Wales Coast Path

When Wales completed its Coast Path in 2012, it became the first country in the world to have a continuous walkable path around its entire coast. The result is 1,400 km of waymarked route that takes in everything Welsh coastal geography has to offer: rugged sea-cliff, sandy estuary, industrial heritage, remote headland, dune system and mountain backdrop.

The path is officially split into 12 sections across the key regions — from the Dee estuary in the north-east, around the Llŷn Peninsula, down through Cardigan Bay, around Pembrokeshire and east along the Bristol Channel to Chepstow. Much of it overlaps with or links to existing named routes: the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the Ceredigion Coast Path, the Llŷn Coastal Path, and the Anglesey Coast Path are all incorporated within it.

For trail runners the Wales Coast Path is a serious multi-week expedition, typically covered in three to five weeks of sustained daily running. The terrain varies enormously: some sections are fast coastal tracks, others are rough, pathless headlands or lengthy beach crossings. The Pembrokeshire section is the most relentlessly physical, with 10,500 m of ascent in its 299 km.

The waymarking is good throughout with the Wales Coast Path dragon symbol.

The path is usually run north to south or divided into regional sections. Main sections:

North Wales coast (Queensferry to Bangor, ~150 km): Lower-key start along the Dee estuary and the developed north coast before improving around Orme's Head and Conwy.

Anglesey (full island circuit, ~217 km): Entirely separate island section — mostly low-level cliff and estuary but with dramatic headlands at South Stack and Trwyn Du.

Llŷn Peninsula (~145 km): Remote, beautiful, predominantly Welsh-speaking. The route takes in Aberdaron, Bardsey Island views and the pilgrimage coast.

Cardigan Bay and Ceredigion (~145 km): Long beaches, estuary crossings, the Dyfi estuary, Aberystwyth.

Pembrokeshire (~300 km): The hardest section — see the Pembrokeshire Coast Path for full detail.

South Wales coast (Swansea to Chepstow, ~225 km): The Gower, the Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Cardiff Bay, and east along the Bristol Channel to the finish.

Start: Queensferry (near Chester) at the Dee estuary. Rail connections from Chester and Wrexham.

Finish: Chepstow, at the Severn estuary. Rail connections via Bristol and Newport.

Resupply and accommodation are plentiful in the coastal towns: Llandudno, Bangor, Caernarfon, Pwllheli, Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Tenby, Swansea, Cardiff. Remote sections (Llŷn, north Pembrokeshire) require more planning.

The Wales Coast Path website (walescoastpath.gov.uk) has detailed accommodation guides for each section. A staged approach — completing the path over several trips — is popular and practical.