the best beaches on the Gower Peninsula
Across the Gower Peninsulas rugged coastline, there are 25 beaches of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the beautiful sweeping sands of Rhossili and Oxwich, to the quaint secluded coves of Pwll-du and Fall bay.
I’d go as far to say this crinkled coastline is up there with one of the best in the world, and when the sun is out, there is no other place I’d rather be.
Although each of the 25 beaches on the Gower are unique and worthy of a visit, you may not be blessed with the time to do so.
In this blog post I have listed 9 of my favourites and what i would argue to the best beaches on the Gower. I have also include where to park and the easiest way to access them.
Having grown up on the Gower and lived here for nearly 30 years, it’s safe to say I know the area very well.
At a glance
Three Cliffs Bay
Rhossili
Langland
Pwll-Du
Tor Bay
Blue Pool
Fall Bay
Oxwich
Caswell Bay
Three Cliffs Bay & Pobbles
Parking: Southgate, Penmaen, and Parkmill
Distance to beach: Between 1-2km
Toilets: None at the beach
Lifeguards: 4th July- 6th September
Dog Friendly: Year round.
Food: Not available at the beach
Best time to visit: Mid to low tide for space, high tide for photos
Three Cliffs is a beach like no other.
Its distinctive coastal peaks and golden sands warrant a visit in itself. However when you add its winding green valley which is overlooked by the ancient ruins of Pennard castle then you have something truly unique.
Alongside the majestic Rhossili, I feel this is the best beach on the Gower and one that you simply must visit no matter the weather or season.
The beach which takes between 10-25 minutes to walk to depending on which of the four places you park at. There are also no facilities on the beach once you are there, so stiock up with supplies if you are heading don for the day.
For a detailed guide to Three cliffs, including the where to park, the places to eat, alongside what to do when you are there check out my in-depth blog post below
Rhossili Bay & Worms Head
Distance to the beach? 500m
Parking: National Trust Car Park, Rhossili
Lifeguards: No
Dogs Friendly: Year round
Toilets: Yes
Food: Available next to the car park
Best time to visit: All tides, but it looks best at high
Rhossili Bay is easily the best beach on the gower, if not Wales.
Located on the southwestern tip of the Gower Peninsula, its a three miles stretch of golden sand which is backed by the highest point on the peninsula
Protruding from the southern end of Rhossili bay is the spectacular Worms head, a giant sea-serpent shaped island which marks the most westerly tip of Gower.
Once voted as the best beach in Europe and included within the top 10 in the world, words simply can not do this incredible location justice.
Although it takes a little more effort to reach, Rhossili is a must visit if you are on the Gower. It’s dramatic coastal cliffs and panoramic views are breath-taking no matter which direction you look.
Although the beach isn’t the best for swimming and sunbathing, its views (just from the car park) and walks are on another level, and its easily one of the best places in Wales to watch the sunset.
Langland Bay
Distance to the beach? 20m
Parking? Behind the beach
Toilets? Yes
Lifeguards? May to September
Dog Friendly? Between October and April
Food? Yes on the beach front
Best time to visit: All tides
The best all-round beach on the Gower, and my go-to if I’m looking for a quick dip or a coastal escape.
Langland bay holds both blue flag and Seaside Awards and is a beautiful little beach perfect for people from all walks of life. It’s wheelchair accessible, family-friendly, and has a wide range of facilities, including an award-winning café and restaurant.
Located a short distance from the idyllic coastal village of the Mumbles, Langland can be reached by both car, or by getting the 2A, 2B or 3A bus to Langland corner then walking down to the beach.
The car parks tends to fill up quickly in the summer months so I would arrive early to grab a coveted spot.
Another option is walk here along the coastal path from either Caswell bay or Mumbles lighthouse. Both walks are shortly over a mile and offer terrific clifftop views.
What to at langland bay ?
Alongside lounging on its shoreline my recommendation would be to take a cliff top walk along its accessible cliff top coastal path
If you head east along the paved coastal path you can reach Rotherslade, Limeslade Bay, and Bracelet Bay within half an hour.
If you head to the west you can take the short 500m walk out to the bay’s viewpoint and then carry on for around 1km to Caswell bay. Both walks are short but terrific and are definitely worthy of your time.
For those who don’t mind getting out of bed that little bit earlier, the beach is also a great spot for sunrise. The surrounding cliff tops also make a great place for sunset.
For those who are a little more active, there are two free to use concrete tennis courts and a basketball court located behind the iconic green and white huts which line the beach. On the cliffs above the beach also lies Langland golf club
Outside of summer, the beach’s location and wide choice of different surf breaks make it a firm favourite with local surfers. Don’t be surprised to see over 50 surfers bobbing in the waves if there is any hint of swell.
A word of warning though, there are lots of rocks and the localism is rife. Less experienced surfers would be better off heading to the neighbouring beach break of Caswell bay for a more enjoyable surfing experience.
Caswell Bay
Distance to the beach? 100m
Parking? Behind the beach
Toilets? Yes
Lifeguards? May to September
Dog Friendly? Between October and April
Food? Yes on the beach front
Best time to visit: Mid to low tide
Locate the bay over from langland, Caswell is another great alternative for families or those wanting a whole host of facilities.
Like Langland it is very accessible and has toilets, food, lifeguards, and also has wheelchair access.
Unlike Langland the beach is made up entirely of sand, meaning its a better option for those who want to go swimming or want to spend a day lounging on the sand.
Check the tide tides as at high tide the majority of this beach is cut off at high tide.
Pwll Du
Parking? Bishopston
Distance to the beach? <1km
Toilets? no
Lifeguards? No
Dogs Friendly? Year round
Facilities? None
Best time to visit: Mid to low tide
Pwll du, which translates from Welsh into Black pool, sits at the bottom of Bishopston Valley. A hidden gem on the Gower coastline, this remote little sand and shingle beach is as beautiful as they come and is perfect for escaping the crowds.
There is no official car park, and there are numerous ways to reach this beach, which does take a little extra effort to reach.
Park at Caswell bay and walk along the cliffs: 2km / 30-60 minutes
Park at the national Trust car park in Pennard and walk along the cliffs: 2.5km / 30-60 minutes
Park on the roadside in Bishopston and walk down through the lanes: 1.5km / 20-30 minutes
Park at the Beaufort pub in Kittle and walk down through the valley; A full description of this walk can be found here
At high tide, Pwll-Du is a large pill of pebbles which isn’t the most comfortable for lounging on. So if you are coming for the day check the tide times. Aside from relaxing here, the surrounding cliffs are perfect for exploring.
Tor Bay
Parking? Penmaen
Distance to beach? 1km
Food? No
Toilets? no
Lifeguards? No
Dog Friendly? Yes, year round
Best time to visit: All tides
Another hidden gem on the Gower coastline.
Tor bay is a sheltered sandy beach at the eastern end of Oxwich Bay. At low tide it becomes part of the huge stretch of sand that connects, Pobbles, Three Cliffs, Tor bay, Crawley and Oxwich bay.
This beach is a great alternative to the busier Three cliffs or Oxwich bays and is perfect for an afternoon spent lounging in the sun.
For more information on where to park and how to reach Tor Bay, check out my detailed guide below.
Blue Pool
Parking: Broughton caravan park
Distance to beach: 1 mile
Food: No
Toilets: No
Lifeguards: No
Dog friendly: Yes
Best time to visit: Low tide
Blue pool bay is a secluded but charming bay tucked away on 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 of the bay is a 15f ft wide natural circular rock pool at the western end of the beach which is deep enough to jump into.
Access to the beach isn’t the easiest and i wouldn’t recommend heading here if you do have a young family or children.
The beach is only accessible 2 hours either side of low tide and to reach it requires a little bit of scrambling down a narrow and rocky slope.
The water also has notorious rip tides which have proved to be fatal in the past.
Fall Bay
Parking: Rhossili - SA3 1PL
Distance to beach: 1 Mile
Food: Available at Rhossili
Toilets: At the car park
Dog friendly: Yes
Lifeguards: No
Best time to visit: Mid to low tide
A small, shallow beach tucked away on the rugged coastline to the south of Rhossili.
Often overlooked for its neighbour this golden sanded yet secluded cove is hardly ever crowded due to its remote location. Look to head down for mid to low tide as the majority of the beach is cut off as the tide comes in.
Parking is available in a large National Trust pay and display car park in Rhossili. From here you can follow the large gravel bridleway towards Worms head before bearing left and following the cliff path around to Fall bay
You can also reach the beach by parking in Middleton, and walking through a series of farmers fields to the beach. A word of warning, there isn’t official parking in the village and spaces will be limited.
For a guide to hiking to Fall bay and the neighbouring Mewsalde, check out my blog post below.
Oxwich Bay
Postcode: SA3 1LS
Parking: paid parking behind the beach
Distance to beach: 10m
Food: Oxwich bay Hotel and The Dunes Eatery
Toilets: Yes
Dog friendly: Yes
Lifeguards: No
Best time to visit: all tides
Oxwich is a 4km sweeping stretch golden sand located on the Gower Peninsula’s southern coast. Its gentle sloping shores, easy access, nearby facilities and calm waves make this spot perfect for families.
This beach can get extremely busy during the summer months and there is a usually a long queue to access the only car park. Because of the long queues to reach the beach, I would either head here early or head to another more accessible beach on the Gower.
The beach also has a wide range of places to eat and drink to satisfy people of all budgets. Located on the shoreline is the Michelin starred Oxwich Beach house. The Oxwich Bay hotel is situated at the most westerly end of the beach next to the car park and The Dunes gift shop and eatery is also situated opposite the entrance to the car park.
If you’d prefer to escape the manic crowds which this beach can attract, I would recommend parking in Penmaen and walking down to Nicholaston Burrows.
This section of the beach significantly quieter and is backed by extensive sand dunes which can provides hours of exploring, there’s even a hidden tree swing tucked away in the woods.
From Nicholaston Burrows you can also venture up on the Little and Great Tor which offer magnificent cliff top views back across Oxwich.
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There we have it, my favourite beaches on the Gower. What do you think, have I missed any out? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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