The Pembrokeshire Coast Path runs 186 miles from St Dogmaels to Amroth taking in some of the best coastal scenery in Wales, if not the whole of the UK. We only had 3 days to spare so decided to tackle the sections covering St David’s Peninsula, arguably the most attractive along the entire route. The walk is fairly unchallenging, sticking very close to the sea and with a reasonably gentle gradient. At points, the trail follows the edge of dramatic cliffs and occasionally drops down to pebble and sand beaches. It also passes through some very attractive coastal villages, such as the former industrial harbour of Porthgain where you can still see the remnants of the old slate quarry, while St David's - the UK's smallest city - is well worth a detour from the main route. The scenery is particularly stunning between Whitesands and St Non's Bay, where the sea is so blue you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the Mediterranean, with Ramsey Island providing an idyllic backdrop.

Practicalities:
We drove from Birmingham to Haverfordwest where we found free parking at the leisure centre. We then caught a bus to Fishguard where we started walking in the early evening. It's possible to take local buses to most sections of the route: all information and timings can be found online. However you tackle the route, you will probably end up taking a bus at some point to get to or back from your starting point.

Our plan was to walk until Solva from where we would hop on a bus back to Haverfordwest. Things did not go entirely according to plan, however, as one of my companions injured his foot fairly early on the second day. As a result, we ended up stopping at Porthgain and taking a taxi to Whitesands. The next day I continued solo from Whitesands to St David’s, via St Non’s Bay. This last section was the most beautiful, helped by clear blue skies and sunshine all the way.

The walk is not overly tough but can be rocky underfoot so good boots are recommended. It passes through plenty of towns so getting supplies and water is never an issue. There are also lots of camping options: Caerfai Bay Caravan and Tent Park, roughly a 20 minute walk from St David's, was our top spot. In the evening we clambered down to the beach, where one of my friends went for a late-night dip (I passed).

Itinerary:
Day 1: Fishguard to Pwll Peri (9 miles, 3 hours)
Day 2: Pwll Peri to Whitesands (12 miles, 5 hours)
Day 3: Whitesands to St David's (8 miles, 3.5 hours)