One of my favourite short hikes combines sea views, ruins and a lush fish and chip shop in a tiny hamlet
This easy coastal walk leads to some of the best fish and chips in Wales(Image: Visit Wales Crown Copyright )
I’m going against the grain to say that autumn is my favourite time for a coastal walk in Wales. It can be a quieter time to plod along scenic landscapes, and you can enjoy a hot chocolate, pub lunch, or fresh fish and chips by the ocean.
Wales has an extraordinary 870-mile-long coast path, the first in the world to trace an entire nation’s shoreline. The famous trail is bursting with dramatic headlands, hidden coves, ancient ruins, and a wealth of wildlife.
While walking its full length is a bucket-list challenge, you don’t need to be an ultra-hiker to enjoy its best bits. Throughout the long-distance route, there are countless short walks and circular trails that offer epic coastal scenery without requiring a full-scale expedition.
One of my favourite short treks combines sea views, ruins and a lush fish and chip shop in a tiny hamlet – the Abereiddi to Porthgain walk in Pembrokeshire, which is still enjoyable in winter.
Once you have passed the lagoon, keep following the cliff path that traces the craggy shoreline(Image: Portia Jones )
This 6.3-km out-and-back trail is well known to cliff divers and is generally considered an easy route. It’s suitable for a range of walkers, from beginners to experienced hikers and has one of Wales’ best fish and chip spots along the way.
Your route can begin at either end, but I prefer to start at Abereiddi, which has a paid car park and toilet facilities. From the pebble-strewn car park, you’ll follow the waymarked trail over the cliffs, where you’ll be able to look down over an unusual lagoon.
Abereiddy Beach is a rather ethereal beach with moody grey pebbles, dark coarse sand, and craggy cliffs that appear to have been carved by ancient Welsh giants. Facing the Irish Sea, there’s also a decent swell here for surfers and pro paddleboarders.
The area is best known for its turquoise-blue lagoon, which could be mistaken for being in the Mediterranean as it’s so vivid.
This outdoor swimming spot is well-known as one of Britain’s best wild swimming spots (Image: R A Kearton)
Known as the Blue Lagoon, this striking spot was once the main slate quarry for the St Brides Slate Company, which operated here until 1910. The leftover slate gives the water its stunning aqua-blue hue that photographers love.
You’ll still see hints of the area’s industrial past here. The National Trust notes that slate extracted from Aberystwyth was transported by tramway to the neighbouring Porthgain Harbour and shipped out.
The Blue Lagoon was formed when the channel connecting the quarry to the sea was blasted, allowing the sea to flood in.
Ruined quarry buildings still sit on the clifftop, with the remains of the workmen’s cottages adjacent to the car park along what was called The Row or The Street. You’ll also spot the foreman’s house and the powder store here.
Today, it’s owned by the National Trust and is famous as a top location for wild swimming and coasteering. It previously hosted the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
Winter is still a great time to explore the coast path(Image: Visit Wales Crown Copyright )
This azure-blue lagoon is often a popular spot for seals and their pups in autumn. Each September, National Trust Cymru temporarily closes it off to help protect the newborns. The Blue Lagoon and nearby beaches offer the perfect spot for seals to haul out, rest after a good feed, socialise, and care for their young.
If you’re a cold-water swimmer like me, you can start with a chilly dip here (you’ll need to take the path down to the lagoon), but I recommend saving it for the end so you can dry off, hop in your car, and head home.
I would also recommend that you wear a full wetsuit and bring a tow float and a buddy to swim with at this time of year. For less experienced dippers, I would hold off till summer as the water is freezing right now.
Porthgain Harbour(Image: Crown copyright Visit Wales. )
Once you have passed the lagoon, keep following the cliff path that traces the craggy shoreline. The easy coast path continues over open grassland, skirting along the cliffs with gorgeous ocean views.
You’ll soon be high above Traeth Llyfn. Secluded and remote, the shore is completely covered at the highest tides. Strong rip currents can also occur, so swimming is not recommended here.
Keep stomping along, watching for seabirds and seals bobbing in the distant waves, and you’ll soon approach Porthgain. This tiny fishing port, described by The Guardian as “a prime spot for escaping the ills of the universe,” once exported roadstone all over the UK and is now home to a pub, a bistro, and an art gallery.
Porthgain is a working fishing harbour(Image: Adrian White Photography)
Descend the concrete steps, and you’ll reach the curved harbour wall, where you’ll spot remnants of the port’s former industrial workings. Look closely, and you’ll spy on the abandoned ruins of stone-crushing works, lobster pots and loft cottages once used by the fishermen.
Initially, a small fishing and limekiln site, it transformed into a significant industrial hub in the mid-19th century with the development of quarrying and brickworks. Today, it’s a bougie stop along the Wales Coast path with a bistro serving some of the best fish and chips in Wales.
Porthgain harbour in Pembrokeshire(Image: Adrian White Photography)
The Shed has won acclaim from Sunday Times writer Giles Coren, who called their fish and chip offering “as good as cod or haddock and chips can be”. He added that it’s “light, fresh and crispy but not with one of those deep bronze, inedibly crunchy, stupidly show-offy batters you find in your urban gastropub.” Chef Stephen Terry has also praised the “really good fish and chips” here.
Bag a table and look out over the harbour while you tuck into some fresh seafood, such as monkfish and prawn curry or halibut with samphire and shallot, served with lemon and caper butter.
The Shed Porthgain has some of Wales’ best fish and chips(Image: Crown copyright Visit Wales.)
Fancy a halfway pint? Swing by the historic Sloop Inn, a proper character-filled pub whose decor is as eclectic as the crowd. We’re talking old road signs, vintage fishing gear, beer barrels, and walls packed with vintage snapshots of Porthgain through the ages.
The main bar is located in the original 18th-century building, which was lovingly restored in the 1990s but still exudes maritime charm.
Settle in with a local ale, a crisp cider, or even a steamy hot chocolate if you’re feeling cosy. There’s a wide drinks selection and seasonal menus, and if you’re lucky, you might catch some live music or even spot fresh lobster on the specials board.
Swing by the historic Sloop Inn, a proper character-filled pub where the decor is as eclectic as the crowd(Image: The Sloop Inn/Facebook)
Once you’ve refuelled, it’s time to head back the same way you came along the coast path towards Abereiddi. If you’ve worked up a sweat and brought your swim gear, now is the perfect time for a bracing cold water dip in the blue lagoon. Just watch out for the tombstoning teenagers.
For more information on the walk, visit the National Trust.