Mynydd Cilan

About Mynydd Cilan

Guarding the eastern flank of the legendary Hell’s Mouth, Mynydd Cilan is less a mountain and more a vertiginous coastal stroll. At 117m, it won't tax your lungs, but the sheer cliffs provide enough dramatic peril to satisfy any armchair adventurer or particularly brave sheep.

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Did You Know?

• •It forms one of the two 'jaws' of Porth Neigwl, better known as Hell’s Mouth. This bay was historically notorious for trapping sailing ships during fierce southwesterly gales.
• •The headland is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. It hosts rare maritime heathland and turf that survives despite the constant, punishing salt spray from the Atlantic.
• •Geologists frequently visit to study the 'Cilan Member' of the Hell’s Mouth Formation. These Cambrian rocks reveal a fascinating history of massive underwater landslides from over 500 million years ago.
• •You might spot the rare red-billed Chough or Peregrine Falcons patrolling the vertical cliffs. It is one of the few places where the birds look significantly more coordinated than the hikers.
• •The local livestock have mastered the art of the 'middle-of-the-path' siesta. Expect to perform a delicate, muddy dance around a very unimpressed cow if you actually want to reach the summit marker.