Mumbles and the Gower

BAYS, BEACHES AND NATURAL BEAUTY

Swansea is located in a scenic natural harbour, and along its length are a number of communities and towns which make up the Swansea Bay area. Within the city boundaries are the old fishing village of Mumbles and the award-winning Gower Peninsular, declared the UK's very first region of outstanding natural beauty after the Second World War. Here you can visit and enjoy some of the finest beaches in the world.

Mumbles

Mumbles is great for frequent visits. Relax in one of the many cafes and browse the wonderful assortment of independent shops, selling everything from hand-made toys to exotic clothes, pottery to paintings. Follow the seafront till you reach the Victorian Pier, a rare structure every seaside town once had. Eat icecream or buy from the monthly farmers market, stocked with local produce.

There is a frequent bus service from Swansea to Mumbles. For more information, visit the Swansea Bay website.

The Gower Peninsula

The Gower Peninsula, known simply as Gower, was the UK’s first designated “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” (1956). Today the area is popular with walkers, watersports lovers and anyone who enjoys nature. The stunning countryside and beaches which make up the Gower include 34 miles of coastline, 19 sandy beaches, 83 ancient monuments, 67 ancient woodlands and 6 nature reserves.

Here are some Gower facts:

• Three Cliff’s Bay reached the finals of Britain’s Best View, a TV programme on one of the UK's major networks
• Worm’s Head ( a peninsular reached on foot only at low tide ) was voted the “most romantic place to see a sunset in the UK” by readers of Country Living Magazine
• Oxwich Bay was voted by travel writers as their favourite UK beach.
• Gower has also received 14 beach awards, including four Blue Flag Beach Awards.
• Gower is one of the best places to surf in the United Kingdom The area has the second greatest tidal range in the world and some of the finest surfing beaches in the UK. You can learn to surf at a number of the accredited surf schools in the area and experienced surfers come here for the secret spots and reef breaks.
• Other water sports are available including windsurfing, kitesurfing, canoeing and waterskiing
• Horse riding, fishing, walking, golf, sailing and mountain biking are all offered and more information is available from the Swansea Bay Activities Guide.

There is a frequent bus service from Swansea to the Gower. For more information, have a look at the Gower Transport Map and interactive timetable

More information about Gower is available from the Gower page of the Visit Swansea Bay website