Walk the Wales Coast Path From Caernarfon to Clynnog Fawr
By Dave Roberts 
Walk the Wales Coast Path From Caernarfon to Clynnog Fawr
Further Details
Route Summary:
This section is mainly on tarmac lanes or cycletrack with one section on pleasant footpath to Dinas Dinlle. Despite the initial sections being on lanes, it is still largely pleasant other than the inland diversions. However, the section from Dinas Dinlle to Clynnnog Fawr has to rank as one of the worst section of the entire path as it’s basically a pavement on the busy A499 main road, as is the start of the next section onward to Trefor.
Start and Finish: Caernarfon to Clynnog Fawr
Distance: 22.1 km
Ascent: 131 m
Time: 6 hours
Timings are approximate and depend on the individual. Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.
Facilities:
Everything needed in Caernarfon, garage in Clynnog. Recommend that campers continue to Penrallt Campsite in Gyrn Goch.
Public Transport:
Hourly between start and end points.
Traveline for UK Public Transport
Hazards:
Sections on wide pavement next to main road need care if you have young children. Some of the junctions need care to cross. Some sections on busy, narrow lanes with no pavements.
Remember that we cannot outline every single hazard on a walk – it’s up to you to be safe and competent. Read up on Keeping Safe on the Wales Coast Path, Navigation and the Gear and Equipment you’ll need.
Wales Coast Path Guidebooks:
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Recommended Wales Coast Path Maps:
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Walk the Wales Coast Path From Caernarfon to Clynnog Fawr Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download
Download file for GPS
Walk the Wales Coast Path From Caernarfon to Clynnog Fawr
The Wales Coastal Path from Caernarfon on to Clynnog isn’t the most spectacular, with a far too substantial section following a busy main road. However, there are still plenty of highlights along the way, with the less rugged coastline providing habitat for wetland birds. There’s also Caernarfon Castle, the Menai Straits and Dinas Dinlle as highlights as well as two churches to visit on the way. We highly recommend a detour from Dinas Dinlle to Llandwrog village, as we think this is an omission on the route as well as keeping off the narrow road section as much a possible! There are a couple more diversions you can take as well, but if you want more information, then see our Alternative Wales Coastal Path Caernarfon to Clynnog route.
This section is well signposted, and shouldn’t pose any route finding problems.
1 The route starts in Caernarfon, at the harbour swing bridge, which you must cross. If the bridge is closed, which it often is due to maintainence or overnight from 11pm-7am, Â follow this Diversion for Closed Aber Swing Bridge. The castle looms large behind you, and it’s well worth the visit if you arrive early enough. Once over the bridge, you turn right and follow the minor coastal road. You may walk along the beach itself for all of this distance, but you might find the large pebbles hard going underfoot. To your right is the Menai Strait and Anglesey, with the narrow channel of Abermenai visible between the island and the mainland.
On the spit opposite, you may be able to see some yachts moored, this is Belan Fort, built in 1776 to protect the Menai Straits from the French and the Americans. It is currently under private ownership and it’s possible to stay there, but not to go on day visits (which we did many, many, many times in primary school!). Nearby, is Caernarfon Airport (yes, it has an airport, believe it or not) and many planes will pass overhead while you complete this short section of the path, it was built on the site of RAF Llandwrog.
Just keep an eye out for the church, and public footpath, to your left after km that’s worth a short detour. You cross a stubbly field, past the church of Llanfaglan St Baglan,ancient and no longer in use it is looked after by the Friends of Friendless Churches, their website gives information for those of you who might want to visit (these days the church is locked).
2 Follow the coastal road around as it turns inland, before turning right after a kilometre or so along another road. This section of road is narrow and often used as a rat-run by commuters best avoided during those times. It passes through the small hamlet of Saron, before turning right along another quiet lane.
3 This lane brings you to ‘Foryd Bach’ and again onto the coast for a short time. Again, after this section you turn again inland and re-join the road mentioned in 2 for a few 100m.
4 Turn right at the Coastal Path sign at a house called Chatham, and follow the path through some scrub and trees to emerge onto a bridge over the Afon Carrog. Cross the bridge and follow the embankment for a km or so until you have to turn left, along a quiet road past the Caernarfon Airport (yes, really) and finally rejoining the coast at the beach in Dinas Dinlle.
If the tide is out – follow the beach. If not, there’s a generally good path to the end of the beach. This has been washed completely away by the sea in places, so you may even have to follow the road in the future.
5 From Dinas Dinlle, where you should walk to the top of Dinas Dinlle to see the coast ahead, the path enters one of the least interesting sections. While you can follow our alternative route to see a bit more coast by walking on the beach, the official route leaves Dinas Dinlle by a narrow road that does get busy at certain periods. The fact that it’s busy does at least slow traffic down. This brings you out at the even busier A499 main road.
6 The A499 section follows the cycle path to Clynnog Fawr, and there’s very little to be said in it’s favour other than it’s impossible to get lost. We recommend popping down to Aberdesach beach for sanity’s sake, and there are a number of quiet country lanes inland that can also be followed for a much better walk. It may be possible to continue along the beach to Trefor if the tide is out, but this could be heavy going and dangerous without proper local knowledge of the tides.
Clynnog Fawr no longer has a pub, but at least has a garage shop with a cafe. There’s also the Church – Eglwys Beuno Sant – as most of the route down the Llyn Peninsula is also shared with the North Wales Pilgrimage path – little White stickers with a green Celtic cross on the way-markers – that pilgrims followed to Aberdaron and then on to Ynys Enlli.
Dave Roberts
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My local section, but has some disappointing sections along a busy lane from Dinas Dinlle and alongo the busy A499.
Caernarfon is one highlight of this section.