United Kingdom
Its the best beach close to Cardiff - a real gem on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast.
www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/panoramics/pages/southerndown_beach.shtml
A bit further out of Cardiff in the north, Cefn Onn is a 200-acre park where you can get lost among the rhododendron bushes.
Down between Cardiff Castle and the River Taff is Bute park, an adventure playground of standing stones, ruins and trees. It’s right on the edge of the city centre, and is a great place to take the weight off your feet after some shopping. The park extends north along the river and becomes Sophia Gardens, where you’ll find Glamorgan cricket club’s ground and the Welsh Institute of Sport, and the wide open playing fields of Pontcanna and Llandaff fields.
My favourite green space in Cardiff is a section of the old Glamorgan canal, which was used to transport coal down from the valleys out to the Cardiff docks. You begin by walking along the canal, through a green tunnel of trees, alive with wildlife. Halfway along you can fork off left to Forest Farm, or to the right, where you cross a lock, climb up a steep hill and look back down at the canal through the canopy of beech trees. It’s a very peaceful place and there’s so much wildlife to see at all times of the year.
If you're searching for a romantic spot, get out of the city and head for the peace of the countryside. The Vale of Glamorgan has some lovely spots for a picnic and its green, rolling fields, lush woods and pretty villages immediately make you forget your troubles. But if you’re not the outdoor type, you could see if romance blossoms over Cardiff’s biggest steaks like Gav and Char at Charleston’s.
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