We expected to be dropped off where Simon ended yesterday, and we would end at White Sands Beach, the official end of our Pembrokeshire Coast Trail. There is a bus to Saint Davids to save walking in. Simon planned to walk to our B&B as well as planning a swim at White Sands Beach.
8.54 miles, sunny, 54 degrees, humidity 71%, 1454 elevation gain.
Richard’s ReLive video for the day is here: https://www.relive.com/view/vmqXzDBMGLO
Another beautiful day. Simon backtracked just slightly to begin where he ended yesterday. We were very near the blue lagoon where the sea fills a cavern left from prior mining digs.
Far below we can see baby seals (white) on the beach. This section of our trail goes very close to the beach and signs request us to stay away and travel quietly through their area.
I talked with a volunteer who is monitoring seal babies and was concerned about their health being affected by the close proximity to people, and adult seals being scared off and leaving their babies. It would be helpful if the trail could be moved further away from the beach.
Simon caught up to us and then passed us, anxious to get to the beach for a swim. We will meet him at the B&B tonight.
Ahead we can see remnants of an Iron Age fort with ditches and mounds. Unfortunately first we have to go over the hill and face the rocky descent.
Footing is difficult climbing over rocks with a steep downward path.
Finally we reach St. David’s head where we turn around the inlet. It’s rocky and there are many trails and few signposts so it’s a challenge to figure out our route. We are also searching for one more burial dolmen.
White Sands Beach is below us and Simon is warming up after his swim. We’re excited to be close to the end of the hike.
Success! We have found the dolmen. It is called the Coetan Arthur Dolmen and dates from 4000 to 3000 BC. This dolmen is partially collapsed but is still impressive: the capstone is 20 feet long and 8 feet wide. Legend has it that King Arthur himself chucked the stones from Carn Llidi, a local jagged hill of volcanic rock that dates back almost 500 million years.
Now the trail has dropped down closer to the coast.
Looking back, we can see the dolmen perfectly silhouetted above.
We’ve connected with Simon after a difficult hiking day for him. Time to celebrate!
8 Responses
It makes us a bit concerned looking at the many hills you have had to navigate again this day. Another long journey. But what beautiful coastlines you are seeing! Looks like your rocky up and down cliff walking adventures are just about over. What an exhausting adventure(s) it has been! Really admire your fortitude to get through these challenging days! Wendy and Dan
It has been a tiring adventure but only 5 days walking and wonderful weather (except wind on day 1). Funny how the body recovered overnight from simple aches and pains.
The next holiday stages are more sightseeing, another form of tiredness.
It sounds like a treasure hunt to find all the dolmens! It must have been thrilling to connect to something that old and sacred. I wonder if the trail will be moved away from the seals? Was Simon doing a polar plunge? He’s a hardy soul. Brrrr! How come you guys didn’t swim too? Such picturesque wild looking country.
We were looking for dolmens and ancient structure for Julia, but we all loved them. I hope the trail is moved away from the seals, but no one had too much hope. Everyone we met on the trail talked about the seals—it’s so fun to see the little ones frolicking in the sea. How sad it is to see the bloody underweight little ones and have the expert tell me he wouldn’t make it.
Simon is a hardy soul and is enjoying feeling better after illnesses in the past. He is much younger and even in the Camino in 2019 we seldom walked together. It is always wonderful to meet each evening and catch each other up on our adventures.
Spectacular vistas! Challenging for the body, yet regenerative for the soul. Thank you for documenting for us vicarious adventurers!
Thanks for following us. It was another transformative adventure and learning about the area and myself.
Have you seen enough rocks yet? The burial sites capture my imagination, wondering just exactly what happened and why the elaborate placing of stones. Yes, I realize they had dirt but amazing the stones remained in place when other stuff washed out over time. The scenery is spectacular. Wild horses, yes, they get along fine, don’t they. Enjoy the trails, and rocks. So far, you are appearing upright in each photo.
We are still upright—a little worse for wear but we’ll keep going. Surprisingly, we’re still talking about rocks—more in the next few posts. Lots to see and do!