Walk 11: Port Talbot to Swansea Marina

We completed our first Wales Coast Path walk in January 2020. In February 2020, we took a half term trip to Wales, optimistically planning to reach Swansea (suffice to say, we didn’t get that far!). After over two years, in April 2022, we finally made it!

Having stayed in Porthcawl for a few nights, it was time to move to new accommodation, so on the morning of this walk, we drove to Swansea, where we could be staying, before taking a taxi to Port Talbot station to begin our walk.

Unusually for the Wales Coast Path, there are two routes you can choose from at this point. You can take to the hills for a steeper but arguably more scenic route, or continue along the Wales Coast Path ‘proper’, which is closer to the coast. We decided to take the official route and stay close to the coast, which began with some road walking.

We navigate our way along the Wales Coast Path with the help of a few different tools – we have guidebooks that we take on our walks, use the Outdooractive app, and, of course, utilise the waymarkers along the way. In this case, we followed a waymarker and walked down a road to get to Newbridge Bridge, only to find it locked up.

I should explain here that I am a very risk-averse person. I’m always incredibly careful, which sometimes leads to me getting ‘stuck’ on steep hills, with Liam having to come and help me down, and I always try my best not to break the rules (or if I do, I like to announce it beforehand, so at least I’m being honest about it!). That said, we were pretty sore from the previous few days and really keen not to add any miles to our walk, the bridge looked safe for a couple of people to cross (although we could see why vehicles crossing might be a problem), and the other side of the bridge was calling our name, so we carefully climbed around the gate, got onto the bridge, and walked across to the other side.

When we reached the other side, we considered our options and it just didn’t feel safe to attempt to get over. We also didn’t want Liam to get across and then for me to be stuck on the bridge on my own! So, reluctantly, we went back the way we came and found a different route. Apologies to whoever didn’t want us on that bridge in the first place!

We walked along some busy roads and through a housing estate to get to the other side of the bridge, and felt a bit sad when, a while later, we finally reached the other side of the gate we’d considered trying to get over. Finally on the other side of the river, we had a very foggy walk with some very eerie views along a cycle path which followed the river down to Aberavon Sands.

Aberavon Sands, from what we could see, is a lovely spot – a three-mile-long, sandy beach, with a nice, easy walkway along the top, which made for a nice portion of our walk, although, unfortunately, as it was so foggy, for much of this section we could hear the sea but couldn’t actually see it!

As we reached the end of the promenade, we stopped for some sandwiches, desperately hoping they wouldn’t be stolen by any of the seagulls that were clearly on the prowl. Thankfully, we finished our lunch without being pounced on, and continued along the path, where we were taken onto the beach (where we were able to see the sea!). We continued along for a short distance before spotting a Wales Coast Path sign which took us up through Baglan Burrows.

This was a funny section of the path – to get to and back from this lovely beach, you had to walk alongside the Power Station and along the riverbank. We then walked underneath the M4 motorway bridge, and towards the A48 bridge. The path took us along the A48 on a pedestrian walkway, where we were beeped at a couple of times (hilarious – wish I was as funny as you). At this point, we were getting pretty tired, and were definitely ready to be back at the hotel!

Finally, we headed along the canal. This was a pleasant walk, although we did pass two people with guns, which was a bit disconcerting considering how quiet it was! After leaving the canal, a bit of residential walking took us past the park and ride and towards Swansea Marina, where we reached our hotel, pleased that we were finally in Swansea!

🥾 Distance: 11½ miles.

⭐ Highlight: The beaches were lovely – it’s just a shame we couldn’t see them very well!

👎 Less Good: Bridge-gate.

🚗 Transport: We drove to Swansea and got a taxi to Port Talbot.

🛏️ Accommodation: We stayed at Village Hotel Swansea, where we were able to have a lovely swim in the evening to ease the aches and pains!

🌱 Food: We had Greek food delivered, including vegan moussaka, which was delicious!

🗺️ 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.