- Swansea
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United Kingdom
A beautiful peninsula just west of Swansea in South Wales. Simply breathtaking landscapes and coastal walks. An enchanting place to explore!
To find the best beaches, that is the most remote and unspoilt, go to the west and north sides of the Gower peninsula rather than the south.
From Worms Head to Whiteford Point, Gower, South Wales.
There is a great local food scene going on here, not only restaurants but delis, and loads of local produce markets. Lots of the restaurants only use local produce. Food Passion is a great place to read about it!
Bryngolau old game keeper's cottage, Penrice Estate, Gower: this is home to the most amazing green outdoor activity company.
They have views of Oxwich Bay and they are just down the road from Three Cliffs Bay too. Their fun-loving staff will show you the most remote romantic parts of the Gower, South Wales.
Discover wild ponies, castles, sunsets etc and enjoy bushcrafting, sailing, surfing, beach art etc with internetoutdoors.
They also know all the best places to stay e.g Nicholston Farm overlooking Oxwich Beach, with its superb cafe and great woods or if you really want to push the boat out go and spot otters and drink pimms at Fairyhill Hotel.
Lovely uncrowded beach on the South Gower Coast. One mile walk from the nearest parking or bus stop. Approach down rugged cliff, warm sea and gentle tides - ideal for young children to learn to swim. No shops/pubs, so take your own picnic
Between Caswell and Oxwich bays.
Peaceful, inventive restaurant run by Hare Krishnas. Great food, yoga classes, astrology and aura readings, interesting gift shop but no preaching.
8 Cradock St
Tel: 0871 5292354
www.govindasvegetarianrestaurant.org
Stunning views over Swansea Bay, a 13th century castle, excellent restaurants, waterfront cafes and stylish shops - a little touch of the Riviera in South Wales!
8km from Swansea City center. www.mumbles.co.uk/
A Bohemian-style cafe overlooking Swansea marina - Jazz and Floyd drifting through the sails and masts and out over the bay... Excellent selection of coffees. Also, poetry nights and live music.
Front of National Waterfront Museum, Swansea Marina. www.coffeecesso.com/
Amazingly good value (small) B&B with gorgeously comfy rooms and luxurious bathrooms, friendly hosts and great breakfasts. In a nice area of Swansea. Highly recommended.
2 Mirador Crescent
Uplands
Swansea
SA2 0QX
Tel: 01792 480266
www.christmaspie.co.uk
12th century Cistercian abbey near Neath, approx. 6 miles west of Swansea.
As impressive, in its way, as Tintern Abbey despite the ugly industrial surroundings.
The vaulted undercroft is particularly worth the visit (but you have to ask for the key at the gatehouse as you enter).
And if you can get as far as Skewen (just up the hill) stop in at Cresci's Cafe for the best ice cream in South Wales!
Nearest station is Neath. All buses from Neath to Swansea stop in Neath Abbey.
An oasis of luxury in the heart of Swansea. Very friendly boutique hotel with fantastic food and a buzzy bar. Excellent local nightlife within a few minutes walk. Stylish individual rooms in a historic refurbished building.
www.morganshotel.co.uk Somerset place.swansea sa1 1rr 01792484848
Almost any beach will do but try Three Cliffs Bay for spectacular scenery or Oxwich Bay for miles of perfect, clean sand.
Just go there, the ice cream is well nice!
85 St. Helens Road Swansea West Glamorgan SA1 4BQ
A funked-up glass restaurant on the sea front in Swansea, Wales, run by Italians with Welsh accents and with home-made concoctions like tiramisu and pistachio flavour ice-creams.
This is the most beautiful, friendly, chilled-out place to relax and the staff are young, friendly, and attractive with a startling consistency - moody dark Italians mix with cheerful Welsh blondes as the cherry on top, though, of course, there are many cherries in the ice cream, should you wish.
A favourite among families, sundae-sharing couples and grannies treating themselves, a summer sundae there is divine, and the city lights shimmering over the sea at night make the old city look more magical than it looks close up, that's for sure!
Verdi's Restaurant
Knab Rock, Mumbles, Swansea, Wales, SA3 4EN
tel +44 (01792) 369 135
www.verdis-cafe.co.uk/frameset.htm
The phrase "Ambition is critical" greets visitors leaving Swansea railway station. The city has a reputation as a graveyard of ambition, a distinction which owes as much to Joe's Ice Cream as to its scenery and beaches. One taste and you'll never eat ice cream anywhere else.
Anyone who's ever lived in Swansea can tell you that Joe's was established in 1922: it says so on the side of their cartons. Since then, millions of litres of the stuff have been sold to locals and visitors alike.
Make your choice from the extensive range of specials, or just have a cone or carton of pure vanilla ice cream as it comes, rolled in chocolate strands or chopped nuts as you wish.
In addition to the original premises on St Helen's Road (near the cricket ground, Guildhall and university), there are two newer branches at Mumbles and Parc Tawe.
85 St Helen's Road - 01792 653880
524 Mumbles Road, Mumbles - 01792 368212
The Piazza, Parc Tawe - 01792 460370
joes.webmediaworks.co.uk
I hate to do this, because it's too nice to publicise, but the Gower Peninsula is beautiful.
Just west of Swansea, Wales;
www.enjoygower.com
Based this year in a deer park in South Wales, this indie-folk festival will feature Field Music and the Brian Jonestown Massacre alongside a medieval village and a jousting display.
Margan Park isn't far from the steelworks of Port Talbot, which creates a dramatic view at night - belching flames across the bay, it's very strange and beautiful, the park itself has lots to offer but it's only a short drive from some great beaches namely Rest Bay and a slightly longer drive to the mumbles and Gower Peninsular.
June 30-July 1
www.tapestrygoeswest.com
www.neath-porttalbot.gov.uk/margampark/attractions.cfm
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