Wildlife Trust Wales

The Wales Coast Path passes through a range of diverse habitats, and provides a vantage point to look for many interesting species, from rare birds and beautiful butterflies to playful seals or passing porpoises.

Many of these habitats are managed and conserved by The Wildlife Trust Wales. Find out here where you can find their sites along the Wales Coast Path and find out what you might see on your travels. (This information is also available with a map in the resource section below.)

Don't forget, to contact your local Wildlife Trust if you are out for a walk and spot any interesting wildlife.

North Wales Wildlife Trust Reserves - 01248 351541

Big Pool Wood Reed Warbler

Dominated by common reed, this reserve is an important habitat for breeding reed warblers. Surrounding the pool is wet woodland predominantly of alder and contains several locally rare plants including giant bellflower. From the path, first walk into Presthaven Sands Holiday Park, and then towards the Bridlewood Riding Centre and Shop, Big Pool Wood is just behind the riding centre.

Rhiwledyn Fulmar

With spectacular views, Rhiwledyn reserve forms part of the Little Orme SSSI. Look out for limestone grassland and its associated flowers such as quaking grass, dropwort and carline thistle. Birds such as fulmar can be seen regularly, and the reserve is rich with butterflies in the right weather conditions.

Gogarth Butterflies

The path itself follows the boundary of the reserve, along Marine Drive on the Great Orme. Although not suitable for walking through, look down over the reserve from the path. Gogarth is a reserve dominated by limestone grassland and best seen in late spring/ summer. Gogarth is particularly rich in silver studded blue butterflies in late spring.

Aberogwen, Spinnies Kingfisher

This popular reserve is primarily a lagoon set amid a small woodland, providing shelter for many species of wader and wildfowl. It is adjacent to Afon Ogwen estuary and the extensive mudflats of the internationally important Traeth Lafan. Over 185 species of bird have been seen in and around the reserve.

Nantporth Whitebeam

Lying alongside the Menai Strait, Nantporth is an example of coastal ash woodland; which is rare outside of Scotland. The reserve includes the shingle shoreline, two old limestone quarries and areas of calcareous grassland.

Mariandyrys Stonechat

The path skirts around this nature reserve, making a slight detour well worth it. Mariandyrys is a limestone outcrop supporting herb-rich grassland, heathland and gorse scrub which in turn supports a wide range of wildlife, including orchids, purple saw-wort and stonechat.

Cemlyn Terns

Undoubtedly one of the best coastal reserves Cemlyn is a lagoon cut off from the sea by a curved shingle ridge. The ridge itself supports a range of specialist maritime plants whilst islands in the lagoon provide summer nesting areas for a large colony of sandwich, common and Arctic terns best seen in the summer.

Porth Diana Rock-rose

A short detour from the coastal path at Ravenpoint Road takes you to this small reserve that overlooks the scenic Trearddur Bay, this reserve is home to the county flower of Anglesey, the dainty spotted rock-rose.

Morfa Bychan and Greenacres Sharp rush

This reserve offers the chance to see rare maritime plants in a dynamic sand dune system. Separated by Greenacres Caravan Park, these reserves can be reached via a detour over the sand dunes at either Black Rock Sands or Ynys Cyngar.

Traeth Glaslyn Wigeon

Traeth Glaslyn is an important estuarine site for wetland birds, with habitats that range from mudflats, marshes and wet grassland to alder carr. There is a viewing hide just off the path at the eastern end of the Cob near Rebecca Toll.

Gwaith Powdwr Nightjar

A slight detour from the path takes you to this reserve, which is worth a visit. Gwaith Powdwr is the former site of the Cooke’s/ICI explosives works and an example of how wildlife can thrive in a post-industrial setting. This wildlife haven is home to bats, nightjars, polecat and emperor dragonfly.

Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Reserves - 01938 555654

Cors Dyfi Osprey

Home to ospreys, otters, bog myrtle, dormice, readbeds, warblers and so much more. From March to September, see ospreys rear their young with HD cameras on the nest relaying to monitors in the visitor centre and hide.

Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales Reserves - 01656 724100

Penderi Cliffs Chough

Stretching along the sea cliff, the hanging oak woodland in this reserve is home to some stunted but very old oak trees. It is a great place to spot chough and other coastal birds such as cormorant.

Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (Visitor Centre) Bottlenose Dolphin

This popular New Quay visitor centre runs in conjunction with Dolphin Survey Boat Trips to collect data on the bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay and other marine mammals that are regularly spotted, such as harbour porpoise and Atlantic grey seals, and more unusual species such as basking sharks and sunfish. The visitor centre is open throughout the summer season.

Cardigan Island Seals

Although there is no public access to Cardigan Island, the coast path offers great views onto this Wildlife Trust reserve. The Island is a key breeding site for grey seal and hosts breeding colonies of gulls, razorbill, guillemot and many other seabirds.

Cemaes Head Porpoise

The coast path traverses this coastal headland that looks across the Teifi Estuary towards Cardigan Island. As well as being a good seabird site, Cemaes Head is a great place to watch for the bottlenose dolphins and porpoises in Cardigan Bay.

Goodwick Moor Reed warbler

Just across the road from the coastal path, this reserve has a circular path and boardwalk. The site is a large reedbed with elements of flood plain mire and wet woodland, supporting breeding birds such as reed and sedge warblers.

Lockley Lodge (Visitor Centre)   

Acting as the ticket sales point for day trips to Skomer, Lockley Lodge also includes a shop, remote camera access to Skomer, local wildlife information and much more.

Skomer Island Puffin

Skomer Island is the most important seabird site in southern Britain. Although not formally part of the coastal path it can be visited every day (excluding Mondays) during the summer season. Home to manx shearwater, puffin, guillemot, kittiwake, razorbill, fulmar and much more, this is one of the Wildlife Trusts flagship nature reserves.

Skokholm Island Manx shearwater

Skokholm, sister island to Skomer, lies further out to sea. Together the two islands make up the highest concentration of manx shearwaters known in the world, with an estimated 45,000 pairs on Skokholm. Visits by pre-arrangement only.

Deborah’s Hole Ravens

This nature reserve is named after a small inaccessible cave where Stone Age tools have been excavated. The topography of the site has created varying vegetation from limestone grassland to heath, supporting nesting fulmar and raven.

Long Hole Cliff Stonechat

Cliff top gorse and heather habitats create a haven for small birds, whilst the slopes, cliffs and scree are home to limestone grassland. The star like flowering spring squill make a special display early in the year.

Overton Mere Wild plants

This nature reserve is home to the rare silky wave moth which makes its home in the gorse scrub. It is also a great place to spot lime-loving plants such as common rock-rose, milkwort, eyebright and thyme.

Overton Cliff Oystercatcher

The site offers great views over the Bristol Channel, and is home to coastal birds such as oystercatcher and butterflies such as grayling. Much of Overton Cliff is currently covered by heather and gorse, together with hawthorn, blackthorn and juniper.

Port Eynon Point Gannet

A great place to see coastal summer flowers such as sea campion, spring squill, thrift and wild clary. This is also a great nature reserve for sea watching, and patient birders will be rewarded with views of divers in the winter, and in the late summer, manx shearwater, gannet and common scoter.

Sedger’s Bank Rock pools

This nature reserve comprises rocky foreshore, beach, and relict sand dune grassland adjacent to Port Eynon Point. Seals haul out here amongst the limestone rocks covered with barnacles, whelks, mussels and beadlet anemones.

Redley Cliff Yellowhammer

Caswell Cliff Fort, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, sits at the summit of this coastal limestone headland, with ditches and banks still visible. Much of the reserve is woodland and scrub and it supports many small birds such as stonechat and yellowhammer.

Cwm Colhuw Peregrine

1km southwest of Llantwit Major, this nature reserve includes coastal calcareous grassland and ash woodland. The site is a great place to spot kestrel and peregrine, and the nationally scarce wild cabbage grows here.

Lavernock Point Orchids

Easily accessed from Cardiff and Barry, this beautiful nature reserve is a diverse mixture of coastal habitats lying on Jurassic limestone. The meadows are rich in wildflowers including several orchids, such as early purple, bee and spotted orchids and twayblade.

Gwent Wildlife Trust Reserves - 01600 740600

Peterstone Wentlooge Marshes Dunlin

This coastal reserve offers excellent views of the tidal mudflats and saltmarsh, making it a good site for bird watching. The area is important during the spring and autumn migration of waders, whilst offering a sanctuary for large numbers of birds in the winter.

Solutia Meadows Otter

This species-rich grazing marsh supports birds such as reed bunting and sedge warbler, as well as otters, rare plants and the endangered shrill carder bee. Although not adjacent to the Severn Estuary, the coastal path passes through the reserve after a short inland detour through Newport.

Magor Marsh (Visitor Centre) Kingfisher

From a fleeting glimpse of a kingfisher, to the sight of colourful dragonflies darting over the reens, this natural area of fenland is an inspiring place to visit. Walk inland towards the village of Magor, head north on the tracks at Magor Pill, then continue north for 1km along the Whitewall road until you reach the reserve on your left hand side.