state "not yet checked" rather than assume.
The coastal roads are peaceful and scenic, but narrow lanes between high hedge-banks require courteous reversing and cautious speeds. Keep tide times in mind when planning visits to tidal coves and island boat trips.
Day one — The Pilgrim City and St Brides Bay
At the far western tip of Wales sits St Davids, nestled out of sight of Norse raiders in the green valley of the River Alun. The soaring purple-sandstone cathedral, medieval ruins of the Bishop's Palace, and the rugged clifftop trails of St Brides Bay provide an unforgettable introduction to ancient Wales.
St Davids and the Cathedral
A tiny cathedral city on the wild westernmost tip of Wales.
Britain's smallest city is barely more than a village, yet it has been a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. St Davids Cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint of Wales, is tucked into a valley below the rooftops, hidden, so the story goes, from seaborne raiders, and revealed only as you walk down towards it, its purple-hued stone glowing above the ruined Bishop's Palace alongside. Medieval popes decreed that two pilgrimages here equalled one to Rome. Beyond the cathedral close, the little city is full of galleries, cafes and independent shops, and it sits at the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, with St David's Head, boat trips to Ramsey Island's seals and seabirds, and some of the finest coast walking in Wales on the doorstep.
Our tip Approach the cathedral on foot down the Thirty-Nine Steps for the classic hidden-in-the-valley reveal, rather than glimpsing it from the car.
Visiting — good to know
Step-free / wheelchair access
For blind & low-vision visitors Britain's smallest city, its cathedral set below the town in a hollow reached by a steep path and steps; the cathedral interior is largely level and accessible.
Sensory A calm, awe-inspiring, echoing cathedral in a hollow - contemplative and quiet, the tiny city above gently busy.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- ST DAVIDS | 4K Narrated Walking Tour | Let's Walk 2023 Let's Walk!
- Exploring St David’s: Britain’s Smallest City in Stunning Pembrokeshire The Well Seasoned One
- The Pilgrim's Way to Britain's Great Cathedrals | Episode 3 Vision Video
More Wikipedia
Day two — South Pembrokeshire and pastel havens
South along the coast to the limestone cliffs of Stackpole. Walk through pine woods and lily ponds to the golden crescent of Barafundle Bay, before relaxing along the medieval stone walls and sandy beaches of colourful Tenby.
Barafundle Bay
A dune-backed golden bay reachable only on foot from Stackpole Quay.
Regularly named among the finest beaches in Britain and beyond, Barafundle is a perfect arc of golden sand backed by dunes and woodland on the National Trust's Stackpole Estate. Its beauty owes much to the fact that you can't drive to it: the reward comes after a half-mile walk from Stackpole Quay, over the cliffs and down a flight of stone steps, which keeps the crowds and the clutter away. There are no facilities, no ice-cream vans and no car park at the beach itself, just clean sand, clear water and cliffs alive with seabirds. Combine it with the wider Stackpole nature reserve, the lily ponds at Bosherston and the little harbour of Stackpole Quay for a superb, low-key day on the Pembrokeshire coast.
Official information: Official website not yet identified.
Our tip Take everything you need with you, there are no shops or toilets at the beach, so stock up at Stackpole Quay before the walk in.
Visiting — good to know
Not step-free
Reached only on foot by a half-mile clifftop walk from Stackpole Quay, finishing with a flight of stone steps down to the sand; there is no vehicle access and no step-free route, and the beach itself is soft sand.
For blind & low-vision visitors An idyllic beach reached only by a walk over clifftop and a flight of steps down - no road access, so not accessible; the clifftop path gives the view.
Sensory A wild, unspoilt, turquoise-water beach of surf and wind - profoundly calm and beautiful, a walk from the crowds.
Access last checked 6 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- WELSH BEACHES! TOUR OF PEMBROKESHIRE WALES | Barafundle Bay & Pembroke Castle | AERIAL VIEWS! Tide Knot Travellers
- A Day at Barafundle Bay & Walking Our Bernese Mountain Dogs DNA Travel
- Barafundle Bay The Best Beach in Wales British Coastline
More Wikipedia
Tenby
Pastel harbour houses, medieval walls and four sandy beaches.
Tenby is the picture everyone has in their head of the Welsh seaside: a huddle of pastel-painted houses above a working harbour, wrapped in some of the best-preserved medieval town walls in Britain and pierced by the much-photographed Five Arches gateway. Four sandy beaches surround the headland, the sheltered Harbour Beach for small children, Blue Flag North Beach with its Goskar Rock, and the long sweep of South Beach towards Giltar Point. From the harbour, boats run out to Caldey Island, a working Cistercian monastery where the monks make perfume and chocolate. Add narrow lanes of shops, pubs and ice-cream parlours, and it's a proper family resort with real character. It gets very busy in high summer, so early starts pay off.
Official information: Official website not yet identified.
Our tip Boat trips to Caldey Island run on weekdays and Saturdays in season and depend on the tides and weather, check sailings early in the day.
Visiting — good to know
The town centre within the walls is fairly level; the harbour and some beaches are reached by steps and slipways, so access to the sand varies by beach and tide.
For blind & low-vision visitors A walled town of pastel harbour houses above beaches, with a fairly level walled centre but harbour and beach steps and slipways; open sea.
Sensory A pretty, popular seaside town - busy in season in the narrow streets, breezier and calmer on the beaches.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Why You SHOULD Visit Tenby! - Seafront Tour, South Wales Walk With Me Tim
More Wikipedia
Day three — Narrow-gauge steam into the Cambrian Mountains
North into Ceredigion and the Rheidol Valley. Board the historic narrow-gauge steam railway from Aberystwyth, climbing high above wooded gorges into the Cambrian Mountains to the famous tiered bridges and roaring waterfalls of Devil's Bridge.
Devil's Bridge and the Vale of Rheidol Railway
A narrow-gauge steam line from the coast to a spectacular waterfall gorge.
From Aberystwyth on the Ceredigion coast, the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway climbs nearly 12 miles inland through steep wooded slopes to Devil's Bridge, hauled by steam locomotives on a line open since 1902. At the top, the River Mynach crashes down a series of falls into a plunging gorge spanned by three bridges stacked one above another across the centuries, hence the legend of a bridge built by the Devil and won back by a quick-witted local woman. Well-made footpaths and steps (including the steep Jacob's Ladder) lead down into the ravine to viewpoints over the cascades. You can drive to Devil's Bridge directly, but arriving by steam train through the Cambrian foothills is much the more memorable way to do it.
Our tip The gorge walk includes many steep steps down to the falls, sturdy shoes help, and there's a shorter route to the punchbowl viewpoint if the full circuit is too much.
Plan your visit
- Opening
- DAILY TRAIN SERVICES UNTIL 1ST NOVEMBER 2026
- Booking
- Book Now
Visitor information checked 14 Jul 2026. Opening and prices can change.
Access not yet checked — please confirm with the venue before you travel.
Worth watching
- Steam Train | Rheidol Railway | Vintage Railway | Wales | Devils Bridge | Wish you were here? | 1984 ThamesTv
- Driver's Eye View (Wales) - Vale of Rheidol Railway in Autumn – Aberystwyth to Devil's Bridge - 4K Timsvideochannel1
- Driver's Eye View (Wales) - Vale of Rheidol Railway - Return to Aberystwyth from Devil's Bridge - 4K Timsvideochannel1
Before you set off
Summer brings lively harbour crowds to Tenby and St Davids, so early starts ensure easy parking. Wear sturdy footwear for coastal walks, and check local tide tables before setting out on beach strolls. When you are ready to explore, open any day in the trip planner to view step-by-step directions and tailor the itinerary to your travel requirements.\n