The Gower is one of the most impressive stretches of coastline in Wales, not to mention beautiful sandy beaches, traditional seaside piers, ancient castle ruins and so much more that make the Gower an ideal UK destination to visit for a staycation. Here are just 10 reasons why you should visit the Gower for your next staycation.
The Gower peninsula is one of the most scenic regions of the entire UK and was in fact designated the UKs first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty back in 1956, and has held onto that honoured status ever since! From outstanding coastal walks and traditional seaside breaks to unique attractions and even a resurgent foodue scene, here are 10 excellent reasons why you should make the Gower your next staycation break!
Turn A Great Weekend Break Into An Awesome Staycation.
Considered Wales’ cultural city, Swansea is already an ideal city break. It has the ideal balance between compact but modern city, beach destination and rural escape! The city is the heart of Welsh culture and venues like the Liberty Stadium, the Dylan Thomas Theatre, the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea Museum and the Dylan Thomas Centre all attract a ton of festivals as well as celebrating art with the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and the Mission Gallery. Swansea is great to spend a couple of days in, but if you want a longer break and the seaside town of Mumbles and the Gower coast are just a short drive or train ride away.
Enjoy The Seaside At The Mumbles Mile.
Head over to the western edge of Swansea Bay to enjoy the tradituonal seaside area known as the Mumbles Mile. No longer the drunken pub crawl capital of Wales, the Mumbles Mile is now a regenerated traditional seaside getaway with little boutique shops, a Victorian Pier and cream teas and ice cream on tap! What better way to be beside the seaside?
Go Shopping.
The award winning and historical Swansea Market is the largest indoor market in Wales, has more than a hundred traders who have been serving Swansea for generations and sell everything from fresh, traditional Welsh produce to handicrafts, and upholds a century old tradition of trading in Swansea.
Discover Stunning Beaches.
Part of the Gower’s claim to be an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is because of its epic beaches. There are miles of award winning blue flag beaches along the Gower coastline, especailly at Llangennith, Oxwich Bay, Three Cliffs Bay and Rhosilli. Wether you want a sandy day on the beach with sandcastles and a picnic, epic views from a cliff face or a romantic stroll with your bare feet in the water there is literally a stretch of sand for everyone in the Gower!
Explore Welsh Cuisine.
Okay I get it, if you think of foodie destinations Wales is not the first place that comes to mind, and more specifically Swansea and the Gower is not the firt place that comes to mind, but this is why the foodie scene in Swansea and the Gower kicks arse! It’s growing reputation for culinary awesomeness comes from the growing number of experimental gastro pubs, microbreweries epic restaurants and independent cafes, with fresh seafood and traditional Welsh cuisine like laverbread.
Fantasise About Being A Medieval Night.
Oystermouth Castle is an ancient Anglo Norman castle dating from the 12th Century and is perfect for imagining ancient battle between Welsh knights and Norman Lords! You can explore the ruins themselves with a lot of the ancient fort reconstructed for visitors, and there are a ton of themed events that celebrate the castle’s history.
Hike The Coastal Path.
One of the main reasons to come to the Gower is the truly world class coastline, and the best way to explore it is one of the walking and hiking routes that cross through the peninsula. The Three Cliff Bay circular walk and the route between Rhosilli and Worm’s Head are two of the most popular but there are plenty more to choose from wether you just want a nice stroll or a really heavy hike that requires more serious thought and the right gear.
Ideal Camping And Glamping.
From modern pods to traditional shepherd huts there are plenty of glamping options in the gower, and no matter what your style preference it is the setting that is the true treasure of glamping in the Gower.
There are also a ton of basic campsites that will allow you to pitch your own tent and sleep surrounded by absolute coastal beauty! The campsite behind Llangennith is popular with surfers who want to reach the perfect waves easily.
Watch The Wildlife.
The Gower coast nature reserve is well known as the best places in the UK to watch birds, especially Choughs and Darford Warblers, and the coast is home to Dolphins and Sealions that visit the warmer waters between May and September. Based on the picturesque Oxwich bay Marina, Gower Coast adventures run daily tours across the stunning and rugged coast of the Gower. Taking off on the ‘sea serpent’, a ten foot long RIB, you can get up close with playful pods of dolphins, sealions and countless bird and marine life.
Learn How To Surf.
The Gower is one of the best places to surf in the entire UK, so much so that the Welsh Surfing Federation surf school is based here at Llangennith and is home to the annual Welsh National Surfing Championships. It doesn’t matter if you are a pro surfer or you have never been on a board before, Wales is a great option for surfing with some perfect breaks and a lot of great surfing schools to choose from
Did you enjoy this article? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below or on my Facebook or Twitter pages and please feel free to share it with any or all of the social media buttons. If you want to get more great backpacking tips, advice and inspiration, please subscribe to updates via email in the box to your right.
Related Articles.
Hotel Review: Langland Bay House Bed And Breakfast, Swansea, Wales.
How Responsible Travel Is Boosting Welsh Tourism.
Sea Serpents, Smugglers And Lazy Pirates In The Gower.
Michael Huxley is a published author, professional adventurer and founder of the travel website, Bemused Backpacker. He has spent the last twenty years travelling to over 100 countries on almost every continent, slowly building Bemused Backpacker into a successful business after leaving a former career in emergency nursing and travel medicine, and continues to travel the world on numerous adventures every year.
Bemused Backpacker 
I love the Gower!
Me too!
Have never even considered watersports in Wales, never mind surfing! We never have the weather! 😂
Ha, I know what you mean, it’s not an obvious choice, but it is a popular one and people come from all over the world to do it even on an international competitive level.