Port Eynon to Rhossili (Wales Coast Path) Walk

Gower coast path along cliff top paths to Worms Head and spectacular Rhossili bay.

Length	7.2 miles (11.6 km) with 875 ft (250 meters) of ascent. Add 4km for Worms Head. Add 4km if starting at Oxwich or 8km for Oxwich via Oxwich Head
Toughness	4 (5 for Worms Head)
Map	OS Explorer 164 Gower
Features	This is a fairly easy cliff top walk, with great sea views throughout along the Gower coast, from Port Eynon, past Mewslade bay, and the Worms Head (tidal islands) to the spectacular beach of Rhossili - regularly on best beach in the worls lists. You can enjoy the great view from the terrace of the Worms Head Hotel over a pint to celebrate your walk, and await your bus home. Along this section of coast is the Cave of the Red Lady of Paviland On the way, you pass Mewslade Bay. As you round the headland, you'll see the Worm's Head, which you can walk out to 2.5 hours either side of low tide (only start out on a falling tide) Eventually, you come to Rhossili village, with a stunning view of Rhossili beach. The terrace of the Worms Head Hotel has the best view of any pub in the country! The bus stops in the turning circle.
Options	Start in Oxwich - 4km (8km via Oxwich Head) You can start earlier in Oxwich if you wish to complete the Gower coast path. The loop around Oxwich head is great, but the coast between Oxwich and Port Eynon is so so. You're much better off spending extra time in Rhossili or Worms Head. Oxwich is also on the same South Gower bus route as Port Eynon and Rhossili. You may have to change to a connecting bus on Mon-Sat. Worms Head - 4km round trip. Recommended. You can walk out to Worms Head on a falling tide, the causway's open 2.5 hours either side of low tide. Rhossili beach, or the Down's behind it - both are spectacular, return to Rhossili for the bus
Eat	Small store, chippies, in Port Eynon The Worms Head Hotel, thewormshead.co.uk - simple pub food, £4 pints, terrace has a stunning view. There's a tea room next door.
Travel	There is a year round bus service from Swansea - Oxwich() - Port Eynon - Rhossili ( : On Mon-Sat, you may have to change to a connecting bus). Check the times, especially the last bus ! There is a pay car park at Rhossili, or you can park on the road in to town for free. Port Eynon at the start is much less busy. Oxwich beach has a large but expensive pay car park.

Worms Head

The Worm's Head (NT) is 2 small islands off the headland of Rhossili, Gower. They are joined to the coast at low tide by a causeway. The walk out to them is a classic, with great coastal views.

The walk does involve some light scrambling (i.e. hands needed to balance yourself in places). The causeway is quite rocky - wear boots! You must plan this walk in advance by consulting tide timetables, and do not try and beat the tide back across the causeway. You might not make it. The islands are 50m (150 feet) high, enough for a stunning view. On the way back, its much quicker and easier to walk around, rather than over, the middle island.

The walk is possible only 2.5 hours either side of low tide. People who ignore this fact are regularly stranded - don't be one of them. Do not try and cross back when the causeway is closed - wait to be rescued.

You are requested not to climb the further island from 01-March to 31-August due to ground nesting birds

Coastwatch - Worm's Head
Tide Times (Choose Mumbles)

Rhossili

Rhossili is a small village in a superb location at the southern end of Rhossili beach - the beach is regularlly on 'best in the world' lists. Behind the beach is a down (grassy hill). Beyond the village is a headland and the Worms Head islands.

Eat: The Worms Head Hotel, thewormshead.co.uk - OK bar food, £4 pints, has a terrace with an absolutley stunning view of the bay. Probably the best view of any pub in the country! There's a tea room next door.

By Bus: Year round bus from Swansea. Buy a bus pass. About 1 hour. Every 1 to 2 hours. Check the times before travelling, especially off season.

By Car: SA3 1PP, about 45 mins from Swansea. In 2015, the National Trust brought the village car park for £3 million, raised the fee to £4 (free to members, £2 for 1 hour), and made the charges year round. There's free parking for a few cars by the church, or on the road in to town.

Stay: There are several B&B's in Rhossili, and holiday rentals, besides the Worms Head Hotel. The nearest youth hostel is Port Eynon

Gower Walks

Clockwise from Swansea - Gower's beaches are exceptional - there really are this many 5 star walk here!

If you want to do the Gower Coast Path

Swansea town centre along the promenade to Mumbles is easy enough.
Then our Mumbles to Three Cliffs and Three Cliffs to Oxwich walks can be done in 1 go.
Next you can combine (Oxwich Bay to) Port Eynon to Rhossili with Rhossili via Llangennith Circular (but finish early in Llangennith, as there are rare Oxwich - Llangennith buses.
Then choose the Llanmadoc to Llangennith option of the Llanmadoc via Whiteford Sands Circular
Finally, Llanmadoc to Gowerton

Get There

The nearest train station is Swansea, but its a 10 min walk to the bus station. Some early morning / late evening buses start from it though.

London Paddington to Swansea : 2h 40m, £112 off peak return. 'Advance' tickets (no changes) are cheaper. A good compromise is "Advance" out, and an (Open) "Single" back - about £80.

London Waterloo via Salibury and Bath : 5hr, £85 off peak return. Cheaper advance tickets.

By coach: Flixbus, National Express coach

By car: Driving to Swansea takes about 3 hours from London. The M4 Severn bridge is now free

Buses

You must check the bus times beforehand - using traveline.cymru/ Why? Because times and routes vary on school days, not school days, weekdays, Saturday, Sunday, summer, winter... There are 2 bus companies, each with a different system of tickets and day/week/group passes. It might be efficient, but its confounding for visitors!

Partial update: Spring 2025

Since the previous update, almost everything has changed, operators, routes, fares, passes - this is why public transport is so hard to use

Swansea bus station is about 15 mins walk from the train station. From there, 2 companies run buses to Gower, with a bizarre obfuscated schedule.

The Mumbles / Caswell / Pennard (Three Cliffs) routes, and the Oxwich / Rhossili / Llangenith routes don't overlap. This is fine if you're based in Swansea, but bad if you're based in Mumbles.
Mumbles official name is Oystermouth (used on bus timetables), they are the same place. Swansea, Black Pill and Mumbles are on Swansea Bay.
The 2 bus companies tickets and day passes are not interchageable.
First Bus : use contactless, tap on and tap off, max fare is £3. Check their website for amazing value 3/5/7 day passes that cover all of south Wales from Cardiff to Pembrokeshire
Adventure Travel : A return is cheaper than 2 singles, £5.60 return Swansea to Rhossili in 2023. £9.10 day pass with a mobile app
'PlusBus' on your rail ticket £3 (£2 railcard) is a daypass in the Swansea area, it cover Mumbles, Caswell and Pennard (Three Cliffs) but not west Gower

Current routes are ('bay' means on Swansea Bay)

First	#1, #2A, #2A, #3A	Swansea - Black Pill (bay) - Mumbles (bay) - #2A, #3A : Pier / Bracelet (bay) Rotherslade (beach) - #1 : Caswell (beach)	every 30m, hourly for Caswell
Adventure Travel	#14	Swansea - Black Pill (bay) - Southgate (for 3 Cliffs Beach)	~ every 90m
Adventure Travel	#118 / #119	South Gower : Swansea - Killay (for disused railway line) - Mon-Sat: Parkmill (1km inland from 3 Cliffs beach) - Mon-Sat: Port Eynon (beach) - Rhosilli (south end of the bay)	~ every 90m
Adventure Travel	#116	North Gower : Swansea - (sometimes via Llanmadoc for Whitford Sands) - Llangennith (north end of Rhosilli beach)	4 per day, morning and evening only

Links

First Bus - South & West Wales - via Mumbles routes
Adventure Travel - Pennard and West Gower routes
Swansea Bay Without a Car - rarely updated, little information, out of date broken links

Stay

Swansea is the best place for public transport users. The city doesn't have many tourist sites except for Wind Street (pronounced Wine Street, loads of mega pubs) and the marina. Many old seafront B&B's, and mega chain hotels.

Mumbles (Oystermouth) is a pretty seaside village, quieter at night and more upmarket nowadays as the 'Mumbles mile' pubs are no more. Old B&Bs and boutieque hotels. Swansea's 'latin' quarter.

There is a Youth Hostel in Port Eynon, and a large beach campsite on Rhossili beach near Llangennith. Also campsites at Three Cliffs. Rhossili itself would be a great place to stay for car travellers.

Warning

The Severn Estuary has the second highest tidal range in the world, with typically, a 30 foot (10 metre) vertical difference between high and low tide.

If you walk along the beach beneath high cliffs, or far out on the sands, be aware that you can be cut off by a rising tide!

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