The number and variety of different tourist attractions and places to visit in South Wales make it a very appealing holiday destination. When the readers of the Rough Guide series of travel books voted Wales as the top country to visit in the world in 2014, they cited ‘great mountain ranges, lush valleys, a ragged coastline and ancient castles’ as their reasons.
Guests at our holiday cottages in the heart of South Wales have enough choices to last for weeks. Infact, some of our guests have visited South Wales every year for fifteen years and they still haven’t seen all they want to.
Our Top Ten Places to Visit in South Wales
Here are some ideas of where to go if you are planning a holiday in the region.
- Beaches. There are lots of family friendly sandy beaches to choose from on the Gower Peninsula including Rhosilli, voted Britain’s Best Beach and 9th in the World by TripAdvisor and Three Cliffs, thought by many to be the best view in Britain. If this isn’t enough to satisfy, there’s Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, voted the second best coastal destination in the world by National Geographic. In a nutshell, South Wales equals beaches.
- Mountains. The famous Brecon Beacons mountain range that spans across South Wales has great walking, mountain biking and horse riding trails. Roughly the same area as the London underground system, this national park can also be explored beneath the ground…
- Caves. The National Showcaves Centre for Wales was voted ‘Britain’s Greatest Natural Wonder’ by the British Public.
- Cities. Swansea enjoys the best natural setting of any British city. Stop for an ice cream in Mumbles or a Welsh Cake from the market. It’s bigger sister Cardiff has some of the best shopping in Britain and great attractions. Take a tour of the castle, the millennium stadium, the national assembly or if history, sport and politics don’t do it for you, there’s the Dr Who Experience.
- Waterfall Country. Ever walked behind a waterfall and felt the mist? Head for the Vale of Neath where you will find the greatest concentration of waterfalls in Britain.
- Castles. A Visit Britain survey showed that overseas tourists to Wales would prefer to visit Welsh castles than do a tour of Buckingham Palace, watch the sunrise at Stonehenge, or watching a Premier League football match. To see what all the fuss is about, take a look at some of our favourite castles to visit in South Wales.
- Museums. There’s one about wool, one where you get to go down a coal mine, one about the Swansea blitz, one about Zulus, one about breaking the world land speed record, one that’s the biggest outdoor museum in Europe, a museum that should be in a museum, a big modern one with lots of flashy interactive things and more.
- Galleries. Perhaps you’re an art buff or maybe never been to a gallery. Either way, the National Gallery of Wales is perfect for you – it’s collection of impressionist paintings is second only to the Louvre in Paris.
- Gardens. From the National Botanic Gardens of Wales to the Lost Gardens of Aberglasney, South Wales has a garden for every day of the week.
As you can see, there are plenty of places to visit – some are world famous, others a little more off the beaten track – the ‘hidden gems’ that tourist boards like to speak about. That’s why all our cottages have inside them our famous black folder full of hints and tips of where to go and what to do on holiday in South Wales. The itineraries in this folder are all made available to guests upon booking.
