South Wales Hiking – Page 4 – Wandering Welsh Girl

The Gower Peninsula is an area in South Wales located west of Swansea City. It covers an area of 180km² and mostly consists of rocky coastlines, beaches and farmland. The rugged coastline is popular with walkers and coasteerers, whilst the bays offer beautiful beaches on which to relax and enjoy water sports. Just a short stroll along the coastal paths of the Gower will quickly reveal why this area was declared the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This 46 mile stretch of coastline forms parts of the Wales Coastal Path, which is officially the second prettiest coastal path in the world. Rhossili beach at the very western end of the peninsula, has been voted the best beach in the UK, Europe and one of the top 10 beaches in the world. Now we have all the accolades over with, let’s get on with the walks! Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps cover the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support! An Overview of 5 Top Gower Walks Port Eynon to Rhossili - The best Gower walk for rocky coastline views Worm's Head - An adventurous tidal walk in the Gower Rhossili to Llangennith Loop - The prettiest Gower beach walk Three Cliffs Bay and Pwlldu Loop - The best circular walk on the Gower Peninsula Whitesands Loop - A pretty estuary walk in the Gower A Guide to Walking in the Gower Peninsula In this guide I outline 5 of the best walks in the Gower. I provide distances and approximate timings along with a brief description of what you can expect to see on the walk. There are buses that operate around the Gower making it possible to enjoy one-way walks. You can check the timetable beforehand at this website. Day passes that cover the whole area are available. If using multiple cars to enjoy one-way walks, be warned that there are parking charges at most car parks around the Gower. To enjoy these walks I suggest you take the relevant OS map as some of the cross-country footpaths are not signposted. Ensure you are properly prepared with the correct clothing and equipment, which I explain more about in this guide. 1. Port Eynon to Rhossili Distance: 11.6km (7.2 miles) Time: 4- 5 hours Difficulty: Easy - Moderate Highlights: Overton Mere and Mewslade Bay This one-way walk offers the most incredible coastal views the Gower has to offer. Starting from the very beginning at Port Eynon Point, right the way to Worm's Head at the finish, this cliff top walk from Port Enyon offers the best Gower Peninsula scenery for walkers to revel in Starting from the busy little village of Port Eynon this walk gets off to a breathtaking start. After making your way up a steep hill to Port Eynon Point, take a moment to soak up views of the craggy limestone cliffs which extend along to Overton Mere. With the moment savoured, it's time to properly start this Gower Peninsula walk. The undulating path from Port Eynon point to Rhossili is well signposted. There are several paths that branch off the main trail which often offer more rewarding views, but are very eroded and exposed. Many, such as the one above Mewslade Bay, are marked as closed. (And for good reason) There are several bays and caves along this route such as Long Hole Cave and the famous Paviland Cave. Keep an eye out for people enjoying coasteering as you near Rhossili. After passing Fall Bay you will near the end of the Peninsula, just above Worm's Head causeway. Hiking out to this tidal Island provides an additional 5km to the walk. (see details below) Continue around the peninsula until you reach Rhossili village, where you can enjoy stunning views of Rhossili beach. Pop into the Worms Head Hotel for a drinks with a view, before catching the bus back to Port Eynon. Have you explored another of South Wales' beautiful locations, the Brecon Beacons? Discover the best waterfall walks in this guide or learn about the top mountain walks in this guide. 2. Worm's Head Distance: 5km (3miles) Time: 2 hours Difficulty: Moderate (Slippery rocks) Highlight: Scrambling along the causeway and along Devil's Bridge This is a fun, short walk in the Gower which explores the tidal island of Worm's Head. For 2.5 hours either side of low tide it's possible to walk out to the edge of the Worm's Head and involves some rock hopping to get across the causeway. (Boots highly recommended) From Rhossili village walk out to the coast guard station, where you can double check the tide times. Descend from the headland onto the causeway and tip-toe your way across the slippery rocks. Once across the causeway, follow the path to the left and along the top of the inner headland. Cross over a section of jagged rocks and then cross the natural rock bridge, disconcertingly called Devil's Bridge, before climbing up onto the outer headland. A short but steep scramble is required to access outer headland. From the 1st March to the 31st August the outer headland maybe closed and inaccessible to walkers, in order to protect breeding seabirds. Worm's Head gets it's name from the Norse word wurm, meaning Dragon. From a distance at low tide, the rocky island resembles that of a sleeping dragon. Enjoy fantastic views back across to Rhossili Bay but keep an eye on the time so you don't get stranded! Then simply retrace your steps back to Rhossili village to complete the walk. This walk can be extended to include views of Falls Bay and Mewslade Bay by turning right once you get back onto the headland. Follow the coastal path around past the bays, before cutting back across country to finish in Rhossili. 3. Rhossili to Burry Holms via Llangennith Distance: 13.5km (8.5 miles) Time: 5 - 6 hours Difficulty: Easy (But long) Highlights: A stunning ridge walk with views over Rhossili Beach This walk is all about enjoying one of the most beautiful beaches in the Gower - Rhossili beach. There's also the opportunity to explore natural lagoons and a historically significant tidal island called Burry Holms. Check the tide times before this walk if you plan to walk out onto Burry Holms. From Rhossili take the path up onto the ridge that overlooks Rhossili beach. Follow this ridge until it drops down into the village of Llangennith. Walk through the village (stopping at the pub if you desire) before picking up the footpath that leads to Broughton Bay. Once back on the coast, turn left leaving the Bay behind you. Take a dip in the picturesque lagoon of Blue Pool if you wish, before continuing onto Burry Holms. (Be careful of the tides in the Blue Pool) Burry Holms is a small tidal island that can be accessed 2.5 hours after high tide. Excavations have discovered that the island was used as a Mesolithic seasonal camp, an Iron Age Hillfort and a Medieval monastery. Quite the popular spot! After exploring this tiny but fascinating island, complete this Gower Peninsula walking route with an easy stroll back along the beach to Rhossili. 4. Three Cliffs Bay to Pwlldu Loop Distance: 11.5km (7miles) Time: 4 -5 hours Difficulty: Moderate Highlights: Walk around picturesque 3 Cliffs Bay and visit the romantic Pwlldu beach Wondering how to pronounced complicated Welsh words? I explain all in this handy guide! Three Cliffs Bay is the most photographed area of the Gower and with good reason. Personally, I have more photos of 3 Cliffs than any other part of the Gower! This circular Gower walk provides fabulous views of 3 Cliffs from all angles, along with equally spectacular views over the coastal cliffs to Pwlldu beach. From the Gower Heritage Centre car park cross the road, drop down onto the path and turn left. Follow the path along the valley keeping the river on your right hand side. Once the valley opens up you have the option of continuing along the beach to explore the 3 cliffs up close (and even walk through the tunnel if you want!) After that retrace your steps until you find the path that leads up onto the cliff side. Follow this path as it starts to follow the coast in an easterly direction. The path initially drops down (with a side path to Pobbles Beach) before climbing back up to a view point that overlooks 3 Cliffs in one direction and Pwlldu head in the other. Enjoy the breathtaking cliff-edge views as the path continues along to Pwlldu head, before it drops down onto Pwlldu beach. This is a great spot to take a rest before returning to the path behind the cottages. Follow the path for Bishopston Valley and bear left at the t-junction to leave the river behind you. Continue along this cross country path to the village of Southgate which you by-passed earlier. Head out of the village on Southgate Road before rejoining a path to side of Pennard Golf Club. Bear left along the path towards Pennard Castle. After a short exploration of this ruined castle, drop down (steeply) to rejoin your outbound path. Follow the valley north to return to the car park in Parkmill. If you're enjoying this content, consider giving me a follow on social media Take a look at this video I put together whilst enjoying some Gower coastal walks last year. Skip to 1.50 mins to see footage of Pwlldu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdg9PyH8mXw 5. Whiteford Sands Loop Distance: 8km (5miles) Time: 3 hours Difficulty: Easy Highlights: The wide expanse of Whiteford sands and it's curious lighthouse Check the tides before attempting this walk, especially if you want to walk out to the lighthouse. This walk is quite different from all the others as there are no rocky cliffs on this part of the Gower. Instead you can enjoy pretty pine forests and views over Loughor Estuary. Exit from the parking field in Llanmadoc and turn right towards Cwm Ivy. Follow the lane downhill before bearing right on to the Wales Coast Path. There is now a well trodden path that leads out to Whiteford Point at the end of the spit. At the end of the spit you can see the unusual, cast-iron Whiteford Lighthouse. Along the way you will pass through a pine forest before it opens up with sand dunes to your left and mudflats to your right. From Whiteford Point turn left to walk out onto the broad beach of Whiteford Sands. (tides allowing) Walk along the beach until it begins to narrow, at which point you can cut across the dunes to a junction passed on the outbound journey. Turn right here and retrace your steps through the forest and up the lane, back to Llanmadoc. Accommodation near the Gower Swansea is a great base location for exploring the Gower Peninsula. Booking.com Gower Peninsula Walking Routes Summary The Gower Peninsula is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in South Wales. One of the finest ways to enjoy this area is through walking a stretch of the 19 mile coastline. Whatever the weather and whichever path you choose, walking the Gower will certainly be a breathtaking experience to remember. Like it? Save it for Later! Join my newsletter to stay up to date with the latest posts