Eco Walking Holidays

The Preseli Venture self-guided walking holiday is a truly unique low carbon holiday to enjoy the very best of the inspirational north Pembrokeshire coastline with the least environmental impact possible. WHERE WILL I WALK? Discover the unspoiled landscapes and wild coast of Wales’ most western peninsula, on this Pembrokeshire self-guided walking holiday. You will hike along the beautiful northern section of the Pembrokeshire coast path, which stretches from St Dogmaels to St Davids. This section is about 76 miles (122km) long and we offer a choice of walks depending how far you would like to walk each day. For keen hikers we recommend dividing it up into walks of between 10 and 15 miles (16 and 24km), across five days of walking, and for those who would like to take the pace it bit slower with easier days out, we also have walks that pick out the very best bits meaning you walk about 7 miles each day. Both holidays have 5 days out walking making this a six night stay. This is a self-guided walking break, so you are free to set the pace you’re comfortable with, and it’s also a single centre based holiday, so it’s ideal if you like to walk independently but don’t want a fixed point to point walk that involves packing up and moving on each day and also having to use a separate taxi to carry your luggage each day. WHAT WILL I SEE? This walking holiday will immerse you in the historical heritage of the dramatic and varied landscape from craggy cliffs and undulating sandstone coves to volcanic headlands and glacial valleys; ancient drowned forests to Neolithic burial chambers; from the oldest working woollen mill in Wales to a magnificent 12th-century cathedral. From these well-traversed trails, swathed in sea campion, yellow gorse and pink thrift flowers, you can spot inquisitive grey seals lazing on the rocky shoreline, pods of dolphins, harbour porpoise and Atlantic sea birds fishing, peregrines diving and kittiwakes nesting. Mull over mesmerising rock pools where ruby-red beadlet anemones sway, blennies dart between pebbles and winkle shells shimmer in the sun… Comb the tideline for a mermaid’s purse or sea-smoothed pottery amongst the driftwood or watch the sand pipers piping along the water’s edge. WHERE WILL I STAY? You’ll stay at the Visit Wales graded 5 star Preseli Venture eco lodge, a low-carbon rural retreat with sustainability at the heart of its operation. Nestled on the hillside of a National Trust wooded valley, only a short walk to the secluded sandy beach of Abermawr, the lodge offers a range of beautifully presented bedrooms, excellent facilities and breath-taking sea views. The eco lodge lounge is the perfect place to return and restore in front of the wood burning stove with a local brew in hand from our well-stocked and bar. Whether you’re enjoying a game of pool or a bonfire under the stars, you’ll feel at home and well looked after by our dedicated and friendly hospitality team. Lovely cooked breakfasts, packed lunches (or hot lunches if you're back in time for lunch at the lodge!), and two course evening meals are prepared by our in-house chef using delicious and wholesome ingredients, locally sourced where possible. We happily cater for all special dietary requirements. LOW IMPACT TRAVEL For a truly low carbon holiday, leave the car at home and travel here by train (we offer collections and drop-offs at the station on certain trains). You can then use the coastal shuttle buses that run from May until September, to reach each day’s walk. You can also reach most walks utilising the regular service buses that run all year round. FLEXIBLE ITINERARY This holiday is really flexible. You can decide which order you do the walks in and they can generally be cut short, too, if you fancy less time out on the trail. If you don’t have five days to spare, we can trim this holiday, or we can extend it so you have longer to explore – there’s more great walking inland, and St Davids and Newport are both worth spending time in. We also offer coasteering, sea kayaking and surfing adventures if you'd like to mix up your itinerary. WALKING GROUPS We cater for groups up to 40 people in the eco lodge and there is also a campsite and glamping units in the neighbouring Preseli Glamping, from which you are welcome to carry out the walking itinerary. Your group may like to request exclusive use of the lodge and for an extra cost, we may also be able to offer minibus pick-ups and drop-offs for your group along the coast path instead of using the bus services. Rest assured that your group will be well looked after by our dedicated adventure and hospitality team who are there from start to finish to offer advice. Please also feel free to stay for a shorter time, with Walking Weekends for groups proving a popular weekend winter escape. COSTS £395/person (9th September 2019 - 24th May 2020) £425/person (25th May 2020 - 6th September 2020) £69/person One night with all 3 meals included WHAT IS INCLUDED? Accommodation: 6 nights 5 star eco lodge accommodation. All your meals: cooked breakfast, packed lunch and a two-course evening meal Walking Information Pack: including bus times, a weather resistant ‘Active’ OS map and a guide sheet for each days walking Support: emergency support from our staff in the event of any problems Transport: train station transfers for certain trains WHAT ISN’T INCLUDED? Personal walking kit: we’ll email you a suggested kit list. Bus fares: usually run to about £18 over the 5 days (for a Weekly Explorer Ticket). For groups - Hiring our minibuses with qualified driver to drop you off and pick you up for your days walking.