Port Eynon to Rhossili
At low tide, walk on to the beach following ‘coast path’ waymarkers to the obvious ruins of the Salthouse on the point, where an information board gives plenty of interesting history on the area. If the tide’s high, follow a good track past the car park and through a gate to the Youth Hostel, which you keep to your left to continue on a caravan park drive to the ruins down on your left. From here, follow the sandy track along the coast until, in the centre of the rocky bay to your left, the path splits. Take the right-hand fork and climb up steeply taking the left fork when the path splits again past a quarry on your right to the monument on the hilltop.
Follow the cliff tops until the path drops down to a gate. Cross this and walk behind the rocky beach. Ignore the path off to the right half-way across the beach and when the path forks, keep left to another gate marked Overton Cliffs. Keep ahead to follow the path as it squeezes between impressive limestone cliffs and steep scree. You’ll hurdle a wonderful rocky terrace and drop beneath more formidable crags, many of which make for excellent rock climbing. The path sneaks between more rocky outcrops before heading down to a wall. Go through the gate, turn right and follow the path steeply upwards to meet a good path.
Turn left on to this and follow the wall. Continue to follow the coast path, until you reach the deeply cloven gorge of Foxhole Slade.
Keep ahead in the dip through a gate and climb steeply back up. This area is owned by the National Trust and to your left, but almost impossible to reach, is Paviland Cave. Continue along the wall and through another gate. After 100yds (91m), next to a wooden gate on the right, fork left and continue until you join the wall again and drop to a gate. Cross this and bear left to head back out on to the cliff top.
Here you’ll find the obvious earthworks of an Iron Age fort. A wall splits the ramparts; cross this through a gate and follow the coast around to a fence, which you then follow to the head of a huge hollow with no name on the OS map. Go behind this, bearing slightly right at the crossroads of paths by a stile (which you don’t cross) and continue along the line of the wall, which initially hugs the coast before heading back inland a little as it approaches Mew Slade. There are more ancient earthworks on Thurba Head, to your left. As the wall turns sharp right, keep straight ahead to a steep path that drops down somewhat awkwardly into Mew Slade.
From the bottom of the dip, vertigo sufferers would be best advised to continue along the coast path to avoid an extremely narrow path above a precipitous drop. Everyone else should turn left after the gate to follow a grassy path coastwards to the small cove, hidden behind rocky outcrops and covered almost completely by the sea at high tide. A narrow path heads west from the beach and contours around the steep hillside to rejoin the main coast path (and any vertigo sufferers) in an area of outstanding limestone scenery. Bear left on to the path here and follow it around to another dip. Keep high to round the head of the valley and then drop down, towards Tears Point. Head back up the grassy down towards the cliff tops, where you veer around to the right to follow them along. Continue around the coast passing above Worms Head and then swinging north at Kitchen Corner to rejoin the main, wellsurfaced track as you approach Rhossili village. Continue past the information centre and the main car park to the bus stop, on the left just before the church.
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Been on this walk?
Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.
Walking in Safety
Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.
Get an AA guide
Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.
Nearby places to stay
View all (8)
- Launderette
- Shop onsite
- Wifi available
- Calor Gas
- Launderette
- Ice pack facility
- Picnic Area
- Shop onsite

