If you’ve tried all the adventure sports that are to be found on land, and taken the plunge into water sports, you might think there’s nothing left on your bucket list to explore. Well we can tell you that’s another world to explore which combines the best of both worlds: the coast. Coasteering (coastal mountaineering) is the activity of exploring the zone where the ocean meets the land. Waves, tides and winds shape this terrain into a maze of cliffs, rocks, caves and coves and the goal of coasteering is to traverse these obstacles and explore the nooks and crannies of the shoreline by climbing, scrambling, jumping and swimming. It’s no surprise that this sport originated in Wales, a country with over 1,500 miles of coastline, and the northwestern region of Gwynedd boasts some of the best providers in the country.

Gwynedd is a wild region, where the peaks of the Snowdonia National Park rise higher than any other mountains in Wales and England. These highlands descend to sea level where long sandy beaches are punctuated by high headlands. The pristine Llŷn Peninsula, a great place for coasteering, juts out into the Irish Sea, stirring the water up into waves that crash on the rugged cliffs. To the North, the Menai Straits separate the Isle of Anglesey from the mainland, but the coasteering spots can be easily accessed by road from Gwynedd by crossing a suspension bridge.

Where are the best places to go coasteering in Gwynedd?

• Morfa Nefyn: one of the most popular coasteering spots on the North coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, the town sits above a 2 mile long beach of beautiful sands. The tranquillity of the bay is thanks to the shelter of the Nefyn headland: a narrow, rocky spike that extends over a kilometre into the ocean. A coasteering adventure will take you climbing, swimming and jumping along the edge of this headland until it breaks up into rocks and stacks at the tip.

• Abersoch: the South coast of the Llŷn Peninsula bears the brunt of ocean currents that come from the Atlantic Ocean. While the resort of Abersoch is protected from the worst of this, just across a rocky headland is the beach known amongst surfers as Hell’s Mouth. If you’re brave enough to go coasteering around here be prepared to be wet for the duration, as you’ll be immersed in the spray from incoming waves even when you’re out of the water.

• Aberdaron: the Land’s End of North Wales, Aberdaron, at the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula, has coves and cliffs that make the journey worth it. You can explore every inch of this coastline on a coasteering expedition, enjoy the thrills of high jumps into deep water, and admire the views of Bardsey Island across the sea.

• Anglesey: across the Menai Straits the Isle of Anglesey is the biggest island in Wales and boasts some of the best coasteering around. Many Gwynedd based coasteering guides take their groups here to experience the beauty and excitement of exploring the island’s coast. In fact there are different routes that you can choose depending on your preference - your guides can take you on an adrenaline fuelled adventure, or a more relaxed tour where they can point out some geological features and spot animals that make their homes in the intertidal zone.

Requirements to do this activity

The goal of coasteering is to traverse the coastline in the most interesting way possible. Depending on the location, the tide and sea conditions and the choices you make it can range from a fun activity that you can enjoy with no previous experience, to a real challenge that requires strength, nerve and specific skills in and out of the water. Whatever route you choose in Gwynedd, there are going to be moments when the rocks are too jagged or the cliffs are too sheer and you have to take to the water. For this reason, anyone who takes part should be confident in the water, the ability to swim 25 metres unaided is a good benchmark.

No two coastal adventures in Gwynedd are ever the same because this is a dynamic landscape that changes with the tide and the seasons. This variability also means that the minimum age that you can be to take part varies. In some locations, there are reliable coasteering routes which are fun for all the family, including children as young as eight years old. The age requirements change in relation to the difficulty of the route; some are suitable for everyone over 10 years old, while the more challenging routes are reserved for people aged 14 and above.

How long does an experience last?

In general you should put aside about half a day for a coasteering experience. That time will include transport from the activity provider’s Gwynedd site to the start of the route, or to get there yourself, as well as some time for preparation and safety information. Once you’re in action, you can enjoy at least 2 hours in the ocean spray. Longer and more complex routes can take longer, up to four hours, in which time you’ll have the opportunity to try out all the techniques of coasteering, from the excitement of jumping several metres into the water, to the challenge of climbing on wet rocks. You probably won’t want to spend much longer on the coast though, as even with specialised equipment you’ll start to feel the cold.

What do you need to bring on this adventure?

In general, the only animals that live on rocky coast lines of Gwynedd come and go by water, like seals, or air, like seabirds. Clambering around on cliffs and in the breakers isn’t an easy thing to do, so some special equipment is necessary. The most important thing is a thick wetsuit to keep you warm in spite of the water and wind. Next is a helmet to protect your head from knocks against the rocks. And to keep afloat in the water you’ll use a life jacket. The good news is that you don’t need to have these with you, your provider will give them to you.

It’s your responsibility to come to Gwynedd prepared with the other necessary items. These include a swimsuit to wear under the wetsuit and a pair of shorts to cover and protect it, walking boots or trainers (not astroturf football boots, as they lose their grip on wet rocks), and a towel and dry shoes to get warm afterwards.

Become the master of land and sea with an adventure! We’ll help you organise it, and do everything we can to make sure that you want to come back for more.