Tor Bay, Three Cliffs Bay, and Cefn Bryn loop | The best walks on the Gower
A fantastic five mile walk which offers a little dabble of everything, from sandy woodland burrows, gorgeous rugged coastline, and a trip up the backbone of the Gower Peninsula.
The views from the summit of Cefn Bryn, the second highest point on the Gower, are worth it alone, so make sure you save this one for a sunny day.
Also dont forget to pack a towel as you’ll stop by both Tor Bay and western side of Three Cliffs, two of the best beaches on the Gower.
Key Information
Type: loop
Distance: 5 miles
Duration: 3-6 hours depending on how long you spend at the beaches
Difficulty: Moderate
Car park: Penmaen, SA3 2HH
Wheelchair friendly: No
Nearest watering hole: The Gower Inn
Where to Park
Free parking is available in the small village of Penman on the south of the Peninsula.
I’d recommend parking just off the A4118, near AMR Bridal Shop ,. There’s room for around 20 cars on the right hand side as you pass the cattle grid.
Alternatively there’s a free small concrete car park on the side of the A4118 as you pass through the village with room for about 10 cars.
Both spots fill up extremely quickly, especially on a sunny summer weekend, so you will have to arrive early (or late) to secure a space.
The Route
I’d recommend tackling this loop in the anti-clockwise direction, climbing up Cefn Bryn first and finishing up with a swim at either Tor Bay or Three Cliffs before making the short walk back to your car.
From AMR Bridal Shop head North East and begin the slow and steady climb up towards Cefn Bryn. After around 500m you will reach a marker stone and be presented with sensational panoramic views back over Oxwich bay and Three Cliffs .
From the marker stone #12 continue to follow the Cefn Bryn east for one mile until you reach a cross roads between several paths. This should be indicated by marker stone #11
Turn left and start following the path down towards the coast. After 700m the path will move onto a road, cross over the cattle grid then straight over the main road.
Once across the A4118 follow the road down past the farm and into Nicholaston Woods.
Once into the woods you can either drop down through the dunes down onto the beach, or turn left and follow the cliff path up onto little Tor.
A view from the cliff top towards Oxwich bay
If the tide is out you can walk from Oxwich bay, past the little tor, around to Tor Bay. If its high tide you will unfortunately have to climb back up through the dunes and re-join the cliff path.
Once at Tor Bay climb back up onto the cliff path, turn right, and follow the path as it makes its way towards the Great Tor.
From here you will have sensational views over Tor Bay and back towards Oxwich. Its one of my favourite viewpoint son the Gower and a great place to watch the sunset.
From the Great Tor, continue to follow the cliff path around towards Three Cliffs Bay.
Again you will have terrific views down the coastline. After around 650m when the path curves away from the beach you will come across a wooden signpost.
Turn right you’ll drop down onto the western side of three cliffs bay via some steep sand dunes. From here you can work your way onto the main part of the Bay and If the tide is all the way you can even walk over and through the Three cliffs itself.
The viiew of three cliffs at sunrise from the dunes on the western side of the beach
To get back to you car, climb up past Three Cliffs holiday home on the hillside behind you then cross the A4118 to get back to your car.
The view from in front of Three cliffs holiday home
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