Photo: M J Roscoe (CC BY-SA 2.0)Dinas Island Head
A short, steep circuit of a headland that isn't quite an island, with the ruin of a storm-wrecked church at one end and a beach pub at the other.
- Distance
- 3 miles / 4.8 km
- Time
- 1½–2 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Climbing
- about 200m
- Type
- Circular
- Dogs
- On a lead
The route
Dinas Island isn't an island — it's a headland cut off from the mainland by a glacial meltwater channel, which is why the two beaches at either end feel so oddly separate.
Start at Cwm-yr-Eglwys, where the ruined bellcote and one wall of St Brynach's Church stand right on the shingle. The rest of it was destroyed in the great storm of October 1859, the same storm that wrecked the Royal Charter off Anglesey and killed hundreds along this coast.
Take the Coast Path east and up. It climbs steadily to Dinas Head at 142m, and the view from the trig point runs the whole way from Strumble Head to Cardigan Island. This is one of the better spots in Pembrokeshire for spotting porpoises and, in late summer, seals on the rocks below.
The path drops just as steeply to Pwllgwaelod, a small sheltered beach on the western side with a car park and a pub. Walk back to Cwm-yr-Eglwys through the valley — a flat, ten-minute path along the old channel that makes the return easy.
Where to finish. The Old Sailors at Pwllgwaelod sits right on the beach. Newport is ten minutes away by car and has more choice.
Doing it with children. The valley path between the two beaches is flat and pushchair-friendly, so you can do the beaches without the headland.
Getting there
- Start
- Cwm-yr-Eglwys (SA42 0SG)
- Parking
- Small pay and display at Cwm-yr-Eglwys and at Pwllgwaelod. Both fill quickly.
The next few hours
Nearest forecast point: Fishguard
dry for the next few hours, around 13°C, gusting to 27 mph — hold on to the windbreak.
01:00
13°
Clear
W 27 mph
02:00
13°
Clear
W 27 mph
03:00
13°
Clear
W 27 mph
04:00
12°
Clear
W 26 mph
05:00
12°
Fair
W 26 mph
06:00
12°
Clear
W 25 mph
07:00
12°
Clear
NW 26 mph
08:00
12°
Clear
NW 26 mph
Forecast from MET Norway, used under CC BY 4.0. It's a forecast for the nearest of six points across the county, not for this exact spot — on a coast this shaped, one headland can be in sun and the next in rain.
Light today at Cwm-yr-Eglwys
- Sunrise
- 07:34
- Sunset
- 18:41
- Daylight
- 11h 7m
The light goes gold from about 17:55.
Calculated for these coordinates, accurate to a minute or so. A cliff or a headland to your west will take the sun sooner than this suggests.
Tides near Dinas Island Head
FISHGUARD · about 4 miles away
Low water
02:08
Sat 10 Oct · 0.8m
High water
07:46
Sat 10 Oct · 4.7m
Low water
14:14
Sat 10 Oct · 0.9m
High water
20:02
Sat 10 Oct · 5.0m
Predicted times from the UK Hydrographic Office. Wind and pressure shift real water levels, and the tide at a specific cove can run earlier or later than its port. Never plan a tidal crossing on this alone.
Before you go
Steep in both directions and exposed at the top. The cliff edge is unfenced.
Where to eat and drink on this walk
The nearest pubs, cafés and restaurants to the start and finish. Check hours before you count on one.
700m away · about 10 min walk
Club bar and park at Dinas Cross, midway between Newport and Fishguard — handy for Pwllgwaelod and the Dinas Island circuit.
750m away · about 10 min walk
950m away · about 15 min walk
Môr Ffresh
RestaurantSpencer Buildings, Dinas Cross, SA42 0UW
Fish and chip shop at Dinas Cross between Newport and Fishguard.
1.0km away · about 15 min walk
Beaches on the way
Stay near this walk
Hand-picked places to stay within about 4 miles, nearest first. Our picks are data-driven — we haven’t stayed — and we earn a commission when you book through a partner link. How that works.
Newport (Trefdraeth) · Sleeps 5 · 2 beds
- 4 miles away
- Best for: Families of five · walkers
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
Newport (Trefdraeth) · Sleeps 4
- 4 miles away
4.8 · 41 reviews on Hoseasons
Bookable via Hoseasons
Fishguard & Goodwick · Sleeps 4 · 2 beds
- 4 miles away
- Best for: Couples with a child · a small dog
Bookable via holidaycottages.co.uk
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Other walks nearby
Newport to Fishguard
A long day linking two towns, over Dinas Head or through the valley behind it, finishing in the harbour where Under Milk Wood was filmed.
12 miles · 6–7 hours · Strenuous
Carn Ingli from Newport
Straight up from the town onto a 337m crag covered by an Iron Age hillfort, with the whole of Newport Bay laid out below.
5 miles · 3 hours · Moderate
The Gwaun Valley Woodland Walk
A sheltered walk through ancient oak woodland in a glacial meltwater channel, in a valley that still keeps the old New Year in January.
3.5 miles · 1½–2 hours · Easy
Distances and times are approximate. Conditions on the Coast Path change with the weather and the season — take a map, and check tide times and firing times where they apply.