Newport to Fishguard

This stage joins the two towns of the north coast and takes most of a day. It's not technically difficult anywhere, but there are a lot of valleys between here and Fishguard and the path drops into every one of them.

From the Parrog the path leaves Newport along the shore and climbs onto the cliffs. The first few miles are the gentlest of the day, passing Aber Rhigian and Aber Fforest — two small wooded valleys running down to shingle coves, both good places to stop and neither with any facilities. Aber Fforest has the remains of a limekiln and, at low tide, a beach worth ten minutes.

The path then rounds into Cwm-yr-Eglwys, where one gable and the bellcote of St Brynach's Church stand on the shingle. The rest was taken by the storm of October 1859. From here you have a decision: the Coast Path proper goes up and over Dinas Head, 142m, which adds a stiff climb and gives you the best view of the day — Strumble Head one way, Cardigan Island the other, and a good chance of porpoises below. The alternative is the flat valley path through to Pwllgwaelod, ten easy minutes. If you've still got twelve miles in your legs, take the headland.

Needle Rock, off the north side of Dinas, is stacked with guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes from spring into July, and it's close enough to hear.

West of Pwllgwaelod the path climbs again and stays high for several miles above Fishguard Bay, past the site of the old Fishguard Fort at Castle Point, which was built after a raid by a privateer in 1779 and later fired the shots that helped end the French landing of 1797.

The finish is Lower Town Fishguard, a small tidal harbour of stone cottages that looks nothing like the town above it. It stood in for Llareggub in the 1972 film of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood, with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and it has not changed much since.

Where to finish. There's a pub and a café at Lower Town, and more choice up the hill in Fishguard itself, including the market hall in the town square.

Breaking it up. Newport to Pwllgwaelod is about seven miles and finishes at a beach pub, which is a good day on its own. The Dinas Island circular covers the best of the middle section in three miles.