South Wales is home to the country’s biggest cities which are lively and vibrant. But, what most people don’t realise, is that the region has plenty more to offer beyond the metropolis of Cardiff and Swansea.
From the captivating scenery of the Gower to the rugged coastlines in the Vale of Glamorgan, I’ve put together this guide to the best places to visit in South Wales, ranked with my favourite at the top.
1. Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a town located just north of Cardiff and takes my top spot as my favourite place to visit in South Wales. Right at the heart of the town is Caerphilly Castle, the largest castle in Wales, and the second largest in the UK, after Windsor Castle.
If you head inside the castle, you can walk along the walls, climb the towers and head inside some of the rooms. But it’s equally impressive from the outside, look for the castle’s iconic leaning tower, known as the ‘leaning tower of Wales’ which out-leans the tower of Pisa.
As well as the castle, Caerphilly has a small-town charm that makes it a delight to explore. You can also head up Caerphilly Mountain (which isn’t a mountain and only takes 20 minutes to reach the summit), walk the Gruffalo Trail at Mountain View Ranch, and pet animals at The Meadows Farm Village.
2. Swansea
Swansea is Wales’ waterfront city and one of the top places to visit, sitting right alongside Swansea Bay with easy access to the beach from the city. In the city, you’ll find lots of things to do including Wales’ largest indoor market, the ruins of Swansea Castle, and lots of beautiful parks.
The city has a ton of museums to visit, including the National Waterfront Museum where you can learn about the city’s past and the Dylan Thomas Centre which tells the story of Wales’ most famous poet and former Swansea resident.
You can explore the city on a walking tour (check out my Wales Guidebook app with self-guided walking tours on Apple and Android) or you can hop onboard the Copper Jack, a public boat that runs along the River Tawe and into Swansea Marina with a knowledgeable guide who will tell you about Swansea’s past at the heart of the copper industry in Britain.
Another benefit of visiting Swansea is that you’ll also have convenient access to the Gower peninsular, which leads me to my next recommendation…
3. The Gower Peninsular
The Gower is the peninsular near Swansea that’s home to beautiful countryside and incredible coastal views.
Here, you’ll find some of Wales’ best beaches including Three Cliffs Bay and Rhosilli Bay. Along the coasts, you’ll find a range of natural formations that are worth seeing including Worm’s Head, a tidal island, and Blue Pool Bay, a natural pool of clear blue water.
There are plenty of small villages to explore along The Gower, including Mumbles which is home to Oystermouth Castle and the iconic Mumbles lighthouse and pier.
As well as some great hikes, the Gower is also a popular spot for coasteering in South Wales, this is where you make your way around the coast by climbing, abseiling, jumping, and swimming.
4. Cardiff
No list of places to visit in South Wales would be complete without mentioning Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.
Some of the top things to do in Cardiff include visiting Cardiff Castle, the medieval fortress which sits at the heart of the city, and exploring the city’s Victorian arcades which are filled with independent businesses from tea rooms to vintage clothing stores.
Cardiff also has an excellent collection of museums, many of which are free to visit. Some of the best ones in the city are the National Museum Cardiff, which tells the story of how Wales and the world evolved, and the Cardiff Story Museum which is all about Cardiff’s history.
I can also recommend spending time down at Cardiff Bay which is my favourite part of the city. Formerly the busy docks that grew Cardiff into the mighty city it is today, this area has been regenerated into a waterfront dining, leisure and entertainment area.
The city also has some excellent nightlife, centered around St Mary’s Street. There are cocktails bars, speakeasy bars, rooftop bars, clubs, and more.
5. Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)
The Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park straddles the border between Mid-Wales and South Wales. There are a huge range of things to do in the Brecon Beacons including visiting caves, horse riding, cycling, and stargazing with it being one of Wales’ Dark Sky Reserves.
Of course, being a national park, there are plenty of mountains with lots of popular walking and hiking routes. The most famous is Pen-Y-Fan, the tallest mountain in South Wales.
A must-visit part of the park is Waterfall Country which is the area around the village of Pontneddfechan. Here, you’ll find a high concentration of waterfalls in one area where several rivers run through the gorges of the rugged terrain.
Some of my favourite waterfalls here include Henrhyd Falls, which is known for featuring as the Batcave entrance in The Dark Knight Rises, and the four waterfalls that make up the Four Falls Trail. This is a circular family-friendly walking route that’s popular with locals and tourists.
6. Fforest Fawr & Castell Coch
Just outside the small village of Tongwynlais, about 15 minutes north of Cardiff, you’ll find Fforest Ffawr, a magical woodland with old mining caves, and a sculpture trail with wooden animal carvings.
But the highlight of the forest has to be Castell Coch (translates as the Red Castle) which is a fairytale-esque castle on the outskirts of the forest.
This castle is what’s known as a folly meaning it was built in the Victorian era but was constructed to look like an original medieval castle. Designed by the architect William Burges the interior of the castle was decorated with extravagant furnishings and looks very similar to Cardiff Castle if you've visited.
This is a paid attraction but it's great value for money. I particularly enjoyed the audio tour which is included with the entrance ticket. It gave lots of information about each room in the castle and pointed out features in the designs that I would have otherwise missed. You can also find more information in my full visitors guide.
7. St Fagans National Museum of History
St Fagans is Wales' biggest and best museum which showcases our rich heritage and cultural traditions in a way that no other museum can.
The highlight of visiting St Fagans is the huge open-air village which has more than 40 historic buildings from different time periods which are open for you to explore.
Some have been taken from other parts of Wales and reassembled whereas others have been recreated based on archaeological evidence of what they would have been like. These include an Iron-age roundhouse, a Tudor traders house, and a Victorian school.
There is much more to the museum including St Fagan’s Castle (which is more like a manor house than a castle) with its impressive gardens and the indoor galleries all about Welsh culture from the traditional Welsh dress to the national football team.
The museum is free to visit, although you'll need to pay for parking. Being mostly outdoors, it's perfect for those with dogs and is sure to keep children of all ages occupied. I would recommend spending the best part of a day here to explore everything the museum has to offer.
8. Chepstow
Chepstow is a town at the southern end of the Wye Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty straddling the English-Welsh border. The town is home to Chepstow Castle, a medieval castle which is one of the oldest surviving stone fortresses in Britain.
However, the most popular attraction for those visiting Chepstow is Tintern Abbey, the ruins of the 12th-century Cistercian monastery (shown above) which have featured in many pieces of literature, including a poem by William Wordsworth.
The abbey is about 10 minutes away by car or you can walk there via the Tintern Abbey and Devil’s Pulpit circular trail which takes 2hrs30 roundtrip.
If you love hiking, you’re in luck as you’ll have access to the walking routes of the Wye Valley, including three national walking trails which start/end in Chepstow.
9. The Glamorgan Heritage Coast
The Glamorgan Heritage Coast is the name of the stretch of coastline between Aberthaw and Porthcawl, known for its unspoilt views and dramatic cliff formations.
I’m including the entire 14-mile stretch as it’s full of incredible places to visit and walking trails.
Two of my favourite spots are Ogmore-by-sea where you can see Ogmore Castle and the stepping stones across the river next to it, and Nash Point, where you can see the majestic lighthouse that was the last manned lighthouse in Wales, only automated in 1998.
If you enjoy walking, I recommend that you check out Vale Trails, these are 10 walking routes across the Vale of Glamorgan, including some along the coastline. There’s an accompanying app that gives information about key landmarks along the route too. Find them here.
10. Abergavenny
Abergavenny is a market town that straddles the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park.
The town is almost surrounded by mountains and makes a great place to stay for exploring the southern part of the National Park, including Sugar Loaf Mountain.
In the town itself, you’ll find the Abergavenny Museum which is set on the grounds of Abergavenny Castle. But if castles are your thing, I recommend heading outside of the town with both White Castle and Raglan Castle within a 15-minute drive of Abergavenny.
11. Newport
Newport is often overlooked in favour of Cardiff and Swansea, but Wales’ third biggest city still has plenty going on to make it a place worth going. I’d avoid the city centre since it’s nothing more than your typical British high street, but there is plenty more to discover around the city.
First off, there’s the National Trust-owned Tredegar House, the former family home of the Morgan family who were a wealthy and influential, yet very quirky, family in Newport.
Also on the outskirts of the city is the RSPB Nature a visitor centre with a café, several walking routes, and the East Usk Lighthouse (which is much smaller than I had imagined!). At the reserve, there are wetlands and reedbeds which is home to wildlife including birds, weasels, butterflies, and rare bees.
Some of the other things to do around Newport include visiting the famous Transporter Bridge (as of 2023, they are building a new visitor centre here), eating at Newport Market, and visiting the Tiny Rebel Brewery to enjoy their award-winning craft beer right where it’s brewed.
12. Barry
Barry is a seaside town in Wales that possesses a distinctive charm and offers you the chance to experience a genuine and unfiltered Welsh culture. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it destination.
The town is best known for Barry Island, a peninsular which is home to its iconic beach and the nostalgic fun fair at Barry Island Pleasure Park. Think candy floss, log flumes, and a ton of amusement arcades in the park and dotted around the area.
However, the top activity in Barry, in my opinion, is Barry Goodsheds. Made from shipping containers and old train carriages, it’s home to independent shops selling gifts, homeware, and clothing. Plus, there’s a food court full of tasty street food including Greek, Italian, Thai, and Spanish.
Of course, Barry was made famous by the BBC TV sitcom, Gavin and Stacey, so many people visiting the seaside town will hop onboard Dave’s Coaches for a tour of the filming locations across the town.
Bonus: Llanelli
Technically, the market town of Llanelli is over in West Wales since it’s in the county of Carmarthenshire. However, it’s only just across the border so I’m including it as a bonus destination.
Llanelli sits on the Loughor estuary and has a huge stretch of sandy beach with a 13-mile walkway and cycleway alongside the promenade.
Also in the town is Llanelli Wetland Centre where salt marshes provide habitats for many different species, including water voles, the only black-headed gulls in South Wales, and an iconic flamboyance of Caribbean flamingos. Yes, you heard right, flamingos in Llanelli.
Just down the coast from Llanelli is Pembrey Country Park, a diverse coastal parkland area with a seemingly endless array of activities on offer. You can relax on the beach at Cefn Sands, play mini golf or footgolf, try your hand at skiing or tubing down the dry ski slope, follow hiking and cycling trails, and even toboggan down Wales’ longest toboggan track.
Related Questions
Should I Visit South Wales?
Yes, everyone should visit South Wales at least once with vibrant cities, majestic waterfalls, and some incredible countryside too. If you're visiting Wales from London as many people do, it's the most convenient to reach with direct public transport and guided tours from the capital too.
What is the Best Time of Year To Visit South Wales?
The best time of year to visit Wales is between April and September, however, keep in mind that July and August will be very busy due to the main school holidays across the UK.
Should I Visit North or South Wales?
Both North and South Wales are great places to visit. You should visit North Wales if you prefer mountainous landscapes where you'll find Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) as well as some of Wales' best castles. However, go to South Wales if you prefer lively destinations with city attractions and nightlife on your doorstep. It's also where you'll find the best waterfalls in the country.
Published: 10 July 2023