The Coastal Way is the best way to explore the Welsh coastline. Iain Duff takes a camping road trip to discover the very best of Wales
With glistening blue seas on one side and towering mountains on the other, the Coastal Way really is the perfect showcase for one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
The 180-mile route hugs the Welsh coastline around Cardigan Bay, from St Davids in the south to Aberdaron in the north. Along the way it passes through some stunning scenery, as well as countless picturesque fishing villages, pretty harbour towns and traditional seaside holiday resorts.
Golden beaches, towering cliffs and hidden coves provide the backdrop to this epic journey. In summer, you could be driving along a Mediterranean coastal road as the sea shimmers in the sun. But this is a place to visit all year round. The mighty mountains of Snowdonia are at their dramatic best in the winter, when they are topped with snow or shrouded in mist. In spring, newborn lambs frolic in the lush, rolling countryside, and in autumn the trees turn golden, purple heather abounds and the landscape becomes a dazzling kaleidoscope of colour.
It should come as no surprise, then, that a survey by expert travel book publisher, Rough Guide, placed Wales in the top 10 of the most beautiful countries in the world, ahead of such places as Switzerland and Norway.
But as well as its natural beauty, Wales is a land with a rich history, boasting majestic castles and churches and an endless number of fascinating legends and myths. The Coastal Way is a great means to delve deep into the past and discover more.
PEMBROKESHIRE
Our road trip along the coast began in Pembrokeshire, on the most westerly tip of Wales. Our starting point, St Davids, is famous for being the smallest city in Britain, with a population of just 1,600. The city status comes from its magnificent cathedral, which nestles in a hollow, alongside the ruins of the Bishop's Palace, which provides a dramatic backdrop for open-air theatre performances in the summer.
From the centre of town, the cathedral is rather inconspicuous, with only the tower visible above the rooftops. But as we passed through the Tower Gate House, part of the original wall that once enclosed the city, the splendid cathedral opened up before us in all its glory.
As a Christian settlement, the site dates back to the 6th century, when St David chose this remote peninsula to build his monastery, and the present cathedral is the culmination of centuries of building, rebuilding and expansion that began
