Go coasteering
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Coasteering means working your way along a rocky coast at sea level, scrambling over rocks, swimming between them, exploring sea caves and jumping into the water. It began in Pembrokeshire, and a guided session of two to three hours, with wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet supplied, costs from about £40 to £55 at the providers below.
ModerateUnder £100 / $130An afternoonOutdoorsWith othersUK
What a session is like
Visit Wales describes a typical session of two to three hours that treats the foreshore as an obstacle course, with scrambling over rocks, swimming into canyons, exploring caves, bodysurfing breakers and optional jumps. On Anglesey, sessions include swimming across zawns, the gaps in the cliff, and being moved about by the waves. Providers supply a wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet. First-timers can stick to low-level routes with gentle swims and small jumps, and at Cornish Rock Tors every feature is optional.
Accounts of its beginnings differ, though all place it in Pembrokeshire. The national park says it developed from sea level traversing, popular there since the 1960s. Visit Wales says Pembrokeshire surfers came up with it in the early 1980s, and TYF in St Davids says it pioneered coasteering in 1986.
There is no single licence to look for. The National Coasteering Charter was formed in 2011, when eighty providers and bodies including the RNLI and RoSPA met, and it sets minimum operating standards and training standards for guides. The HSE's adventure activities licensing scheme applies to commercial providers that offer activities to under-18s; providers that take only adults are exempt. You can check the HSE's register of licence holders.
Ways in and what they cost
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Anglesey Outdoors, Holyhead | Three hours on the sea cliffs, up to 10 people; from age 8; winter wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet provided | From £40 per person, plus booking fees |
| Anglesey Adventures, Anglesey | Half-day coasteering; full-day options; guidance age 8 and over | Half day: adults £55, children £40, family £160. Full day: adults £90 |
| Cornish Rock Tors, Cornwall | Introduction to coasteering: about two hours of activity (2½ hours in all); age 10 and over; must swim at least 50 m unaided | From £50 per person, plus booking fees |
| Cornish Rock Tors, Cornwall | Advanced coasteering: two hours for strong swimmers aged 16 and over; jumps up to 10 m (about 33 ft); no changing facilities | £80 per person, plus booking fees |
| Anglesey Adventures, Anglesey | Adventure coasteering: further along the coast, with optional abseiling over sea cliffs; age 14 and over; a good level of fitness and a head for heights required | £100 per person |
TYF in St Davids, which runs a three-and-a-half-hour coasteer, does not list prices on its Visit Wales page.
How to start
- Find a guided session through the National Coasteering Charter's provider list or a tourist board listing, and choose a beginners' or introductory trip.
- Check the minimum age, the swimming ability asked for and what kit is supplied. Cornish Rock Tors, for example, asks that you can swim at least 50 m (about 55 yards) unaided.
- Check what footwear is supplied (Cornish Rock Tors provides wetsuit boots), and bring a changing robe or large towel, since you may change on the beach.
Where to go
- National Coasteering Charter: about the charter (links to its provider list)
- Visit Wales: coasteering in Wales
- Pembrokeshire Coast National Park: coasteering
- Anglesey Outdoors, Holyhead: coasteering
- Cornish Rock Tors, Cornwall: introduction to coasteering
- HSE: adventure activities licensing, information for the public
We opened these links on 13 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Questions people ask
What is coasteering?
Moving along a rocky coastline at sea level by climbing, scrambling, swimming and jumping. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park describes it as a mixture of rock climbing, swimming, scrambling and jumping, all a few metres above or below sea level.
Where did coasteering start?
In Pembrokeshire, west Wales, though accounts of the date differ. The national park says it grew out of sea-level traversing, popular there since the 1960s. Visit Wales credits surfers in the early 1980s, and TYF in St Davids says it pioneered coasteering in 1986.
Do you have to be a strong swimmer to go coasteering?
It depends on the trip. Cornish Rock Tors asks beginners to swim at least 50 m unaided and expects strong swimmers on its advanced trip, while Visit Wales says first-timers can choose low-level routes with gentle swims.
Do you have to jump when coasteering?
No. Jumps are optional on the trips described by Visit Wales, and Cornish Rock Tors says every feature is optional.
Where this comes from: National Coasteering Charter, All about the NCC; Visit Wales, Coasteering in Wales; Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Coasteering; Visit Wales, TYF Adventure and Coasteering; Anglesey Outdoors, Coasteering; Anglesey Adventures, Coasteering Anglesey; Cornish Rock Tors, Introduction to coasteering; Cornish Rock Tors, Advanced coasteering; HSE, Adventure activities licensing, public information; HSE, The adventure activities licensing scheme legislation. Opened 13 November 2026.
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