Distance 377 miles (607km), including all the alternative routes
Classification Difficult
Start St Lawrence Road, Cherpstow, east side of the Severn bridge
, NP16 Finish Fishguard harbour SA64
Duration The entire route will take more than four days, but you can do smaller sections in three to five hours.
Route NCN routes 4 and 47
Map Sustrans Celtic Trail map pack, Cycling in Wales guide, OS Tour Map 11

Route notes

The mother of all South Wales rides, taking you from Chepstow, just over the Severn bridge, all the way to the coast at Fishguard. The ride is so long it's officially split into an 84-mile eastern section to Swansea, with two possible routes; and a western leg, which has two pairs of possible loops. All offer coastal or inland options, with the western choices split from Swansea to Carmarthen and then Carmarthen to Fishguard. However you do it, you'll be sure to ride through some magnificent scenery.

Terrain and gradients

Depends on how you tackle it, but this is a long and exhausting route. A fair section of it is traffic-free, taking in tow paths and former railway lines. Expect plenty of hill climbs.

How to get there/away

Chepstow, Cardiff, Swansea and Fishguard all have well-connected mainline railway stations.

What to see

Where to start? The eastern route takes in the fabled valleys, the city of Swansea, and passes next to the Gower, while the western route tours the breathtaking Pembrokeshire coast and the historic mini-city of St David's.

Accommodation and watering holes

Try Manorbier YHA in St David's, which has good facilities for cyclists and hearty breakfasts. The L&A Outdoor Centre, near Port Talbot, accommodates big groups, has cycle storage and the Afan valley and its world-class mountain bike trail centre is close by.