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Hiking The Pembrokeshire Coast Path
A pilgrimage to peace
As I say in my book The Bluffer’s Guide to Hiking, the best way to deal with life’s stresses is to get up and walk away from them. And there’s no better place to walk away from life’s stresses than along Pembrokeshire’s Coast Path.
The Pembrokeshire Coast Path was the first long-distance trail opened in Wales, back in 1970. That you can now hike the entire coastline of Wales also shows that what Pembrokeshire started, the rest of Wales followed.
I’ve not hiked the entire 186-mile official path in one go, but over the years I’ve trampled most of it. Every time it delivers. For me, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a magical thread running through Britain’s only truly coastal national park, with its magnificent scenery, astounding wildlife, and fascinating local history.
Hiking is the intimate way to travel. You don’t rock up to a place through the major gateway (such as airport, ferry port, or main road). Instead, you slip in via the back door. The backdoor is reserved for people you’re happy to let wander into your home.