Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksTywi Valley and Carmarthen

Tywi Valley and Carmarthen

Carmarthen and the Tywi

Riverside paths through the oldest town in Wales, past the castle and the Roman amphitheatre, with the tidal Tywi alongside.

Distance
3.1 mi / 5 km
Time
1 hr 40
Ascent
60 m
Difficulty
Easy
Shape
Circular

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

Follow the river through the town and loop back past the castle and amphitheatre. Flat and mostly surfaced.

Worth knowing

  • Carmarthen claims to be the oldest town in Wales, founded as the Roman Moridunum.
  • The Roman amphitheatre is on the eastern edge of town and free to visit.
  • Merlin is traditionally associated with the town; Caerfyrddin may mean Merlin’s fort.

What you’ll see

The tidal Tywi, the castle gatehouse, and the Roman amphitheatre.

Background

Moridunum was the civitas capital of the Demetae and one of only two Roman towns in Wales.