Walk 34: Broad Haven to Solva

We walked from Broad Haven to Solva on a weeklong trip to Pembrokeshire in May 2023. We were fortunate to benefit from lifts on this trip, as we were staying with my sister, who dropped us off in Broad Haven a sunny Saturday afternoon, where we began our walk.

From Broad Haven Beach, we immediately ascended onto the cliffs on a nice coastal path. We continued along for a short while, passing Druidstone Haven Beach, before reaching Nolton Haven Beach – a small, sheltered cove with cliffs on either side. We stopped off at a café to grab a drink before continuing onwards.

We soon caught our first sight of Newgale Beach, a two-mile-long pebble-bank-backed beach with a huge expanse of sand at low tide. Before reaching the beach, we passed through a section of path where there had clearly been a wildfire.

Later, I found that the fire, which had taken place the previous summer, occurred during a heatwave and destroyed 11 hectares of land. There was a downward section of path here that felt a bit disconcerting to walk down, and I think this was exacerbated by the fact that the area was so dusty and sparse, with nothing to catch you if you tripped.

The path took us down to the beach, which we decided to walk along. As we were walking at high tide, the ground was pebbly underfoot and quite tiring. We decided to sit down for some lunch, where we enjoyed watching the stints on the shoreline, before heading back onto the road to continue, which took us alongside the beach with more ease.

As we reached the end of the beach, we had a short ascent up the road, before the path took us to the left and along the coastline, affording us a final impressive view of Newgale Beach.

We had a few ups and downs as we continued along the path, passing a couple of lovely looking coves. We continued along this section of path for a while, passing the prominent headland of Dinas Fawr. At this point in the late afternoon, a bit of mist had descended, making for some really atmospheric views.

As the path took us towards the mouth of Solva Estuary, we headed down to a small, pebbly beach, which looked beautiful in the sunshine. We walked up our final hill of the day, up from the beach, before heading along the estuary towards Solva.

As we walked along a wooded path towards Solva, we enjoyed pretty views of the boats peeking through the trees, with the apple blossom in full bloom.

As we reached Solva Harbour, we spotted my sister, who had found a bench to read at. We joined her to enjoy the pretty views of Solva, before heading back to the cottage for dinner.

🥾 Distance: Just over 11 miles.

⭐ Highlight: The beautiful views and lovely beaches.

👎 Less Good: The section into Newgale that had experienced wildfires was a bit hairy.

🚗 Transport: We had lifts from my sister.

🛏️ Accommodation: We stayed at Lighthouse Watch in Strumble Head – a really lovely property with the most incredible views.

🌱 Food: We bought a picnic lunch and had dinner at Lighthouse Watch.

🗺️ Map: This route is featured in the official Pembrokeshire 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.