Walk 4: Cardiff to Penarth

In February 2020, we stayed in South Wales for the week and tackled our first multi-day Wales Coast Path hike. We had a very wet week, with Storm Dennis in full swing, so we didn’t make it all the way to Swansea as planned, but we did manage a few walks, which would turn out to be our final pre-COVID hikes.

Our original plan was to do each of the walks in order (which is always the intention with our Wales Coast Path walk, but never to the extent where we’re inhibiting our progress), but because a couple of days were rained off, we had a bit of a rejig. Although this walk was the second of the week sequentially, we actually completed it near the end of our trip, deciding that instead of heading to Porthcawl as planned, we would go back to Cardiff and fill in some of the ‘gaps’ our cancelled walks had created.

This was one of our shortest Wales Coast Path walks, at around four miles, as I had planned it as a bit of a rest day. It was a bit drizzly, but nowhere near as wet as our previous walk, and, as most of the day was spent on tarmac, we had no issues underfoot.

The walk began with a pleasant wander along the canal path, before we reached Bute East Dock. We followed the path along the dock, past its resident coots and cormorants, through a car park, and along past Wales Millenium Centre to Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay.

I’m a big fan of Cardiff Bay, which is always buzzing with activity. The area is home to the Senedd Cymru (the Welsh Parliament), Roald Dahl Plass, named after the Cardiff-born author, and the Norwegian Church Arts Centre. There are plenty of places to eat and drink, and you can even enjoy a boat trip around the bay.

We headed through Mermaid Quay and towards Cardiff Bay Barrage, which allows walkers and cyclists to cross the bay to Penarth. From here, we had beautiful views of the Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve, which is a great spot for birdwatching, and voco St David’s Cardiff, our favourite hotel in Cardiff.

Once we reached the end of Cardiff Bay Barrage, we began our final ascent into Penarth. A steep road took us up and around Penarth, until we reached Penarth Pier. Once at the pier, we followed a road up to the train station, where we grabbed a train back to Cardiff Central and to our hotel for the night. All in all, an easy day of walking, despite the drizzle, with a lovely glimpse of beautiful Cardiff Bay and the city’s wonderful wetlands.

🥾 Distance: This was a really short one – around four miles.

⭐ Highlight: A lovely walk around Cardiff Bay and views of Cardiff Wetlands.

👎 Less Good: The weather was a bit miserable, but to be expected on a February day!

🚗 Transport: We walked from our hotel to Penarth, and then grabbed a train back to our hotel – ideal!

🛏️ Accommodation: We stayed at Radisson Blu Hotel, Cardiff, with stunning views of the city.

🌱 Food: I can’t actually remember where we ate that evening, but there are so many great options in Cardiff, you'll be spoiled for choice!

🗺️ Map: This route is featured in the official South Wales Coast guide.

Still not convinced? Read my ten reasons to walk the Wales Coast Path. If you’re ready to start planning your walk, you can find lots of resources to help you on your way here. Please note, I collect a share of the sales from the links on this page.