We take a closer look at our home country and discuss our top 10 spots on the South Wales coast. From Cardiff, the capital city of Wales all the way to the western tip of Pembrokeshire There is a range of dramatic landscapes and pretty towns which need to be explored.
As well as the popular tourist spots we look at some of the lesser-known places where you can escape the crowds and enjoy the tranquillity of the Welsh coast and countryside. Some of these places are closer than you think and can be reached quite easily from the M4 motorway.
Of course, Top 10 lists can be very subjective but this is our list of the places along the South Wales coast which are special to us.
10. Cardiff Bay
Cardiff was once a major UK port and exported coal mined in the valleys to destinations all around the world. Once known as Tiger Bay it was the childhood home of Dame Shirley Bassey. Since the decline in the coal industry, the area has now been transformed into a vibrant waterfront with hotels, bars and restaurants as well as being the location for the Welsh Government and the Wales Millennium Centre, the national arts centre of Wales.
The Cardiff Bay barrage has transformed the tidal mudflats into a large freshwater lake with sailing, canoeing and sightseeing tours around the bay.
9. Swansea Bay & Mumbles
Swansea is a waterfront city and is the second-largest city in Wales. The old marina is the home of the interesting National Maritime Museum of Wales and like most of the museums in Wales, entry is free. From the marina you can walk or cycle along the edge of Swansea Bay to Mumbles past parks, gardens and of course, being Wales, a castle.
On the Mumbles headland, you’ll find a lighthouse built in 1794, a classic Victorian pier and the famous Mumbles lifeboat station which has been involved in a number of heroic rescues. Mumbles is also regarded as the gateway to the Gower.
8. The Glamorgan Heritage Coast
The Glamorgan Heritage Coast is a 14 mile stretch of dramatic coastline in the Vale of Glamorgan. As you walk the cliff top path you’ll get fantastic views over the Bristol Channel to Somerset and Devon. If you’re a Dr Who fan you may recognise some of the bays, Dunraven Bay has been used in a number episodes and its most famous appearance was as ‘Bad Wolf Bay’.
Another spot with great views and an interesting walk is Nash Point and its lighthouse, the beach below is also good for fossil hunting. Just check the tide times so you don’t get cut-off and watch out for the ‘Daleks’.
7. Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes
Merthyr Mawr sand dunes near Bridgend are over 800 acres in size and are some of the highest in Europe. It is not uncommon to see sports teams and athletes training on the steepest dune known as the ‘Big Dipper’. The area rarely gets crowded even on a busy bank holiday and it is often overlooked by tourists.
Surprisingly, the dunes were actually used as a location in a few scenes of David Lean’s classic film, Lawrence Of Arabia. This little part of the Welsh coast actually doubled for the Arabian Desert!
6. Laugharne
Laugharne is a small town in Carmarthenshire and is famous for being the family home of the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. He lived in the Boat House which overlooks the estuary until he died in 1953, he is buried next to his wife Caitlin in the cemetery of the town’s St Martin’s Church.
Thomas’s writing shed is set up just as it looked when he was there with scribbled notes, bottles of beer and packets of cigarettes. It’s as if he just popped out for a couple of minutes.
Being Wales, Laugharne also has a ruined castle which also overlooks the estuary of the River Tâf. Dylan Thomas described it as being ‘brown as owls’.
5. Rest Bay, Porthcawl
Rest Bay, Porthcawl is our home beach and where we grew up, so we’re obviously biased. The long sandy beach stretches from Locks Common to Sker Point and is very popular with surfers. During the summer the beach is patrolled by lifeguards and there are a number of surf schools and board rentals in the area.
The relatively new water sports centre overlooking the bay houses a surf school, bike rental, cafe and toilets.
Although the main bay may get busy in the summer you don’t have to walk that far along the beach to find a spot away from the crowds. By the way, the Rest Bay sand is great for making sandcastles.
4. Three Cliffs Bay, Gower
This picturesque bay on the Gower Peninsula gets its name from the three limestone cliffs which jut out from the mainland into the bay. There is no parking directly on the bay but there are a couple within a short walk so the beach doesn’t really get that busy.
Again, a short distance upstream from the bay you’ll find another castle, Pennard castle dating back to the 12th century.
3. Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path runs for 186 miles along clifftops, bays and beaches. There is an abundance of sea life on the route and if you’re lucky you may see puffins and in the autumn, seal pups.
The beaches are spectacular and the popular surfing beach of Freshwater West has been used in a number of films including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. For the fans, it was the location of Shell Cottage and where they buried Dobby.
2. Worm’s Head & Rhossili Bay, Gower
Rhossili Bay is a breathtaking 3-mile long sandy bay on the Gower Peninsula, the most striking part of the bay is the long rocky outcrop known as Worm’s Head. You can only walk to the end at low tide so make sure you check the times so you don’t get stuck. The name ‘Worms’ Head’ comes from the Viking word meaning ‘dragon’ or ‘serpent’ and you can see why. Many of the coastal features around Wales have Viking derived names.
1. Tenby
Tenby in Pembrokeshire is one of the prettiest seaside resorts in the country and the painted houses around the little harbour are one of the most photographed in Wales. We love visiting Tenby any time of the year but our favourite times are the spring and the autumn, before and after the summer crowds.
The centre of Tenby is a medieval walled town and the old castle has a commanding position overlooking the harbour and beaches. If you’re up to it, Tenby is the base for the Ironman Wales event which is held every September.
As mentioned at the start, this is our Top 10 list and all these places are special to us but we’re sure when you visit, you’ll fall in love with somewhere on this beautiful and varied coastline. We hope you get to visit soon.
