A Guide to Blue Lagoon in Pembrokeshire National Park
Located next to Abereiddy beach on the north coast of Pembrokeshire National Park, Blue Lagoon is one of several incredible coastal features found along Pembrokeshire’s coastline and is a must visit if you are visiting West Wales.
In this blog post you’ll find out all you need to know about Blue Lagoon and the surrounding area, including where to park, and what you can get up to.
What is Blue lagoon and how was it formed?
Blue Lagoon was formerly St Brides slate quarry, which operated during the 19th century when Pembrokeshire was a hotspot in the slate mining industry.
After the quarry was shut down in 1910, the the seaward wall of the quarry was blasted open by fisherman in order to flood the mine and provide refuge for their boats.
With the fishing industry all but disappeared, Blue Lagoon has now become an oasis for water-sports, coasteering, and even cliff diving.
The spectacular nature and location of Blue lagoon has resulted in it being chosen as a stop on the Red Bull Cliff Diving series on three separate occasions in 2012, 2013 & 2016. The events saw the world's best divers leap from a man-made platform, suspended 27 metres above the quarry.
How to reach Blue Lagoon?
Located on the north coast of Pembrokeshire National Park, Blue Lagoon can either be reached by car or via public transport.
The closest parking for Blue Lagoon is available at Abereiddy Beach (postcode, SA62 6DT). It’s a manned car park and costs £4 all day.
Located at the bottom of a narrow and steep country road, the rocky car park is relatively small, with room for around 20-30 cars, and has no marked spaces. It can get extremely busy during peak summer times so I would recommend heading there early (or late) to secure a space.
From the car park its a simple 400m walk around the headland to Blue Lagoon.
If you dont drive you can catch the 404 bus, which runs between St. Davids and Fishguard, stops at a junction 200m from Abereiddy Beach alongside the neighbouring Porthgain harbour. During the summer months the bus runs three times a day and doesn’t operate on a Sunday. The timetable for the bus be found here.
What facilities are there at Blue Lagoon?
There is a public toilet block located behind the car park at Abereiddy and there is usually a van selling drinks and snacks during the busier times of the year.
What gives Blue Lagoon is unique colour?
Despite the name, the water within the quarry has a beautiful greenish hue due to the high mineral content. The slate gives a brilliant aqua blue colour to the water.
Things to do at Blue Lagoon
Go for a swim or paddleboard
The sheltered nature of Blue Lagoon means that the water is free from currents and usually relatively calm, making it the perfect place to go for a swim or paddleboard.
There is a small rocky shoreline located at the eastern end of the lagoon which provides easy access in and out of the water.
Jump off the man-made platforms
The diving board which was installed for the Red Bull cliff diving series has since been taken down. However situated on the far side of the quarry are several man made platforms ranging from 2m up 10m.
As the water is over 25m deep, the platforms are perfectly safe to jump off providing you use the right technique. In fact you will regularly see coasteering groups making the leap into the emerald coloured water.
In order to access the platforms you can either have to swim across the quarry or scramble along the rocks on the left hand side of the quarry before crossing the narrow channel.
If taking the leap of faith off the higher platforms make sure you try and enter the water as vertical as possible. Belly or back flopping from 11m is going to do some serious damage, and will probably ruin the rest of your holiday.
Visit Treath Llyfn
Located 1km up the coastline from Blue Lagoon lies the beautiful Traeth Llyfyn, a golden sanded beach back by steep rocky cliffs.
Translated from Welsh to ‘Smooth beach’ this is a real hidden gem and one you should make the effort to visit.
The beach can be reached from the cliffs above Blue Lagoon by following the coastal path for 1km before descending a set of metal steps onto the beach. The walk offers sensational coastal views and should take around 15 minutes .
The majority of people who visit Blue Lagoon are unaware this beach actually exists, meaning if you make the effort to stop by then you’ll most likely have this beach to yourselves, so pack a picnic and take the time to enjoy it.
The beach does experience rip currents on the south side so take care when swimming. Also, keep an eye on the incoming tide as the bay is separated by several rocky ledges. which can get cut off at high tide, and the steps are the only way off the beach.
Walk the coastal path from Porthgain to Blue Lagoon
If you fancy a short clifftop stroll along one of the most impressive sections of the Pembrokeshire coast path, then I would recommend parking at the quaint fishing village of Porthgain and making the 4km out and back walk to Blue Lagoon.
The coastline between Abereiddi to Porthgain was named by The Guardian as one of the Top 10 UK walks back in 2010 and the walk is one of my favourite in Pembrokeshire.
Porthgain is located a short drive up the Pembrokeshire coast and has slightly more free parking which can be easier to secure a space. There’s plenty of facilities here including a pub, café, bistro, and public toilets.
From the car park it’s a short but spectacular 2km walk along the cliffs to Blue Lagoon which should take between 30-60 minutes one way. Once you climb out of Porthgain, the coastal path is relatively flat, easy to follow, and not at all difficult underfoot, making it suitable for families or those who are less able.
Alongside the free parking, the bonus of starting and finishing at Porthgain rather than Aberreiddi is that you can then celebrate completing the walk with a well earned pint alongside some incredible fish and chips from The Shed Bistro.
You can check out my Vlog on the walk below;
Watch the Sunset
Blue Lagoons north westerly facing direction makes it one of the beast places in Pembrokeshire to watch the sunset, especially between May and September.
Heading down here for sunset will probably mean the car park will be free and also the LAgoon will be significantly quieter, meaning you can fully enjoy the beauty of this wonderful location.
For more golden hour inspiration check out my guide to the best sunrise and sunset spots in Pembrokeshire.
Blue Lagoon FAQs
Can you swim in the Blue Lagoon, Pembrokeshire? - Yes
How deep is the Blue Lagoon, Pembrokeshire? The quarry is around 27m deep
How high are the jumps at Blue Lagoon Pembrokeshire? The jumps vary in size from 2m up to 11m
Is there parking at the Blue Lagoon? Yes there is parking at Abereiddy Beach, which costs £4 all day
Can you paddle board and kayak at the Blue Lagoon, Pembrokeshire? Yes
So there we have it, my guide to Blue lagoon in Pembrokeshire. Did you find the blog useful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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For more travel, hiking, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite Welsh regions below.