River Teifi + South Wales

River Teifi and South Wales
ROUTE BY Bryce Davies (Swim Wild Wales)

A beautiful walk through ancient woodland that follows the River Teifi, followed by a swim through an incredible Gorge back to the starting point. Enjoy stunning and secluded scenery that can only be accessed and experienced from the water. 

LOCATION: River Teifi, Cardigan, Wales. 
STARTING POINT (A):  The Welsh Wildlife centre. Cilgerran, Cardigan. SA43 2TB
END POINT (B): The Welsh Wildlife centre. Cilgerran, Cardigan. SA43 2TB
TOTAL DISTANCE: ABOVE (hike, run): approx 3.5K
BELOW (swim): 3K
DURATION: allow 3 hours 
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
OS Map: 198

Before you set off, please read our safety guide and blog post on the risks of biosecurity. And here is our recommended kit list.




Need to Know

Terrain:

ABOVE: The walk follows the River Teifi Gorge, It is an uneven woodland trail, and is very steep in places. The path may be muddy. There are many climbs and descents, and areas with steep drops. 

BELOW: river, murky water, slippy surfaces, small rapids, rocks. 

Directions to start of route: eg. Drive to The Welsh Wildlife centre. Cilgerran, Cardigan. SA43 2TB. Walk the path into the centre from the car park, past the information centre and cafe, and follow the path which is signposted “Gorge walk” which is right next to the River.


Safety and practical information: 

The swim is in the River Teifi, and has rocky entrances and exits. There may be hidden branches and submerged hazards, so exercise caution. Do not attempt swim after heavy rainfall. If in doubt, contact local River Kayak guides for detailed information on local River conditions. There are 2 small rapids in the swim. These can be negotiated by slowly working your way around the the edges of the river, or by exiting the river on the left before the rapids, and re-entering just after, around 20-30m down the path. 

There are Toilets at the start of the walk in the Welsh Wildlife centre, and also at the start of the swim in Cilgerran. You can find lunch and cafes at both the start, and in Cilgerran village at the end of the walk. 


Highlights:

ABOVE - A beautiful and vigorous walk through ancient woodland with beautiful views of the river from both bankside, and high above. The village of Cilgerran is a great place to stop for snacks before the swim, and the starting point is an excellent place for a picnic.

BELOW - This swim is in a very secluded part of the River, only accessible by the water. The Gorge is incredible, and there are many birds such as Kingfishers to keep an eye out for. You will swim through wooded canopies and if you’re lucky, spot fish such as trout and salmon underneath you. 


Map



Description

  • Drive to The Welsh Wildlife centre. Cilgerran, Cardigan. SA43 2TB.

  • Walk the path into the centre from the car park, past the information centre and cafe, and follow the path which is signposted “Gorge walk” which is right next to the River.

  • Follow the path upstream with the river on your left, and follow the waymarks for the Gorge walk. 

  • The woodland path will eventually take you high up above the River where you can see the Teifi below you snaking its way through the valley. Keep following the same waymarkers and it will eventually  take you all the way to the edge of Cilgerran village. 

  • Once you hit the small cottages at the edge of the woodland, follow the lane down the road and turn left into Cilgerran village. This is a great place to stock up on snacks and fluids. 

  • Walk down the High street, and turn left at the village stores and off-licence, and follow the steep road down to the Cigerran lower car-park, which sits right next to the river. 

  • The lower Car Park is where the access points to the river are. It is a very picturesque spot and perfect to fuel up before the swim. From here, the easiest entrance into the river is the steps to the far left of the car park. 

  • With your gear packed up into the Ruckraft, you can head downstream for approx 350m where there are small rapids to negotiate. Keep to the right of the River, and slowly work your way around the rocks. It will be shallow, and the rocks will be slippy!

  • Carry on after the rapids for approx 2K following the River through the gorge. Generally, stay in the middle of the river where it is deepest, and keep an eye out for any fallen trees / branches on the route. 

  • At around 2.5K of the swim, there will be a second set of shallow rapids. It is best to exit the river on the left just before, walk the path for 20m or so, and re-enter after the rapids. These can be negotiated in the water, but the rocks are very slippy and the water shallow, so It is much easier to walk around. 

  • After the 2nd set of Rapids, keep to the left of the River, and look out for the canoe storage on the left. This is the first option to exit the river where you can then walk the path back to the wildlife centre. Alternatively, swim past the canoes for a few hundred metres keeping left next to the bank, and look out for the exit which is on the left just before the 3rd and largest rapids on the route.

  • From here, walk the path back to the Wildlife centre and pop in for some food and a cuppa! 


YOUR GUIDE

 
 

Want to give this route a go, but not ready to go it alone? The irrepresible and responsible Bryce Davies runs Swim Wild Wales and you can read about and contact him here.

Bryce is based out of Cardiff (Penarth) but there’s a whole load of routes in South Wales he’s got up his sleeve. Penarth to Lavernock or a spectacular Monk Nash to Southerndown.

He’s your man. Big fan of Reggae too which makes him alright by us. It’s all about Swim Roots!

All our local guides are qualified lifeguards or swimguides with first-hand experience of the route.

wales, River Swim, intermediateWill Watt