From Manorbier to Pendine

A walk in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park from Manorbier, with its Norman castle to ancient Lydstep Haven and on to colourful Tenby’s south beach. This is followed by a rugged stretch of coast with woodland and open countryside to the harbour village of Saundersfoot. An unusual stretch is next; 200-year-old tramway tunnels take you to Amroth with a short, strenuous walk above vast golden sands, bridging Pembrokeshire with Carmarthenshire.

Tour Overview

The icons below highlight the distance, difficulty and theme of this itinerary.

Distance

30.5

Days

3

Grade

moderate

Theme

Coastal / History

Landscape Type

Coastal

Pembrokeshire Coast Path - Manorbier to Pendine

Here's everything you need to help you plan your very own walking adventure. Click on the blue arrow tabs below for more information.

Itinerary

Anyone with good fitness can walk this shortened 30.5km / 19 mile section of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. . Expect good paths with some steep ascents and descents.

On leaving the bus follow the road down through Manorbier towards the sea. Bear left at junctions to pick up the Pembrokeshire Coast Path at the beach. On your way why not call at the imposing Norman Castle which dominates the village.

If you can tear yourself away from the beautiful sands of Manorbier turn left and follow the Wales Coast Path to climb high around pretty coves. At the far side of Manorbier Bay the path passes The Kings Quoit, an ancient burial chamber. You’ll notice it by the two small side stones supporting a striking capstone creating a small Neolithic chambered tomb. The path continues to hug the craggy cliff side and offer amazing views out to sea.

The path goes inland to avoid an RAF firing area. Don’t be concerned by this as the path is safe and well signed.  It re-joins the coast a short time after at Skrinkle Haven, with its glorious golden beach. A little further along the path are steep steps down to Lydstep Caverns, beautiful but accessible at low tide only. Follow high cliffs around Lydstep Point before dropping down to Lydstep Haven. If you need any refreshments the Holiday Village here has a small shop and food and drink facilities.

Make your way along the beach front (at high tide or if walking with dogs you will have to continue above, through the holiday village) and up steps at the far end which will take you on a steady climb back up to the clifftops. This stretch of the path lined with gorse and wildflowers offers glorious views out to sea and is where you’ll catch the first glimpse of Caldey Island. Caldey Abbey on the island is the home of Cistercian Monks who make the famous Caldey Island perfume and chocolate. You can visit this peaceful island via a boat trip from Tenby.

Continuing on the path you’ll reach a point where, depending on MOD activity, you’ll be directed in one of two ways. One heads inland and the other around the headland. Both ways lead back to bright and cheerful Tenby south beach which you follow to the end. Double back to the right to join the Esplanade into town and back to your base.

7 Miles/11km

Start the walk at Tenby Harbour near the boat trip huts. With the sea behind you turn up and to your right along Bridge Street and right along Crackwell Street where you’ll have a stunning view of the bustling harbour. The top of Crackwell Street meets the High Street and where you begin on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

Continue for a short time along The Norton, overlooking the sea, until you reach a turning on your right along The Croft. Follow this road until it bears to the right and go straight on at the fork, signed the Wales Coast Path.

Follow the signed path after Waterwynch, a blissful and secluded stretch along an enchanting woodland path with birds and wildflowers in abundance, before the sea is once again revealed. Although very beautiful, the path can be rough and there are a number of descents, climbs and steps as the path drops down to a number of coves including Waterwynch.

Continue until the end of the woodland and the start of the welcoming village of Saundersfoot. The road that meets you is The Glen. Follow this road to the junction and turn right. Continue until you reach the lovely harbourside.

There are plenty of places to eat and drink in Saundersfoot so take a moment to relax and enjoy this delightful place, you might even refresh your feet with a paddle!

Saundersfoot harbour was originally built to transport coal from mines. Nothing remains of the mines but the route of the tramway that was built to bring the coal to Saundersfoot harbour adds a fascinating aspect to this walk.

You may be pleased to know that after the ups and downs of the previous stretch, a flat path awaits. Continue east along The Strand towards Coppet Hall beach, which is reached via a short tunnel.

On the far side of Coppet Hall beach are two further mining tunnels cut into the cliffside, followed by a path along the seafront. This takes you to the small hamlet of Wisemans Bridge where in 1943, Winston Churchill visited whilst the allies practised for the D-Day landings.

Once the path reaches the road follow it to the right and fork right again where you immediately join Cliff Road. This eventually turns into a path and will descend to the blue flag beach and rockpools at Amroth.

7 Miles/11km 

Start the day from the bus stop at Amroth Castle, facing the long, flat sandy beach, head to your left.  Follow the road past the New Inn pub and continue a short way along the road until you take the Wales Coast Path to your right that leads to a well-defined grassy track. After a long flight of steps you cross a footbridge at the Pembrokeshire / Carmarthenshire border.

The path will lead you steadily but steeply up to Telphin Point where looking back you can see Tenby in the distance and ahead the glint of Marros Sands and headland of Carmarthenshire.

As ever, views don’t come for free and although this is only a short stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path it is strenuous. You’ll start a zig zag steep section up to Marros Beacon and through a short stretch of sheltered woodland before Marros Sands comes into view again. If the tide is low you may catch site of remains of a schooner, called Rover, which in 1886 was deliberately beached to avoid it sinking in a force 11 gale.

Continue along the path and you’ll find places where, if the tide allows, you can venture down on to the sands. The sands below Gilman Point is one of these and here you can walk into Pendine via the beach. The vast stretch of sand here was used for testing land speed records.  If the tide is coming in, take no chances and head over Gilman Point via the designated path. This will take you to Dolwen Point which gives you the final descent into Pendine. With an A for effort, why not reward yourself with a delicious ice cream from one of the beachfront cafes before catching the return bus back to Tenby and your base.

5 Miles/8.4km

Accommodation

You’ll find pubs, hotels, B&BS, cottages, campsites along the trail catering for all tastes and budgets, so plan carefully and try to book somewhere as close to the start and finish of each day as possible. Accommodation along this stretch of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path can be viewed on the itinerary map. 

Use a baggage transfer company to transport your luggage, alternatively base yourself at Tenby and use public transport to get to the start of each day and return to base. 

 

 

Travel

The easiest airports for travelling to Pembrokeshire are Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol. Of the two major London airports, the region is best accessed from Heathrow.

Direct train services to Tenby are available from Manchester, Newport (South Wales) and Swansea; services from most parts of the country connect with these. National Express run coaches from London Victoria Coach Station directly to Tenby.

Advice

Parts of this section of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path can be particularly strenuous with steep climbs and descents and a good level of fitness is required. These sections are balanced with shorter mileage and include flat sections and places for breaks.

As the Pembrokeshire Coast Path closely follows the coastline inevitably you will encounter erosion, steep cliffs and rocky paths. Please take care and we advise that you choose footwear and clothing appropriate to these conditions and to suit the predicted weather.

Food & Drink

Tenby has a varied selection of cafes, restaurants and takeaways and you will find small cafes in the other villages. For more information take a look at the itinerary map.

 

Maps, Guidebooks and Merchandise

The official guidebook and map for the Trail are available from the National Trails Shop along with a wide range of gifts and other merchandise.

Itinerary Map

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