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Lima to Wales: Cardiff, the Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire

Lima → Cardiff → Brecon Beacons → Pembrokeshire

Cardiff Castle
"Cardiff Castle keep 2018.jpg" by DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Castles, mountains & coast path Best season (general guide): May–Sep

Wales is a small country of castles, mountains and a long Atlantic coast, with its own language spoken widely. This route spends seven nights between Cardiff, the Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire. From Lima you'll connect through Madrid, Amsterdam or London.

Cardiff, the capital, has a castle right in the city centre, with Roman, Norman and Victorian layers. The Principality Stadium is the home of Welsh rugby, and the old docks at Cardiff Bay have been turned into a lively waterfront.

An hour north, the Brecon Beacons National Park is a landscape of grassy ridges, moorland and waterfalls. Pen y Fan, the highest peak in southern Britain, is reached on a popular walk with wide views.

Pembrokeshire, in the far south-west, has one of Britain's few coastal national parks. The Pembrokeshire Coast Path follows the cliffs past beaches, coves and old harbours.

St Davids is the smallest city in the UK, with a great medieval cathedral in a hollow near the sea. Boats leave nearby for islands such as Skomer, where puffins nest in spring and early summer.

You'll see Welsh on road signs everywhere, and many people speak it as a first language. A few words of greeting are always appreciated.

May to September is the driest and warmest period, but pack waterproofs in any month.

Cardiff Castle and the bay can fill your first full day without rushing.

Good to know: A car is needed for the national parks and the coast. Mountain weather changes quickly, so check the forecast before climbing Pen y Fan. Puffin boat trips depend on the sea and the season, so book a flexible day.

Suggested outline

  1. Lima

    Start

  2. Cardiff

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    A compact capital with a castle in its centre and a revived waterfront.

  3. Brecon Beacons

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Grassy mountains, waterfalls and the climb up Pen y Fan.

    Pen y Fan
    "Pen y Fan from Cribyn.jpg" by Dave.Dunford at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  4. Pembrokeshire

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    Cliff-path walks, St Davids and boat trips to puffin islands.

    Pembrokeshire coast path cliffs
    "The Pembrokeshire Coast Path near Cliff Cottage - geograph.org.uk - 5432185.jpg" by Dave Kelly, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Cardiff — Arrive; Cardiff Castle· Lima → Cardiff (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Cardiff — Cardiff Bay
  3. Day 3 · Brecon Beacons — Into the Brecon Beacons· Cardiff → Brecon Beacons (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Brecon Beacons — Walk up Pen y Fan
  5. Day 5 · Pembrokeshire — West to St Davids· Brecon Beacons → Pembrokeshire (overland)
  6. Day 6 · Pembrokeshire — Coast path walk
  7. Day 7 · Pembrokeshire — Boat to Skomer (in season)
  8. Day 8 · Pembrokeshire — Travel home from Pembrokeshire· Pembrokeshire → Cardiff (overland), then Cardiff → Lima (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Cardiff

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Plan the trip: Cardiff

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Brecon Beacons

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