As for landscapes, it was magnificent, and we recommend all the places we discovered and that I’m going to tell you about now but… maybe come in summer instead ;-).
Our stops in south Wales (one week):
As I mentioned in the introduction, we were in a campervan, but of course you can take inspiration from the same itinerary if you come by car… For nights, we mostly slept at campsites. I’ll give you the addresses below.The Gower Peninsula: a start that really wows you!
A mum from school recommended the Gower Peninsula to me, and it was excellent advice! What a great introduction to discovering the beauties of the south Wales coast. On the peninsula, we did two stops:- Rhossili Bay: a favourite spot! We did a 2-hour walk there. It was superb! A real end-of-the-world feeling, varied seascapes, beautiful colours… This place is unmissable! We’ll probably go back! Do pay attention to the tide times so you don’t get stuck. After our fresh-air walk, we sat down in the little café at the Lookout.
I’m not the only one with hair blowing in my face in the wind:
This hairstyle is more practical:
- Three Cliffs Bay: also a stunning site! We really started strong! We walked along the whole bay, then stayed overnight at Holiday Park campsite, which overlooks the area. A very good campsite: very friendly welcome, superb spot and a little food truck where we ordered Indian-style wraps (night rate: £35 with shower).
Pembrokeshire: the best-known coastal area
This is the south-western tip at the far end of Wales. It’s probably the most touristy area in summer, but in April there was no one. Here are our stops on this peninsula:- Tenby and its colourful seaside houses: this village is very cute. We did a long walk. Then, at midday, back in the village, we bought seafood to take away and eat on the go while admiring the beach.
- Church Cove: another beautiful spot for a seaside walk, but the rain came down on us, with a few bright spells all the same…
- Whitesands: a lovely beach, a walk along the footpath and a night at Whitesands campsite, where we were alone with a sea view. The site is very simple, with no particular charm, but the view was great (£30 a night). It was the only evening when we managed to eat outside, in the sun (wearing big puffer jackets).
- St Davids: this was the only small disappointment of our stay in Wales. I’d heard so many good things about this village! Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything special about it. No charm, no beautiful architecture… But OK, there is one site to see: St Davids Cathedral! It’s worth it! So yes, make a quick stop in St Davids, but I think it’s unnecessary to linger in the village.
- The Blue Lagoon: not far from St Davids, we liked this spot for a short, peaceful walk…
The Brecon Beacons: for hiking lovers!
The Brecon Beacons are a mountain range that isn’t very high, but high enough for the hikes to be sporty. The landscapes are, once again, magnificent. We didn’t have great conditions for walking, with the wind, rain and sometimes fog. We’re used to hiking, but the weather made the challenge harder! Nevertheless, come what may, we reached the summit of the Brecon Beacons: Pen y Fan! It took us 55 minutes to reach the top in bad weather. The descent was much quicker, so I’d say allow under 2 hours for the round trip.
But where is the summit?
Fortunately, the sky cleared and the panoramic view appeared:
As often, it wasn’t the highest summit that was our best hike: our favourite was Llyn y Fan (2 hrs 45 hike). Look at the landscapes! A great memory, even though I was scared by the power of the wind! Fortunately, Papa Voyage made us do the loop in a direction where the wind couldn’t push us towards the edge. What would we do without his sense of direction!
That same afternoon, we did the 4 Falls (waterfalls) walk: it took us 2 hrs 30, but it isn’t technically difficult. Do be careful, though, if it’s been raining, as the ground could be slippery. The 2nd waterfall and the 4th were our favourites.
While picnicking (in our campervan because of the weather), we stopped near a site we really liked: a bumpy landscape linked to the presence of quarries:
Finally, still in the same area, we visited an old coal mine: Big Pit. It’s a fascinating visit for children! It’s free, and it’s retired former miners who take you around the mine, explaining with emotion the difficulties of this work in their time, and also in the time of their fathers and grandfathers… In short, it’s Germinal, Welsh version!
For camping, we slept several nights at Grawen campsite: nice because it’s very green, but you can hear the road a little (£28 a night).
On the edge of Wales: the River Wye and the Forest of Dean
Here are a few places that are located on the edge of Wales, on the border with England, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other: the River Wye is partly a natural border between the two countries. I wanted to stop there because of the landscapes you can see in the series Sex Education. The riverbed is indeed very charming, although I think it must be even more beautiful in summer or autumn… In summer, holidaymakers like to hire canoes/kayaks to go along the river. We did a long walk along the water, starting from the Symonds Yat Rocks viewpoint (the viewpoint not to be missed). Right at the beginning, we came across, without even having to look for it, the famous big villa where Otis and his mum live in the series: it’s very beautiful, but the filmed images are a bit misleading because you don’t realise it isn’t quite as isolated as that, so in the end no, I didn’t feel like buying it ;-). In fact, I looked it up and apparently you can rent it for a few days as a holiday home. If I’ve understood the geography correctly, the house is on the English bank of the river. About the series, the new season is currently being filmed in Wales again…
We visited Tintern Abbey: a superb abbey, located by the river on the Welsh side. We had lovely light at the end of the day:
During this visit, we discovered that there is a card that lets you visit Wales’s major sites, notably quite a lot of castles (the equivalent of the English Heritage card in England). As the aim of our trip was more about nature and hiking, we didn’t get it, but if you’re planning to visit a few castles, it will quickly pay for itself: see the Cadw website.
In the River Wye area, we slept in a pub car park! Yes, I know, it’s not glamorous, but it’s a handy option in Great Britain in general: not all pubs agree, but most do, so you just need to push the door and ask. The idea is that if you spend money with them, they allow you to stay overnight in their car park and, in the best case, to use their toilets during the night. I won’t give the address of the pub where we stayed, as they don’t do it on a conveyor belt either… It’s on request and perhaps depending on the evening and how busy they are, but I wanted to share the idea in case you’re travelling in a campervan in the UK. Our dinner at the pub, by the fireplace, was actually very good and really comforting after several evenings of having to cook inside the camper.
Finally, just before arriving in Wales, so still in England, we stopped for a lunch picnic in the Forest of Dean. We saw it in all kinds of weather! The road through this forest is really beautiful.
See that sunshine? And yet, here’s the same place ten minutes earlier:
South Wales, in conclusion?
We recommend it! It’s very beautiful! I complained a lot about the weather in this article, but even so, it didn’t spoil my very positive impression of this region! If you have no choice and you come in spring, then don’t worry: I’m sure you’ll enjoy your trip, like we did. You just need to be prepared and properly equipped (jackets, hats, gloves, sturdy shoes, lots of socks…). Especially in a van, it was cold at night. We even had zero degrees! Also, most of the time, we ate inside the van, which I don’t like too much. It’s obviously very cramped. As I’ve said in the past, for me the advantage of a van is more the outside of the van – the terrace in the sunshine :-). If you’re sleeping in a B&B, a rental, or a hotel, the experience will be easier early in the season. In nice weather, van life is truly a plus. On the other hand, for campsites, in high season you need to book. In April, there was no need! We were often alone! In short, you can’t have it all. Finally, there are many other places to discover in south Wales: more hikes in the Brecon Beacons, more coves, more beaches and many castles, so you can stay as long as you like! In one week, we got a lovely, varied and convincing overview that makes you want to go back! In any case, your trip to Wales will be a great wild adventure… under ever-changing skies!***
So? Tempted by south Wales? Do you already know it?