The Dinas Head walk is just one of a number of Circular walks in Pembrokeshire. We like a circular walk because you finish where you start without covering the same ground twice. There are also no headaches over the logistics, provided you know how to get there and where to park. We’ve got that covered.
Even though it’s only 3 miles long, with over 140 metres of ascent, the Dinas Head Walk is enough for a decent workout. The climbs are steep too and, together with the spectacular sea views, will leave you breathless. With 2 beaches, a ruined church and an OS Trig Point there’s also plenty to see along the way.
Getting to the start of the Dinas Head walk
We usually walk from and park in Pwllgwaelod and this is how to get there:
From the South and East
Take the M4/A40 West and then the A40 to Fishguard. At Fishguard take the A487 towards Cardigan. In the village of Dinas take a left onto an unclassified road (at the Ship Aground public house) signposted Pwllgwaelod. This is a very narrow road so look out for the passing places, and follow until you reach the sea.
From the North
Take the A487 towards Fishguard. At the village of Dinas take a right on to an unclassified road (at the Ship Aground public house) signposted Pwllgwaelod. Then proceed as above.
The car park is on your right at the bottom of the hill.
Parking
There’s a decent sized car park at Pwllgwaelod and it’s free! Our tip is to get here early. In decent weather the carpark can be full by 11 a.m.
Conveniently, there are public conveniences here which are also free.
Map reference. SN004 408
The Dinas Head walk Route
As a circular you can take on the Dinas Head walk in either direction, but we prefer anti-clockwise. We find the climbs more friendly that way and this is the route we’ve detailed below.
The Start
From the car park at Pwllgwaelod head towards the sea, keeping The Old Sailors pub on your right-hand side.
Turn right and the hill will be in front of you. Turn right again and you’ll see a gate and a signpost pointing to Cwm-yr-Eglwys. Head through the gate and follow this flat path which takes you around the back of the pub.
There’s not much to see along this section but bear with it. If there is a boring part to this walk, this is it. But it does get you warmed up and what you’re doing here is connecting up the two ends of the walk. Once you get in to Cwm-yr-Egwlys, it’s coast path all the way.
One of the great things about this walk is that, despite its length, there are actually two sets of public conveniences, one in Pwllgwaelod and the second in Cwm-yr-Eglwys.
Cwm Yr Eglwys
When you reach the car park at Cwm-yr-Eglwys you’ll see the “Acorn” coastal path signpost at the far left hand side. Head for this and take the narrow path with the boat yard on your right. You’ll soon come to the public conveniences on your left hand side. Use them or pass by and you’ll see the coast path sign pointing you around the corner to your left and up the hill.
You’ll probably want to stop here to take a look at the ruins of the church which was destroyed by storms in 1859.
The Climb
After you have, follow the narrow private road as it climbs through a number of cottages. You’ll come to a no entry sign at the top and you need to turn right on to the signposted Pembrokeshire Coast Path.
This is where the majority of the climbing is done on the walk but you’ll have the sound of the sea as a constant companion. Once you get up out of the trees you will be met by a huge expanse of Ocean with views right up the north coast of Pembrokeshire, as far as Cemaes Head near the end of the path at Poppit Sands. You will also see Carn Ingli from here overlooking Newport and beyond it the highest peak in Pembrokeshire, Foel Cwm Cerwyn in the Preseli hills.
The Trig Point
Follow the path onwards and upwards and around to the left where you’ll eventually see the trig point.
From here you get great views into Goodwick and Fishguard as well as both Cwm-Yr-Eglwys and Pwllgwaelod. This gives you a real sense of being right out in the middle of the Ocean and where you really do feel like you’re out on an Island.
From the trig point the path descends in to Pwllgwaelod and the views from here are incredible. The walk takes around 1hr 15 minutes if you do it without stopping, but allow for at least an hour on top because you will want to stop on a regular basis to take in the views and some photographs.
Dinas Head Walk Statistics
- Distance = 3 miles
- Walk time = Around 1hr 15 minutes
- Total Time = 2 to 2.5 hours
- Map reference SN 00/01 40/41
Facilities
- Conveniences at both Pwllgwaelod and Cwm-yr-Eglwys.
- The Old Sailors Pub at Pwllgwaelod
Thoughts on the Dinas Head Walk
We’ve known this section of the path to be very muddy indeed, mainly during the winter and/or after periods of heavy rain.
If you’re taking on this walk at one of those times you will need waterproof boots and be aware that they will get muddy. Outside of these times the walk is very dry. We would still recommend wearing at least mid-ankle boots as a minimum as in places this walk is rocky with prominent tree roots.
If you’re looking for a great book on the Pembrokeshire Coast path walks we thoroughly recommend this one. We’ve got the older version and found it brilliant when we walked the whole thing. It’s battered, bruised and well thumbed but we still use it today!
Other Walks in Pembrokeshire include the Preseli Hills walks.
If you are visiting Pembrokeshire now or in the near future please be aware that social distancing rules still apply in Wales. Please keep yourselves and others safe.
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4 thoughts on “Dinas Head Walk”
What a charming and lovely place for a walk with such gorgeous scenery! I love the old church ruins and the coastline that is a perfect view for getting out into nature. 😁
Thanks Vanessa. It’s such a good one for things to see in a relatively short walk.
Not a long one, but do they need to be long when you get all these views. Coastal walks don’t take long to get to the point. Looks amazing.
Thanks John. That’s definitely what we love about this one 👍