Walk 42: Aberporth to New Quay

Just over four years after beginning our Wales Coast Path walk, we finally made it to the official midpoint of the path!

Having gone on our first Wales Coast Path walk of the year a couple of days prior, we started this one on sore legs, and I must admit, it felt like a bit of a slog. This was no fault of the section itself – the views were stunning throughout – but it also had quite a few ups and downs, some muddy bits that slowed us down, and, as the day drew on, we were rushing to beat nightfall.

We started the day by packing up the car and driving to New Quay, where we would be staying for the rest of our February trip, and catching the bus to Aberporth. On reaching Aberporth, we discovered that the beach was flooded, and it looked as though a section of the path was blocked. Thankfully, we were able to jump on a wall and get past, avoiding a beginning-of-the-day detour.

We climbed up to the cliff from Aberporth Beach and took advantage of a nice, easy start to the day with a stroll along the Inclusive Access Cliff Top Path, a lovely, accessible pathway. Soon enough, we were back to more traditional clifftop paths, with thankfully not too many puddles, which took us to Tresaith, known for its stunning waterfall. We enjoyed a few glimpses of the waterfall on our way, but weren’t able to enjoy it in all its glory, as it can only be reached at low tide.

After a quick stop for a snack, it was time for our first slog of the day, as we headed back up to the clifftop from Tresaith. The path took us up a road and lots of steps before we eventually reached the top of the hill. We continued onwards past Penbryn Beach, down a wooded valley, back up, and along to Traeth Bach. We headed downwards once more, crossed a bridge, and then headed up another steep hill. As we navigated the hill, we stopped to allow a group of walkers to pass, who apologised for making us wait – no need, as I was really glad of the break!

We continued on to Llangrannog – not quite the halfway point of the walk, but a good chance to stop for some much-needed lunch. We stopped off on a sheltered bench on the edge of the beach – the perfect spot for a breather. By this point, I was beginning to worry about whether we’d make it back to New Quay before dark, but the trickiest part of this route was behind us, so I was confident it would be smooth sailing from here!

After lunch, we headed back up onto the clifftop. I don’t usually have an issue with heights, but I have to admit, when I turned around to take photos of Llangrannog behind me, I did feel quite exposed!

We continued along the path, with stunning coastal views aplenty, passing Pen-y-Badell, a hill I was glad we didn’t have to climb, and Ynys Lochtyn, a small island at the tip of the Lochtyn peninsula. After a while, we passed the Urdd Centre, where, as you would expect, we overheard a group of people conversing in Cymraeg. Finally, we were getting close to Cwmtydu.

Unfortunately, the descent into Cwmtydu was easier said than done. Just as we were getting into our waterproofs to stay dry from the rain that had just begun, it dawned on me that we didn’t seem to be on a path. One of my biggest bugbears is having to go back the way we came, but if we’d continued in the direction we were going, we would have walked our way off a cliff. Despite the frustration of the situation, after retracing our steps, we were soon back on the path – and we were even treated to the beautiful sight of a full rainbow!

We walked through some woodland on a winding path to reach Cwmtydu – a much longer route than if we had walked off the cliff as originally planned, but quite easy walking, allowing us to get a bit more distance done and dusted, taking us closer to our final destination.

At this point, we were about two hours away from the sun setting, and we were pretty tired and achy. There was only one thing for it – to get cracking with the final push towards New Quay!

Up the clifftop we headed once again. We could see New Quay Head, although our previous walks had taught us that if somewhere looks close, this might be deceiving! We continued along the path, which provided pretty easy walking, and through a few fields which may have caused some problems had there been cows in them, but thankfully, they weren’t yet out for the year (a benefit of walking in February).

As we turned a corner, we reached a sign which gave us the option of a cliff-edge path or an alternative above it. Given the state of our legs and the declining light, we decided to go for the wider path – although perhaps we missed out! Soon enough, we were onto our final descent and had our first glimpse of New Quay – to my relief, we’d narrowly avoided the dark! We headed to the quayside, where we had parked our car, and got settled into our lovely accommodation, with stunning views of the sea (which we wouldn’t get a glimpse of until the next morning!).

We were so tired from walking on out-of-practice legs and rushing to beat nightfall that we almost forgot that we’d finally made it to the midpoint of the Wales Coast Path!

🥾 Distance: 13½ miles.

⭐ Highlight: We passed lots of beautiful beaches.

👎 Less Good: This one really tired us out – we had to navigate lots of ups and downs on very tired legs!

🚗 Transport: We parked in New Quay, caught the bus to Aberporth, and walked back to the car.

🛏️ Accommodation: We stayed in a pretty seafront apartment in New Quay.

🌱 Food: We got some chips and curry sauce from a chippy in New Quay, which we enjoyed in our apartment!

🗺️ Map: This route is featured in the official Snowdonia and Ceredigion Coast guide.

Still not convinced? Read my ten reasons to walk the Wales Coast Path. If you’re ready to start planning your walk, you can find lots of resources to help you on your way here. Please note, I collect a share of the sales from the links on this page.