🏴 Travel Guide · Wales 📍 Pembrokeshire The Green Bridge of Wales — One of the Most Stunning Places I’ve Ever Visited Stack Rocks, dramatic cliffs, seabirds, and a natural arch that will stop you in your tracks — this is Pembrokeshire at its very best ✍️ I recently visited the Green Bridge of Wales ... The Green Bridge of Wales — One of the Most Stunning Places I’ve Ever Visited
Stack Rocks, dramatic cliffs, seabirds, and a natural arch that will stop you in your tracks — this is Pembrokeshire at its very best
I recently visited the Green Bridge of Wales and genuinely could not believe what I was looking at. It is one of those places that photos simply do not do justice. This guide covers everything you need to know before you go — including the one thing most people miss.
The Green Bridge of Wales is the kind of place that makes you stop walking and just stare. It is a 24-metre high natural limestone arch on the south coast of Pembrokeshire — carved out by the sea over millions of years — and it is genuinely one of the most impressive things you can see anywhere in the UK.
It gets its name from the grass and vegetation that grows right on top of it, giving it that distinctive green covering you can see from the cliff path. The whole stretch of coastline here is protected — it sits within a Special Area of Conservation, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Special Protected Area. In short, it is as rare and precious as it looks.
"In my opinion this not only rivals Durdle Door — it betters it. And hardly anyone talks about it."
About 500 metres down the coastline from the Green Bridge, you will find the Elegug Stacks — two enormous limestone columns rising straight up out of the sea. They are also called Stack Rocks, and they are just as dramatic as the arch.
Thousands of years ago these stacks were once part of the cliffs, just like the Green Bridge. Over time the sea eroded the rock, a cave formed, then an arch — and eventually the arch collapsed, leaving the two isolated stacks you see today. The Green Bridge is essentially what the stacks used to look like.
The stacks are also an important nesting spot for thousands of seabirds including guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes. In spring and summer the noise and activity on the ledges is incredible to watch.
This is the thing that catches most people out. The Green Bridge and Stack Rocks sit inside the Castlemartin military firing range, and to reach the car park you have to drive 2.5km through the range itself. When live firing exercises are taking place, the road is completely closed to the public.
This is not a rare occurrence — the road is closed more often than it is open, particularly on weekdays. Before you make the drive, please check ahead.
⚠️ Always check before you visit. If the road is closed there will be red flags flying and the gate will be shut. You can check by calling the Pembroke Visitor Centre on +44 01437 776499, the Castlemartin Range on +44 01646 662367, or online at the official Castlemartin firing notice on gov.uk. When it is open, entry and parking are completely free.
The Green Bridge is on the south coast of Pembrokeshire, between Freshwater West and Bosherston. The nearest postcode for your sat nav is SA71 5EX — follow the road through the military range (when open) to the large free car park at the end.
The car park holds around 50 cars and is only about 300 metres from both the Green Bridge and Stack Rocks. The path from the car park is clearly signposted and is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs on the grassy sections.
📍 Google Maps: Search "Green Bridge of Wales car park" or use What Three Words: smashes.push.ultra
🚻 Note: There are no permanent toilets at the car park. Occasionally a mobile van turns up selling snacks and hot drinks, but don't count on it — bring your own food and drink.
Honestly, the best time to visit is whenever it's open — but if you get to choose, go for sunrise or sunset. The light on the arch and stacks at those times is extraordinary, and you are much more likely to have the place to yourself.
The site faces west and the cliff views open up beautifully in the late afternoon light. On a clear evening the colours across the bay as the sun drops are genuinely special. If you are into astrophotography, this is also a brilliant location for capturing the Milky Way — the lack of light pollution out here makes it ideal.
Weekends in summer can get busy once word gets around, so earlier in the morning or later in the evening always works better.
Yes, technically you can — there is a narrow path that leads you up onto the top of the arch. But please think carefully before you do. The path is very narrow, the drop on either side is severe, and if it is wet or windy the rock can be extremely slippery. It is not worth the risk for most people.
🐦 Bird nesting season runs from March to August. The Green Bridge is an important nesting ground for seabirds during this period. Walking on or near the arch at this time of year can disturb nesting birds and damage their habitat. Please stay back and view from the path.
Give yourself at least an hour and ideally 90 minutes. The car park is only 300 metres from both the Green Bridge and the Stack Rocks, so you can see both comfortably in a short visit — but this stretch of coastline is some of the most dramatic in the whole of Wales, and it really does deserve more than a quick look.
Walk slowly. Sit for a while. Watch the seabirds on the stacks. Take it all in. You have made the effort to get here — give yourself the time to enjoy it properly.
If you carry on eastwards along the coastal path from the Green Bridge, there are some brilliant things to find within easy reach.
The Cauldron
Just 500 metres east — a large bowl-shaped cavern and blowhole on the cliff edge. Dramatic and slightly terrifying in a strong swell. Well worth the short walk.
Bullslaughter Bay
Another kilometre further east. A remote, empty golden beach backed by dramatic cliffs. The beach itself is hard to get down to, but if you want completely unspoilt solitude this is it.
Huntsman's Leap
About 5km east — a jaw-dropping narrow coastal chasm sliced into the cliffs. The local legend is that a huntsman on horseback jumped it, then died of shock when he looked back and saw what he'd cleared.
St Govan's Chapel
A tiny medieval stone chapel built right into the limestone cliffs — it genuinely has to be seen to be believed. Open more frequently than the Green Bridge as it sits on the outskirts of the range.
Bosherston Lily Ponds
A 15-minute drive away — a beautiful walk through man-made lakes and stone bridges, perfect for families. Combine it with a visit to award-winning Barafundle Bay for an incredible 10km loop.
Broadhaven South
A wide, sandy, dog-friendly bay near Bosherston. Brilliant for families and a complete contrast to the dramatic cliffs of the Green Bridge — great for rounding off a full day in South Pembrokeshire.
Because of the grass and vegetation that grows on top of the limestone arch, giving it a distinctive green covering when viewed from the cliff path or from below.
The arch stands 24 metres (around 80 feet) high, with a span of more than 20 metres. It is one of the largest natural arches in Wales.
Yes — completely free. Entry, parking, and the path to both the Green Bridge and Stack Rocks cost nothing. Just make sure to check the firing range is open before you travel.
You can, but it is not recommended — the path is very narrow and exposed, and the drop on either side is serious. It is also best avoided between March and August during bird nesting season.
Call the Pembroke Visitor Centre on +44 01437 776499, or the Castlemartin Range directly on +44 01646 662367. You can also check online at the Castlemartin firing notice on gov.uk. Red flags and a closed gate mean it is shut.
The Green Bridge of Wales is not easy to get to. You have to check it's open, drive through a military range, and accept that it might be closed when you arrive. But when it is open and you are standing on the cliff path looking at that arch rising out of the sea with the Stack Rocks beside it and seabirds wheeling overhead — you will understand immediately why people make the effort.
It is one of those places that reminds you how remarkable the British coastline actually is. Don't miss it.
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