Llanaber - Barmouth Circular Walk

Walk: A very pretty circular walk in the beautiful hills behind Barmouth dropping down to the harbour and back along the beach and promenade.

Distance: about 6 miles

Parking: In the layby outside the cemetery of St Mary's and St Bodfan's Church on the main A496

Bus: Not needed on this one - unless you don't fancy the 45 minute walk back from Barmouth town (in which case the G23 Barmouth to Porthmadog from Jubilee Road is just the biscuit as it will drop you off right alongside your car)

Due to a little bit of bone on bone action in one of my critical walking joints, my walks have become a little shorter this year. This one - done on a fine day in April 2025 with the Minister for Holidays (MFH to give her her shortened title) and Rosie our Springer Spaniel - was about 6 miles with some elevation gain too. It is so quiet and picturesque though, it takes your mind off things!

Parking at layby

The parking spot is pretty obvious, about a mile to the north of Barmouth town in the settlement of Llanaber. It is just after the church (if approaching from the north) and alongside the graveyard overlooking the sea.

Turn right after the stone cottages

To start the walk, from the layby, walk up the road (away from Barmouth) for about 50m or so until you see the footpath sign pointing right up a lane/track with a couple of parking spots at the bottom, presumably for the stone cottages you have just passed. Follow the road uphill for a short distance until it turns sharp left to a gate which is the entrance to the drive of a house. Awkwardly, our path turns back on itself here away from the property ahead (its not really obvious at first). The path is now just above the road. It soon becomes the rather wonderful stone wall-lined drovers track that you will follow uphill for quite some way.

Looking back down the Drover's Track

Follow this enclosed path/track pleasantly uphill for about a kilometer to it's natural end. At this point, turn right (south east) - more or less parallel with the road to Barmouth now far below you. The path is flat at first as it cuts through a stand of gorse (in full flower and scent when we did it). Avoid the temptation to take the quite distinct farm track that goes through a gate and down into the pastures of Ffridd Fechan on your right. You are on the right track if you continue with the wire fence with wooden posts on your right hand side. The rocky track eventually bears left, away from the fence, and points diagonally uphill. Absolutely stunning views up here and, on the day we did it, total silence.

Rocky track leading up to Ffridd Fechan

The track flattens after the 'fort' on your left. I've put fort in inverted commas as that is what it says on the map. There is a distinct hill/mound, and a lot of rubble, about 30m left of the track, undoubtedly with a great view and a commanding position over the track you are on and the coastline below. Some of the rubble (neolithic lego) has been re-purposed to build a boundary stone wall directly through the Neolithic/Iron age remains that somewhat obscures its posting as a historical monument! A bit of later research revealed that it is recognised by the name of Ffridd Fechan Hill Fort. The track probably really was an important route back in pre-history. Important enough to have its own Hill Fort anyway.

Keep right on the main grassy track

Once past the fort, the path contours the cwm - eventually turning grassy rather than rocky. This is a very pleasant part of the walk - in a landscape unchanged in hundreds if not thousands of years. Follow the main track around until heading directly for the sea. Avoid prematurely turning off left for Bwlch y Llan (shortly before a stream crossing) and a little bit later where you may also be tempted off track (shown in the photo here (above if you are reading on a phone), where a marker post has bitten the dust). Keep to the main track on the right.

View over Barmouth Bay

When you are directly overlooking Barmouth Bay, the path/track turns again south east to parallel the main road and coastline below.

Having gone around the corner, the timeless view across to the Cader Idris range across the Mawddach Estuary open up nicely.

Continue on the well defined track, moving generally downhill now, past a derelict barn down to the right hand side, toward the as-yet-unseen property at Gellfawr, the driveway of which provides part of the route down into Barmouth Harbour area.

Views of Cader Idris

Just before the farm house at Gellfawr, there is the opportunity to take the path off right to come out in Barmouth centre. That path is not for us though as we are aiming for the views across the mouth of the Mawddach estuary and Barmouth Harbour. An ulterior motive is the targeted pie shop that lies on the route from the harbour to the promenade which would be bypassed by the short-cut!

Continue past the property, downhill, on the lane/drive that feeds it. The track is now a fully tarmacked lane.

Right turn overlooking the Mawddach Estuary

What you look out for now is a rough footpath, heading right, off the lane/drive at a sharp left bend, angling downhill under a rocky outcrop used by outdoor pursuits centres to scare the BJs out of schoolkids being introduced to climbing and abseiling. The cliff/ climbing slab is on the eastern end of the small hill simply called Garn.

This is the path down to the harbour. Follow the path under the climbing slab, heading toward Barmouth Bridge which you can see clearly crossing the estuary below.

Path to Barmouth with the estuary mouth visible below

The path does get a bit confusing lower down, near a picnic bench, as it splits 2 ways, one going around each side of the National Trust owned area of Dinas Oleu. It is the south (left) end of Dinas Oleu we are aiming for. On this trip we got to this by turning back on ourselves sharp left at the bench, angling east downhill for 100m or so until almost coming to a gate leading out onto a small road with houses. Rather than go through the gate to this small group up of houses, turn sharp right onto the footpath on your side of the wall/hedge fence.

View of Barmouth Harbour below

Keeping the wall/hedge tight to your left hand side, you soon see the harbour appear below you as you clear the rocks of Dinas Oleu. You can't go wrong now. The path turns into steps with handrails (the type and quantity of steps that makes you glad you did the walk this way round) and eventually tips you out onto the pavement of the main road, between the railway bridge and the harbour. Turn right heading toward the harbour and into town.

Choose anyway you fancy to get to the promenade. As The Minister for Holidays is also The Minister for Pies, rather than head for the harbour and the ice creams, we headed back past the bus station on Jubilee road - opposite which is a very good bakery. If you are cabbaged at this point, the next northbound G23 will get you and your pie back to the car at St Mary's and St Bodfan's church in 10 mins or less. Suitably refreshed though, we settled for the 40 minute walk along the promenade, across the railway line at the end, up the little alley (Wales Coast Path Signed) that is so evil on a bike if you have ever done it, and onto the main road about half a mile from the layby at which you started. A fantastic little walk.