Starting at Porthgain\u2019s pretty harbour \u2013 home to a brilliant pub, caf\u00e9 and art gallery \u2013 take a breezy walk along the coast path to Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy Bay. Set in a former slate quarry, the water turns an enticing greenish blue in the sunshine, making it the perfect spot for a refreshing wild swim<\/a>.<\/p>\n Discover more walks in Wales<\/a> with BBC Countryfile Magazine\u2019s guide to the best walks in the Brecon Beacons<\/a>, Snowdonia<\/a> and Pembrokeshire<\/a>.<\/p>\n Explore the UK\u2019s most beautiful waters with our guide to the best places to go for a wild swim<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> 3.8 miles\/6.1km | 2.5 hours | moderate | 146m ascent<\/em><\/p>\n Start from Porthgain harbour, which translates in English to \u2018chisel port\u2019, and was once used to export slate from the nearby quarry. Heading towards the south-west corner of the harbour, climb a steep set of steps near an old white cottage, following signs for the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. From here, it\u2019s around a 40-minute walk to Abereiddy Bay and Blue Lagoon.<\/p>\n At the top of the cliff, find the remains of former 19th-century quarry buildings, which once supplied slate across the UK and are worth exploring.<\/p>\n Slightly further along, spot an impressive collection of coastal caves \u2013 often used by seabirds<\/a> \u2013 and the volcanic outcrop of Ynys Barri.<\/p>\n Keeping to the coast path, continue towards the beautifully remote Traeth Llyfn beach. You can climb down to the beach via steps, but be warned, this stretch of coastline has a powerful current and riptides, so swimming isn\u2019t advised.<\/p>\n The next stage of the coast path consists of grassy farmland. Follow the path as it rises then descends towards Blue Lagoon and Abereiddy Bay.<\/p>\n Set in the flooded site of the 19th-century St Brides Slate Quarry, the deep, cold lagoon is now a popular swimming spot managed by the National Trust. The sediment from the slate gives the water a greenish blue hue and the cold waters are popular for swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding and coasteering.<\/p>\n Continue towards Abereiddy beach. The small bay is sheltered and the water clean, making it another good spot for a swim. Take the path alongside the car park, following a yellow footpath sign inland on a track to pass Ynys Barry farm and cottages. Staying on the track, head across a small road to climb a set of slate steps into a field.<\/p>\n Continue following the yellow signs across the fields to head back towards Porthgain.<\/p>\n OS Maps: Blue Lagoon walking route<\/a><\/p>\n The walk starts in the village of Porthgain, just a short drive from the tiny city of St David\u2019s. There\u2019s a small, free car park in the centre of the village (SA62 5BN), but it can get busy in peak times. Local 404 bus services run to Porthgain three times daily in the summer.<\/p>\n The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a well-marked trail but the terrain is uneven underfoot, with some rocky and muddy sections along steep paths, so good footwear is essential.<\/p>\n OS Explorer OL35<\/p>\n Blue Lagoon is an impressive site for a wild swim. Access the water via the edge of the slate quarry. The waters are very deep and cold so swim within your ability, and if you start to feel cold then it\u2019s time to get out.<\/p>\n Visit the traditional Sloop Inn<\/a> in Porthgain for hearty pub food and local beers and ales. The Shed Bistro<\/a> near the harbour is famous for its locally caught fish and chips.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n By countryfile Published: Monday, 22 May 2023 at 12:00 am Pembrokeshire Coast Path has a rugged, wild beauty, but in the summer months it truly comes alive as the clifftops become strewn with wildflowers, chattering seabirds swoop and soar, and seals bask on rocks just off the shore Starting at Porthgain\u2019s pretty harbour \u2013 home […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":27499,"template":"","categories":[1,115],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-scaled.jpg",2560,1709,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-768x513.jpg",768,513,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-1024x684.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-1536x1025.jpg",1536,1025,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/05\/blue-lagoon-walk-pembrokeshire-2048x1367.jpg",2048,1367,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By countryfile Published: Monday, 22 May 2023 at 12:00 am Pembrokeshire Coast Path has a rugged, wild beauty, but in the summer months it truly comes alive as the clifftops become strewn with wildflowers, chattering seabirds swoop and soar, and seals bask on rocks just off the shore Starting at Porthgain\u2019s pretty harbour \u2013 home…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/27498"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Best wild swimming spots in Britain<\/h4>\n
![\""Wild\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2018\/09\/GettyImageswildswimmer-6110b5d.jpg?quality=45&resize=556,556"\" "\\"\"Wild\\"\/")
<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>Blue Lagoon walk<\/h2>\n
1. Start<\/h4>\n
![\""Coastal\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2019\/10\/Porthgain-Wales-daef873.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Porthgain,\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>2. Traeth Llyfn beach<\/h4>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2023\/05\/Traeth-Llyfn-beach-ae23ac1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412"\" "\\"\"Traeth\\"")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>3. Blue Lagoon<\/h4>\n
![\""Aerial\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2023\/05\/Blue-Lagoon-eb7476e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Blue\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>4. Abereiddy beach<\/h4>\n
![\""A\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2023\/05\/Abereiddy-beach-c6172a4.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Abereiddy\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>5. Porthgain<\/h4>\n
Blue Lagoon map<\/h2>\n
![\""Porthgain\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/22\/2023\/05\/Porthgain-to-Blue-Lagoon-map-9a005e6.png?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Porthgain\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div><\/a><\/p>\nUseful information<\/h3>\n
Starting point<\/h4>\n
Terrain<\/h4>\n
Map<\/h4>\n
Swim<\/h4>\n
Eat\/drink<\/h4>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"