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South Wales

From Wikitravel

Contents

• Regions
• Cities and towns
• [+] Other destinations
  • National parks
  • Designated areas of outstanding natural beauty
  • Castles
• Understand
• Talk
• Get in
• [+] By car
  • By train
  • By plane
  • By boat
  • By bus
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Eat
• Drink
• Stay safe
• Get out

South Wales is in the United Kingdom.

[edit] Regions

[edit] Cities and towns

Cities

Cardiff (Glamorgan) - the capital of Wales
Newport (Monmouthshire) - Wales' third-largest city
Swansea (Glamorgan) - Wales' city by the sea and second-largest urban center - spectacular sandy beaches
St Davids (Pembrokeshire) - Britain's smallest city and home to Wales' most important cathedral

Towns

Carmarthen (Carmarthenshire) - market town
Chepstow (Monmouthshire) - medieval walled town with castle, and gateway to the Lower Wye Valley
Fishguard (Pembrokeshire) - ferry crossing to Rosslare in Ireland
Monmouth (Monmouthshire) - birth place of King Henry V (of Battle of Agincourt fame)
Tenby (Pembrokeshire) - medieval walled town and elegant seaside resort

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] National parks

Pembrokeshire National Park

[edit] Designated areas of outstanding natural beauty

Gower Peninsula (Swansea)

[edit] Castles

Caerphilly in Caerphilly - has a leaning tower
Carmarthen in Carmarthen - the ruins of Carmarthen Castle are in the town centre
Carreg Cennen Castle - imposing castle near Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire
Chepstow in Chepstow
Llansteffan near Carmarthen
Manorbier near Tenby
Oxwich at South Gower, Swansea - near Oxwich Bay
Oystermouth at Mumbles, Swansea - commanding views over Mumbles and Swansea Bay
Pembroke in Pembroke
Pennard at Pennard, Swansea - the ruins of Pennard Castle overlook Three Cliffs Bay
Picton near Haverfordwest
Swansea - the ruins of Swansea Castle are in the city centre
Weobley at North Gower, Swansea - the castle offers views over the Loughor Estuary to Carmarthenshire

[edit] Understand

South Wales is a very mixed area. There is stunning pastoral scenery in many parts of South West Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan near Cardiff and the Wye Valley in the historic county of Monmouthshire. Wales' two largest cities, Cardiff and Swansea, are both located in the historic county of Glamorgan and offer an excellent selection of stores, restaurants and entertainment opportunities. The coast around Pembrokeshire and the Gower Peninsular in Swansea, in particular, have stunning coastal paths and sandy beaches, and the area boasts an abundance of castles. In addition, South Wales has a proud industrial heritage, with Port Talbot being a major steel processing town, while the valleys in central Glamorgan were once the center of the Welsh coal mining industry. Since the 60s, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire have been very popular with people involved in alternative and counter culture; consequently South West Wales has become home to many communes and organic farms.

[edit] Talk

Welsh is commonly spoken is Carmarthenshire and north Pembrokeshire, but is used much less in South Pembrokeshire, Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. English is spoken throughout the region.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By car

M4 motorway from London to near Carmarthen

[edit] By train

Great Western runs a main line service from London to Swansea, with stops in Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend, Port Talbot and Neath. Arriva Trains covers the rural areas west and north of Swansea.

[edit] By plane

There is an international airport at Cardiff and a small airport serving private planes at Swansea

[edit] By boat

There are regular car ferry services to Ireland from Fishguard, Pembroke, and Swansea.

Swansea offers mooring facilities for around 700 boats at the city's marina.

[edit] By bus

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport are connected to the National Bus Company network linking them to other major UK cities

[edit] Get around

Trains connect all the main centers of population, and a local bus network links the the stations to the smaller communities in the area.

[edit] See

Coastal scenery - Gower Peninsular, Millennium Coastal Path in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire

Castles - Caerphilly, Cardiff, Kidwelly, Oystermounth in Swansea, Pembroke

Museums and galleries - Cardiff, Swansea, Newport

Picturesque small towns/villages - Llandovery, Tenby and Oxwich, Port Eynon and Rhosilli on the Gower Peninsular.

[edit] Do

hiking - Carmarthenshire, Gower Peninsular, Pembrokeshire
swimming - Swansea, Tenby
water sports - Swansea
festivals - Cardiff, Swansea
work on organic farms - Wales is home to many communes and organic farms, and WWOOF can arrange for volunteers to work for free at some of these places in exchange for room and board. It is an excellent way to experience life in the Welsh country-side, make friends and, at the same time, learn a little about organic farming.

[edit] Eat

Lava bread is a puree made from seaweed and eaten for breakfast. It is a specialty of the Swansea area.

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport offer the greatest number and best quality of restaurants.

[edit] Drink

Cardiff, Swansea and Newport have a multitude of bars and cafes.

[edit] Stay safe

South Wales does not have a high crime rate, though like anywhere is in the UK, caution is required, especially in urban areas.

[edit] Get out

Bristol and Bath are just across the Severn Bridge.

Boat trips linking Swansea and Penarth with north Devon run during the summer months.