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Sleep@ Calon y Fferi is the right choice for visitors looking for a central and convenient location for coastal walks and the perfect place to rest after a long day walking… and we have an onsite boot-drying room and laundry facilities
Turn right on the main road, continue past the houses, over the humpback bridge and then turn left down the lane. This is a pleasant walk, which goes past a farm and up to a cattle grid. You can continue over the grid and up the hill, where a footpath takes you through the grounds of a house and beyond. This is a great walk in spring (lots of wild flowers, including early purple orchids) and in late summer (take some boxes or bags for blackberry or sloe berry collecting).
Just before the cattle grid is a gate that leads over the train tracks to the marsh end of the beach. Please be very careful near the tracks: always look and listen and cross straight over. Do not let children cross on their own. The beach offers stunning views along the estuary towards Llansteffan and its ruined castle. There are usually many waders, especially at low tide, including curlews and oystercatchers. You can walk left along the beach to the village centre, but only if you’re prepared to cross a stream!
Turn right on the main road and continue past the houses, over the humpback bridge and alongside the stream. Watch out for grey wagtails. There is no footpath here, so walk to the side and keep an eye on children. Opposite Ferryside Garage is a right turn, which takes you up a steep hill. This is glorious in May, with carpets of bluebells and many other wild flowers. Eventually, you will come to a right turn. This takes you along a lane, past a cemetery. From up here there are breathtaking views of the Towy estuary, and you even get a bird’s eye view of Calon y Fferi! Continue along past the houses to the end of Tri Pen Had Road, then turn right and go down the hill to the corner of the village square, where you can enjoy refreshments at the White Lion pub or the Ferry Cabin or perhaps relax on the beach for while. Take the main road past the school to get back to Calon y Fferi.
Walk left along the main road to the village square and turn right, crossing over the level crossing to get on to the beach. At low tide, it is possible to walk a long way left along the beach (but be careful, because the tide comes in very quickly). Watch out for large jellyfish washed up on the beach, and you might see our resident white egrets among the wading birds. The ruins of Llansteffan overlook the estuary. There is a WWII gun turret some way along, and you can see Laugharne (of Dylan Thomas fame) across the estuary round the headland. You can return along the beach or cut across the railway tracks to the coastal road (please take care) and loop back past St Ishmaels Church (take a look in the churchyard at the headstones), on the ancient pilgrim route to St David’s Cathedral. St Ishmaels Church itself is sometimes open to the public and is well worth a look. Walking back along this road, you will come to a left turn that leads down and round past the Three Rivers Hotel. Follow this main road all the way back to the square, where you can reward yourself with a hot chocolate at the Ferry Cabin or a pint at the White Lion.
Take a left turn onto the main road to the village square and walk up past the White Lion to the right, in front of three bungalows. There is a footpath here that leads to The Cliff. At first, it passes beneath the trees, then you can look out over the houses of Bridgstock Terrace towards Llansteffan. The sun sets behind Llansteffan, so this is a good walk on a summer’s evening. Further along, you come to a road along which lie the grand old houses of Ferryside. You can fork down to the main road and turn right to return to the square. Or you can continue past the houses and on to another footpath that leads along an old wall and descends to meet the main road close to the Three Rivers Hotel. Turn right and follow the main road to get back to the square and the opportunity for some refreshments.
You can extend your walk from The Cliff to visit the historic St Ishmaels Church, perched on the hillside overlooking Carmarthen Bay. When walking from the footpath, as the road turns down towards the Three Rivers Hotel, there is a road turning off on your left. Follow this road and enjoy some stunning views of the estuary and Llansteffan Castle, eventually reaching St Ishmaels Church. There is also a National Trust walk turning off to the left en route, which takes you up and over the fields. Inside the church, which has stood for over a thousand years on this site, there is a display about the Rebecca Riots of 1843. On leaving the church, walk a little further down the hill to a pedestrian railway crossing gate. If the tide is out, you may be able to cross the railway line (take care crossing) and walk down a ramp to the beach and back along into Ferryside (please be mindful of the tide).
The Wales Coastal Path passes through Ferryside, and you can follow the path to walk along the River Towy towards Croesyceiliog/Carmarthen or towards Kidwelly/Burry Port.
Visit the Walk the Wales Coastal Path website.
Ordinance Survey map for Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Pendine and Laugharne: Explore 177
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