Top 5 Spots to go Coasteering in the UK
If you are planning a seaside trip, you must check out this list of the top 5 spots to go coasteering in the UK! If you haven’t heard of coasteering – now is the time to educate yourself! This relatively new adventure sport, developed by entrepreneurs in Wales, has taken the world by storm. The sport involves navigating the cliffs along the coastlines by cliff-jumping, rappelling, climbing, swimming and more.
Since its inception, coasteering has travelled across the border of Wales, and into other European coastal regions. But the UK remains one of the most epic places to explore the coasts!
Don’t finalize any of your holiday plans until you consult this list of the top 5 destinations in the UK for coasteering. Legendary coastal adventures await!
Coasteering in Newquay, England
Know as the British surf capital, Newquay is a very popular, charming town in the South of England. Sitting along both the Southern and Western coasts at the very edges of English territory, the town is known for hosting quite a few famous annual sporting events, including polo and tennis tournaments. Newquay is especially known for beautiful surf – some of the most popular beaches include Whipsiderry Beach, Porth Beach, and Lusty Glaze Beach.
Smuggler’s caves and deep plunge pools make Coasteering in Newquay a spectacular experience. These old smugglers’ caves are great to explore, and also happen to be home to the area’s resident seal population. Newquay’s Gazzle Headland is also famous for epic cliff jump, rapids and whirlpools. Here, you can cliff-jump into the Atlantic waters, abseil down rocky cliffs, and all the while imagining you’re escaping with a treasure chest of gold!
Coasteering in Portrush, Northern Ireland
The tiny town of Portrush is located in County Antrim, in Northern Ireland. This delightful borough is best known for Dunluce Castle, a stunning medieval castle that sits high atop the gorgeous, grassy green cliffs. Being a coastal town in Northern Ireland, Portrush is famous for having absolutely breathtaking coastlines and cliffs. The Royal Portrush Golf Club calls this coastline home as well and even hosted the British Open in 1951 and 2019. Who wouldn’t want to play golf on these cliffs!
But coasteering excursions in Portrush will take you far beyond the greens of a golf course! Coasteering adventures here usually last 3 hours and are suitable for all levels of participants. Portrush is full of beautiful arches and limestone cliffs you can climb along. There are multiple options for jumps here, both large and small Cliffs. There are also large and small caves to explore pools of refreshing ocean water and traverse and scale rocky cliff faces!
Coasteering in Conwy, Wales
Wales is the birthplace and motherland of coasteering – making Conwy a marvellous place to visit for coasteerers. The town of Conwy sits on the West Coast and is just over an hour drive South of Liverpool.
Conwy isn’t a huge town, but it sure packs quite a few unique things to see and do! The focal point of Conwy is Conwy Castle. The enormous castle is well-preserved from medieval times when the British lords and ladies called these kinds of structures home! Conwy also boasts the smallest house in Britain, known as the Quay House. This tiny red house of 1.83m was lived in by a man of 1.90m tall! You can also visit Conwy mountain, a beautiful park and pond that is perfect to stroll through and enjoy nature.
But the best feature is, of course, Conwy’s coasts! Here you will find the most fun coasteering activities in Conwy. The rocky cliffs here will allow jumps of up to 15-feet high, into fierce Atlantic waters below. The tides are quite tumultuous, but it feels like a fun rollercoaster ride as you swim through them. The cliffs are great for climbing because they have a lot of ledges and rocky pieces that jut out to grab hold of. So bring your family and friends and get ready for a fun adventure!
Coasteering in Pembrokeshire, England
Southwest of Wales, along the Irish Sea, is the idyllic seaside town of Pembrokeshire. The entire 274 kilometres of coastline is designated as a protected Coastal National Park.
One of the main things visitors love to see in Pembrokeshire is dolmens and megaliths. These are ancient structures composed of stacked stone and are very mysterious in nature. The megaliths, in particular, hold a lot of folklore.
The first thing that makes Pembrokeshirean amazing place to go coasteering is the abundance of wildlife that live here. Coasteering fans can expect to see wild porpoise, seals, puffins and even dolphins if you’re lucky.
Coasteering activities in Pembrokeshire will take you cliff-jumping, rock climbing, and exploring caves. At their highest point, the cliffs of Pembrokeshire reach a height of 574 feet or (175 metres). Usually, jump spots are around 6 feet or 2 metres above the water.
The average water temperature in Pembrokeshire in winter reaches 10°C/50°F, in spring 9°C/48°F, in summer the average temperature rises to 15°C/59°F, and in autumn it is 15°C/59°F. You’ll definitely want to climb into a wetsuit to enjoy coasteering here!
Coasteering in Arbroath, Edinburgh, Scotland
As the only Scottish destination on our top 5 list, this beautiful and historic city was founded in 1329! Surrounded by a defensive wall called the Wall of Flodden, this city once revolved around the enormous castle which was built as early as 600 AD! Aside from the castle, Edinburgh has the beautiful Royal Botanical Garden to visit and several exquisite churches. It was declared at UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Since the city of Edinburgh is so wonderful, it is no surprise the coasts are just as spectacular! The coasteering adventures in Arbroath are breathtaking and quite unique. They are however reserved for the most daring and athletic of coasteerers.
Participants here will get to explore caves after swims in swift Atlantic coastal waters. Coastal routes offer 5-12 metre jumps as well! Professionals will be present to supervise and guide, but strong swimmers, with even stronger nerves, are necessary to attempt this daring adventure. The rewards are worth it – amazing jumps and climbs are truly epic here!
While the birthplace of coasteering does indeed offer beautiful coastal routes and adventure, it can be quite chilly! Check out this list of Top 5 Best Coasteering Spots in Spain for warmer weather, ziplines, and more! Also, be sure to check out all of our coasteering activities on our website.