The best things to see and do on the Gower Peninsula
The Gower is a place that is very special to me. I’m lucky to call home and despite living here for 30 years it is a place that continues to amaze me.
Designated as the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956, the Gower is a thumb shaped peninsula located in the middle of Wales’ southern coastline.
Despite being a short drive from the urban chaos of Swansea, the peninsula feels like a completely different world.
The Gowers dramatic limestone coastline is lined with spectacular clifftop paths and has an array of breath-taking beaches of all shapes and sizes. Alongside being a walkers and beach goers dream, its also the heartland of Welsh surfing and has a whole host of adventurous activities to take part in.
Within this guide I highlight the best things to see and do on the Gower Peninsula.
Three Cliffs Bay
Three Cliffs Bay is my favourite beach on the Gower and one of the peninsulas most visited locations.
The beach is made famous by its three iconic peaks which protrude from a wide bay of golden sand backed by gently sloping dunes.
Adding to the the beaches allure is the magnificent Pennard castle. This is a 12th Century Norman fortress, whose remains stand prominently on the cliffs above the winding Pennard pill.
Three Cliffs Bay is beautiful at any time of the year and is particularly worth visiting for either sunrise or sunset.
Unfortunately the beach isn’t the easiest or quickest to reach. There are three ways to access Three Cliffs which I have outlined in the blog post below, each of them require a short (15-25 minutes) but spectacular walk which adds to the enjoyment of the visit.
Rhossili & Worms Head
Once voted as the best beach in Europe and included within the top 10 in the world, Rhossili bay is a location which words can not do it justice.
The beach is made up of three miles of golden sand and is backed by the peninsulas highest point, Rhossili Downs, alongside a mile of dramatic coastal cliffs.
The highlight of this location is the spectacular worms head, a giant sea-serpent shaped island which marks the most westerly tip of Gower.
Named after the Viking word for Dragon (‘wurm’), it is connected to the mainland by a rocky causeway which is only accessible two and and a half hours hours either side of low tide.
There is so much to see and do at Rhossili, with walks of varying length and difficulty.
It is also a landscape photographers dream and undoubtedly the best place on the Gower to watch the sunset, as you can see the sun drop directly below the horizon. Aim to head down in the late afternoon /early evening and take the time to stick around.
For more information check out my detailed guide below
Head down the Mumbles
Located on the south coast of the peninsula, Mumbles is a small seaside village which acts as the gateway to the Gower.
The village and surrounding coastline is full of charm and jam packed with things to do and places to eat, making it a perfect place to base yourself if you are visiting the region.
Firstly take time to explore the village itself, I would recommend grabbing an infamous infamous Joes Ice cream before walking the promenade from the recently developed Oyster Wharf for 1.5 miles around to Bracelet bay.
On route you will pass Verdi’s, Mumbles pier, and the ever impressive Mumbles lighthouse before finishing at the lighthouse restaurant. From here you can either return to Mumbles or continue to follow the coastal path for a further 1.5 miles around to my next suggestion, Langland Bay…
Walk the cliff path at Langland Bay
Langland Bay is a small but charming beach with beautiful coastal views and arguably the best facilities on the Gower.
Lifeguarded year round, the blue flag beach has ample parking on its shoreline alongside two cafes and restaurant. It is also a firm favourite for the local surfers and even has tennis and basketball courts situated behind its iconic white and green huts.
For those wanting a little taste of the Gowers magnificent coastal views, I would recommend following the wheelchair friendly coastal path for one mile around to the neighbouring Caswell Bay.
Langland cliff path
Langland bay
Whiteford Lighthouse
A delightful low level walk on the Northwest tip of the Gower Peninsula, which takes in a beautiful nature reserve a sweeping beach alongside an iconic lighthouse.
Alongside being a haven for wildlife, including wild horses, at low tide you will be able to access Whiteford lighthouse. The 13m decommissioned lighthouse was built in 1865 and is the only wave-swept cast-iron lighthouse left in Britain.
This walk is mostly level and is a great choice for families. Save this one for a good day and you wont regret it.
Blue Pool Bay
Blue Pool bay is a secluded but charming bay tucked away ono the north west tip of the Gower.
Its remoteness and lack of access make this one of the quietest beaches on the Peninsula.
The main feature and attraction of the bay is a large natural circular rock pool at the western end of the beach. At 15ft wide and 8ft deep its the perfect natural swimming pool and even deep enough to jump into from the rocks above.
The beach is only accessible around 2 hours either side of low tide (sometimes less) so make sure you check the tide times before visiting.
Visit The Beaches
Here on the Gower we are spoilt for choice with no less than 25 beaches to explore, ranging from gorgeous golden sand vistas to secluded coves tucked beneath the rugged limestone cliff paths.
You’d be hard pressed to find a bad beach on the peninsula and while all 25 are worth visiting, not everyone has the time nor the stamina to do so. Instead I have written a blog post highlighting my favourite beaches to help you decide.
Blue pool bay
Tor bay
Explore the Gower Coastal Path
From secluded rocky coves to the sweeping panoramic vista, the Gower is home to some of the finest stretches of the Wales 870 mile coastal path.
The variety of terrain and coastal features means you’re spoilt for choice on the Gower when it comes to walking. Starting at idyllic seaside village of Mumbles there are 46 miles of costal goodness to explore with walks for people of all ages and abilities. Away from the steep rugged cliffs and sandy beaches there’s acres of sheltered woodland and rolling grasslands to explore.
It is possible to walk the entire length of the Gower peninsula but not everyone has the stamina or the time. Instead I have outlined eight of my favourite walks in a blog post below.
Learn to Surf
Gower is the heartland of Welsh surfing. Across the wave-packed peninsula there’s a huge array of beach, point, and reef breaks to satisfy even the most seasoned of surfers.
Some spots are easy to find locations renowned across the UK, whilst others are coveted gems kept secret by the locals who have surfed them for decades.
There are several surf companies across the Gower set up to teach beginners, providing all equipment including buoyant boards and wetsuits.
Gower surfing/ Surf GSD - Located at the sheltered sandy shore break of Caswell Bay, its a perfect learning environment or beginners
WSF Surf school - located in Llangennith, this company is owned by the Welsh surfing federation and teaches surfing to absolute beginners,
The most consistent and popular spot is Llangennith beach on the tip of the peninsula. Its western facing sandy beach break has year round waves and is the perfect spot for beginners to learn their craft. Although it does get busy, two miles of beach means that there’s plenty of room for everyone.
A word of warning here, under bigger conditions the paddle out at Llangennith is notoriously difficult and wouldn’t be suitable for beginners. If this is the case I would head to the more sheltered beach break of Caswell bay outside the village of Mumbles.
Try an adventure fuelled activity
Whether its sea kayaking around Oxwich peninsula, rock climbing at the famous Three Cliffs bay or coasteering along the spectacular limestone cliffs of Rhossili, Gower Adventures offer a wide range of exciting outdoor adventure activities form all ages and abilities. Each trip provides approximately four hours of activity per day with a break for lunch including all equipment, instruction and insurance.
Gower Coast Adventures give you the opportunity to see the spectacular coastline from a different perspective. They offer a variety of boat trips around the peninsula departing from from Oxwich Bay on the 'Sea Serpent', a 12 person rigid-hulled inflatable craft, powered by a 315 horsepower turbo diesel engine capable of 30 knots.
Catch a Sunset or Sunrise
The Gower has arguably some of the finest coastal views in the UK and is a haven for any landscape photographer or anyone looking to up their Instagram game.
Gowers’ central location on South coast of Wales makes it a great spot to watch both sunset and sunrise. Check out my blogs below for the best places on the peninsula to catch them
visit the Brecon beacons
The Brecon Beacons encompasses some of the finest scenery in South Wales.
It my not be the highest or most rugged mountain range in Wales but if you’re looking for Jaw dropping waterfalls, spectacular hilly hikes, beautiful bike trails or some sensational star gazing then this is the national park for you. The park boundary is only a 45 minute drive from Swansea and the waterfalls make for a fantastic day trip if its wetter than an otters pocket. Check out my full guide to the Brecon Beacons below.
The Central Brecon Becons
Head into Swansea
I’m not going to lie, I lose a small part of my soul every time I set foot into the Swansea City centre. It is a bit of a dive and really not the best place to visit, especially when you have the Gower on the doorstep.
That being said there are a few things to do if the weather is a complete and utter washout. The centre is home to the historic Swansea Market, the largest indoor market in Wales, and the free to enter National Waterfront Museum in Swansea Marina. If you do visit the museum, make sure to stop by Coast Cafe for some of best coffee in Swansea.
Finally, if you wanted terrific views of the city you could even look to climb Kilvey hill, however don’t take anything too valuable as you may not come home with it.
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A car is the most practical choice and offers the most freedom, allowing you to go were you want, when you want.
If you don’t own a car I would recommend booking your car rental through discovercars.com. They search both international and local operators for the best deal.
Failing that, the Gower has a good network of buses which go to most of the more popular locations.
Swansea bus station is located just in front of the quadrant shopping centre in in the centre of the city.
There are adventure buses which run multiple times a day and stop by all of the major sights including Three Cliffs Bay (Bus 117) and Rhossili (Bus 118). A full bus timetable can be found here.
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You could easily spend a week or two exploring the Gower peninsula and not be disappointed.
However, I would advise putting that extra time towards exploring other areas of South Wales such as the Brecon Beacons or Pembrokeshire.
A long weekend (48-72 hours) is a great amount of time if you want to visit some of the most iconic places on the peninsula.
Personally, I would say 36-48 hours is the minimum amount of time you would want to spend here.
You can cram several sights into one day but the experience would be rushed and you won’t be able to appreciate the true beauty of the peninsula.
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As the main feature of this incredible peninsula is the beaches, it’s a place you will want to visit when the sun is out and the weather is good.
This can be hard to predict in Wales but ideally you will want to visit between late spring and early autumn (April to October).
Personally I believe the best month to visit the Gower is in September.
The sea is at it’s warmest, the school holidays are over, the weather is usually a lot more stable and there’s a much more reasonable sunrise and sunset times.
I would avoid visiting during the Welsh school holidays as place can get extremely busy.
Winter here can be very dark, cold and gloomy so unless you’re into that or really like your surfing, then I would avoid visiting between November and March.
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This depends on your budget, what’s available, and what type of property and experience you are looking for.
My first suggestion would be the village of Mumbles.
This is quintessential, vibrant seaside village is the gateway to the Gower and alongside having a a beautiful coastline, is full of fantastic places to eat and drink.
The village has great public transport links and some of my favourite spots, including Langland bay, are also within a short walking distance.
If you like camping then its hard to look further than Three Cliffs Bay Holiday park. This looks over the beach and has the best pitch views on the Peninsula.
If you’re into surfing then check out Hillend holiday park. This is located 200m behind the dunes at Llangennith, which is the best beach on the peninsula for surfing.
Aside from that there’s a huge amount of campsites, hotels, B&B’s, and unique stays dotted all around the peninsula, so the choice is yours.
Alternatively you can stay in the City of Swansea. This will have a far wider range of accommodation options alongside a more ‘exciting’ food and drink scene. The peninsula is easily accessible from the city, with Rhossili being a 45-60 minute drive.
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