Penally & Giltar Point Circular Walk – Pembrokeshire Coast Path, Cliffs & Tenby South Beach West

Region: South West Wales — Penally, Tenby, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Places To Stay: Base yourself in Tenby if you want the biggest choice of hotels, restaurants, pubs and beaches, with Penally only a short distance away. Alternatively, stay in Penally itself for a much quieter base where you can begin this walk virtually from the door. Saundersfoot is another excellent option if you’re spending a few days exploring this section of the Pembrokeshire coast. Looking for more Welsh walks? Head to my Wales Hiking Guides page to see all regions and routes.

This short 2.7-mile circular walk from Penally packs a surprising amount into a route that can comfortably be completed in a couple of hours. Starting beside Penally railway station, you walk through the old village before crossing beneath the railway and climbing towards the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, where the landscape suddenly opens onto limestone cliffs, the sea and fantastic views towards Caldey Island.

The highlight is Giltar Point, the headland marking the western end of Tenby’s enormous South Beach. From here, you descend towards the sand before looping back towards Penally. Along the way there’s geology, wildlife and a fascinating piece of military history, including a surviving First World War practice trench system used to prepare soldiers for the Western Front.

For such a short route, this is a cracking little walk and a brilliant introduction to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path without committing yourself to a full day.

If you enjoy this walk, there are plenty more coastal routes to explore around Tenby and Pembrokeshire. You can follow longer sections of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, explore the cliffs around Manorbier and Lydstep, or head further west into some of the wilder sections of the National Park. For more ideas, take a look through my Pembrokeshire walks and wider Wales Hiking Guides, where you’ll find detailed routes with GPX downloads, maps, parking information and practical advice.

Below are a three ideas for trips and tours available in Pembrokeshire, GetYourGuide offer great discounts and availability + Many Pembrokeshire options!

For a bigger selection of Pembrokeshire accommodation, Booking.com has plenty of cottages, lodges and hotels to browse.

Getting There: Directions, GPX and App Link

• Start point: Penally Railway Station, Penally, Pembrokeshire. Google maps
• Parking: Penally Station car park makes the obvious starting point. The National Park currently lists Penally Station car park, postcode SA70 7PS, for its Penally Headland walk.
• By Train: This is unusually good for a countryside walk because Penally has its own railway station. Transport for Wales confirms parking and step-free access at the station; services on the Pembroke Dock line connect Penally with places including Tenby, Saundersfoot, Narberth, Whitland and Carmarthen.
• By Bus: Local bus services also serve Penally, making this one of those rare circular coastal walks that is genuinely practical without a car.
• GPX: Download the GPX file here
• You can also view and follow this route on my Outdooractive and Komoot profiles
• Avoid the early start – find accommodation in Penally

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Hike Profile

• Detail: Information
• Distance: 4.38 km / 2.72 miles
• Duration: Around 1½–2 hours
• Ascent / Descent: Approx. 107 m
• Highest Point: Approx. 40 m
• Difficulty: Easy / Moderate
• Start / Finish: Penally Railway Station
• Terrain: Village lanes, paths, fields, coastal grassland, cliff-top paths and beach
• Main Highlight: Giltar Point
• Best For: Coastal scenery, a short family walk, geology, wildlife and military history
• Navigation: Generally straightforward; GPX recommended around the inland paths
• Route Type: Circular

Route Overview

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Hike Description

The walk begins at Penally railway station, which is almost perfect for this route because you’re straight into the village without needing to drive anywhere remote. Penally sits just outside Tenby, but the atmosphere is completely different. It feels like an old Pembrokeshire village rather than a seaside resort, and within a few minutes of starting you’re walking between houses, old stone walls and the lanes leading towards the coast.

Penally itself has a long history, one of the first landmarks you pass is SS Nicholas and Teilo Church, dedicated to St Nicholas and St Teilo. The present building has medieval origins, with parts dating back to around the 13th century, and inside are early carved stones that hint at an even older Christian history here. The church also has a surprisingly modern claim to fame: in 1891 it became the first church in Pembrokeshire to be lit by electricity, supplied from a private generator at nearby Penally House.

From the church, continue through the village towards the campsite, crossing back over the bypass before making your way beneath the railway. The houses and village lanes gradually disappear behind you and the landscape starts opening up as you walk towards the Pembrokeshire coast path.

It isn’t a difficult climb, only reaching about 40 metres above sea level according to the GPX, but once at the top the view completely changes. Behind you is Penally and the countryside and ahead the coastline, and the windswept coastal path.

The area around Penally has a long association with military training. The National Park’s current walking guide highlights a First World War practice trench system around Valleyfield Top, it’s to your left as you walk up to the top, if you take a slight detour, you will see the zigzag dug outs and mounds. They were used to train troops before being sent to war. The wider Penally range had been used for military training from the 19th century.

Once at the top the grass-covered headland drops into limestone cliffs, with Caldey Island sitting offshore and Tenby’s South Beach stretching away on the other side of the point. On a clear day the scale of the coastline is fantastic.

The cliffs you can see expose Lower Carboniferous limestone, rocks created hundreds of millions of years ago when this part of Wales lay beneath a warm, shallow tropical sea, this is the sort of history that blows my mind, it’s hard to imagine.

Fossils found in the limestone include the remains of corals, brachiopods and crinoids, animals that lived in those ancient seas. Later earth movements tilted and folded the rocks, helping create the dramatic coastline visible today.

Eventually you reach Giltar Point, the natural high point of the walk even though it isn’t especially high in elevation, and the views are brilliant, I sat here for a while on my own, just taking in the sounds and the views.

Looking east, Tenby South Beach stretches for miles towards the town, while Caldey Island sits offshore. Looking west, the limestone coast continues towards Lydstep, with caves, cliffs and headlands gradually disappearing into the distance.

The limestone cliffs support plenty of birdlife, including fulmars, razorbills and gulls, while one of the most exciting birds to spot is the chough. Its bright red bill and legs make it relatively easy to distinguish from the more familiar jackdaws once you know what you’re looking for.

From Giltar Point, you continue the route around the cliff edge before you begin descending towards the beach, through a wooded area, which is a really nice transition between the top and the beach.

After the exposed cliff-top walking, you’re on South Beach, with Tenby visible in the distance. You could continue walking the beach all the way into Tenby, but that’s another adventure entirely.

For this circular, turn back towards Penally off the beach, and as you leave the coastline behind, you head back towards the railway and return to Penally Station, completing a route of only 2.7 miles.

Places to Stay in Pembrokeshire

For a bigger selection of Pembrokeshire accommodation, Booking.com has plenty of cottages, flats and hotels to browse.

Recommended Stays

Surf Deck – Spectacular Views Close to Beach

Surf Deck – Spectacular Views Close to Beach in Penally offers a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with free WiFi and free on-site private parking.

The apartment includes a fully equipped kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and kitchenware. Guests can enjoy sea views, a washing machine, dining area, sofa, and TV.

Check availability

Blue Horizon – Spectacular Coastal Views

Blue Horizon in Penally offers a spacious apartment with a terrace and free WiFi. Guests enjoy sea views and a balcony, perfect for relaxation.

The apartment features a fully equipped kitchen, washing machine, and private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Additional amenities include a dining area, sofa, and TV.

Check availability

Practicalities

• Start early: You don’t need an alpine start for this one, but Penally and nearby Tenby become extremely busy during summer. Earlier is definitely nicer.
• Parking: Penally Station car park is the easiest starting point and currently has around 30 spaces.
• Train: One of the best features of the walk. You can step off the train at Penally and essentially begin walking immediately.
• Footwear: Trail shoes should be perfectly adequate in dry weather. Grippy boots or shoes are preferable after heavy rain.
• Food & water: Carry some water, although you’re never particularly remote. Penally and nearby Tenby have plenty of options before or after the walk.
• Cliff edges: There are genuine cliff-top sections. Keep well back from edges, particularly in strong winds.
• Dogs: A good dog walk, but use a lead around livestock and near cliff edges.
• Children: Suitable for active children, but close supervision is essential around the cliffs.
• Wildlife: Look for choughs, fulmars, razorbills and other seabirds around the limestone cliffs.
• Weather: The headland is exposed and can feel considerably windier than Penally village.
• Mobile signal: Don’t depend entirely on your phone; the National Park warns that mobile coverage along the Coast Path can be unreliable.
• Best season: Excellent from spring through autumn. Spring and early summer are particularly good for coastal flowers and birdlife.

Walk this route yourself in 3D!

The Video is a 3D walk through of this route; it will give you a unique sense of having walked through the route before you start.

I have created 3D Videos of my adventures and have shared them with the OutdoorActive community as well as my walking community.

Penally & Giltar Point Circular Walk – Pembrokeshire Coast Path – 3D Video

Penally Circular FAQs

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