Clyne Wood

The woodland floor at Clyne Wood is thick with moss and rotting leaves - proper primeval stuff for somewhere just outside Swansea. This is a serious forest walk rather than a manicured country park, with dense broadleaf woodland that feels properly wild even though you're barely twenty minutes from the city centre.

There are marked trails threading through the trees, taking you past streams and over boggy sections where the ground squelches under your boots. On a wet day - which in Carmarthenshire is most days - it's atmospheric and moody. On a sunny afternoon it's genuinely lovely, with dappled light filtering through the canopy and the woodland floor carpeted in bluebells come spring.

This is walker territory. Bring proper footwear and expect muddy paths. Kids who like scrambling through undergrowth and building dens will have a ball here for a couple of hours, but if you're after manicured trails and picnic benches, look elsewhere. The forest is free and open access, which is refreshing - no entrance fees or opening hours to worry about.

If you're based at one of the caravan parks nearby - Gowerton Caravan and Motorhome Club is just three and a half miles away - it's a solid half-day excursion. Worth combining with a walk along Swansea Bay itself rather than making it your whole day. The woodland gives you what forests should: peace and mud and the smell of damp earth. Nothing fancy, just honest walking.