Walk 32: Dale Peninsula Circular

Our Dale Peninsula walk was the third and final of our April 2023 long weekend in Pembrokeshire. We had hoped to walk from Dale to Martin’s Haven, but, as it was a bank holiday Monday, we weren’t able to use public transport to get from the end to the beginning of the walk.

Thankfully, we were able to walk the Dale Peninsula as a short circular – the only circular walk of our entire Wales Coast Path adventure! After a couple of cloudy days, the sun had come out and this was a truly stunning walk. Having made It through the more industrial sections of the Pembrokeshire coast, this felt like the beginning of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path that most people imagine.

On the morning of the walk, we grabbed breakfast at the hotel and drove to Dale, parking at Dale Beach car park – and what a difference a day made! Whereas our previous days’ was wet and misty, we were blessed with beautiful blue skies, making for a very different view of Dale Beach!

From the car park, we headed up a quiet tree-lined road alongside a row of pretty beachside cottages, enjoying glimpses of the sea through the trees. When we reached the top of the hill, the path diverted us off the road to the right, as we began to walk around the peninsula. This was a lovely clifftop route with pretty views of the sea as we walked.

We wandered along a wooded path to reach Castlebeach Bay, a peaceful, pebbly bay with views across to the Milford Haven Waterway. The path then took us back up onto the clifftops and we continued along a scenic path, past a couple of irrigation ponds for early potatoes, to Watwick Bay, another small bay, this time with sand, which, in the light of this sunny day, looked very enticing!

We walked through a few fields to reach St Ann’s Head, which is officially the sunniest place in Wales with some of the lowest rainfall. In one of the fields, we passed a plaque explaining that Henry Tudor came ashore there with his army in 1485. Two weeks later, he defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth to become Henry VIII.

As we reached St Ann’s Head, we had to walk through a field with some cows in, but they were very relaxed, basking in the sun, and unbothered by our presence.

We passed St Ann’s Head Lighthouse – the only working mainland lighthouse in operation in Pembrokeshire – and continued on, now on the other side of the peninsula. This side of the peninsula felt a bit different to the last – a bit more rugged and covered in beautiful wildflowers. We even spotted a lizard, which was very exciting!

We enjoyed the beautiful scenery as we wandered along the last couple of miles of the path, with views across the sea to Skokholm Island, a small, remote island which is renowned as a haven for seabirds.

We soon reached West Dale Bay – a beautiful sandy beach which marked the end of the Dale Peninsula. We wandered down the steps towards the beach and then headed off the Wales Coast Path to finish off our circular walk. We walked through a field and along the road to get back to Dale Beach, before grabbing a hot drink and heading back to the car. Unfortunately, on our way to the car, the lid popped off my peppermint tea and I badly burned my hand (handy hint: if you’re losing the hot drink, just let it go – it’s not worth it!). I travelled home in agony, with my hand in a box of ice – a lovely long weekend, which unfortunately, ended on a not so great note!

🥾 Distance: Six miles of the Wales Coast Path, nearly seven miles in total.

⭐ Highlight: The views! Especially on the west side of the peninsula.

👎 Less Good: Badly burning my hand as we were about to head home!

🚗 Transport: We parked in Dale and did a circular!

🛏️ Accommodation: We stayed at Tŷ Hotel in Milford Haven, which made for a great base for a long weekend.

🌱 Food: We ate when we returned home – I don’t remember what we ate for dinner, but I do remember draping my hand in a saucepan of water overnight!

🗺️ 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.