Whitesands to Solva

Whitesands is an expansive beach popular with surfers and kayakers. There is a very large car park here (charges apply during the summer season) and a cafe where you can enjoy a morning coffee before heading off along the coast.

This is a long section of the path and has its fair share of ups and downs and in and outs! So start early and make sure you have plenty of stops to enjoy this amazingly varied coastline.

Leaving the beach, the path winds its way up through the dunes offering views of Ramsey Island and in the far distance The Bishops & Clerks, a collection of small rocky islands and the lighthouse found on South Bishop.

Porth Selau is the first little beach you'll encounter and is well worth a few minutes to contemplate the bright blue waters. From here, the path continues around the first headland where you get to see Ramsey in its full glory. This stretch of water between the mainland and Ramsey is called Ramsey Sound and is home to the notorious 'Bitches' - a broken line of rocks extending out from Ramsey. The strong tidal flows through this area cause an area of standing waves which attracts kayakers from all over the world to play on.

Heading south, you'll soon catch sight of St Justinians, home to the new RNLI lifeboat station. Boats also depart from here offering trips to and around Ramsey Island - highly recommended!

From here, the path heads directly south towards another headland which has some great places to stop for lunch to enjoy the views. It's worth keeping an eye on the Sound too as you may spot porpoises feeding in the turbulent waters. As the path rounds the headland and heads east, the coastline becomes very rugged but beautiful and leads to Porthlysgi, a secluded beach with deep turquoise waters that will have you thinking you were in the Mediterranean.

A mile further and you will descend into the harbour of Porthclais, where you can find toilets and a small cafe (with really good ice cream!) all located in the car park. I would suggest another rest here before continuing to Solva.

The footpath climbs out of Porthclais overlooking the harbour and continues east with views over St Nons Bay. You'll see the ruins of the Chapel of St Non which marks the birthplace of St David. You will also find the Holy Well, thought to have healing properties. I was going to stop here for a drink but then realised that a pint of real ale awaited me in Solva, so I pressed on.

The path continues winding its way east, passing stunning bays of deep blue water such as Caerfai and Caer Bwdy Bay, following the path through blackthorn bushes sculpted by the wind after which you come to a stream that runs from Nine Wells. Climbing up from here, you'll be met by incredible views of inaccessible beaches below before continuing onto Solva. Once Solva is within sight, the path will descend down through houses towards the harbour, where you'll find a variety of pubs and cafes to celebrate your walk and rest your tired feet.

On our way home, we had the pleasure of stopping at Newgale Beach to witness an amazing sunset that stopped everyone in their tracks.