Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts at the car park at Poppit Sands, at the mouth of the Teifi estuary. Paths and lanes lead up from the sands and the Coast Path climbs along the hillside above the cliffs to the Cemaes Head nature reserve. From the head the views open over Cardigan Bay, and to the south-west the cliffs run on towards Pen-yr-afr. The walk comes back by the lane that serves the head and runs down towards Poppit.
It is 7.9 km with 242 m of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Moderate: the cliff path climbs and falls, and the cliffs are the highest in the National Park.
The cliffs along this coast, the highest in the National Park, reach about 168 m (550 ft): stay on the path and away from the edge, above all in wind or wet. Dogs must be on a lead on the reserve, and there are fields with livestock. Grey seals breed on the beaches below from August to October. About two-fifths of the walk is on the lane.
Poppit Sands car park charges, according to OpenStreetMap. The National Park lists the 407 and 409 buses to Poppit Sands and, in season, the Poppit Rocket (405). The Wildlife Trust says the car park at Cemaes Head itself is open in the summer months only, so this walk starts at Poppit.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The sea cliffs between Cemaes Head and Pen-yr-afr, at 550 ft, are the highest in the National Park
- The rocks of Cemaes Head are Silurian and Ordovician, about 470 million years old, and are heavily folded and twisted
- Cemaes Head nature reserve, 20 hectares, has been run by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales since 1984
- Grey seals breed on the beach from August to October and bottlenose dolphins are sometimes seen offshore
Getting there
Start: Poppit Sands car park · Pay and display. 52.10403, -4.69899
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Fishguard Harbour: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
