People's Park

The moment you step into People's Park, you feel the city drop away. It's a proper lung of greenery in the middle of Swansea - 60-odd acres of woodland, meadow and water that genuinely surprises you when you realise how close you are to the town centre.

You get two lakes here, and they're the draw for most visitors. The walking routes loop around them both, taking anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours depending on how slow you meander. The water pulls in waterfowl year-round - ducks, geese, herons if you're lucky - and the paths are wide enough that you don't feel crowded even on decent weather weekends.

Families will get solid value from this. Kids can burn energy on the trails, feed the ducks (bring bread from your caravan if you must, though proper duck pellets are kinder), and there's enough variety that they won't get restless halfway through. Older walkers and bird-watchers appreciate the quieter corners, especially early morning when everything's still.

It's free entry and open year-round, though obviously spring and summer are when the place truly sings. Allow a couple of hours minimum if you're actually going to walk it properly rather than just scanning from the car park.

If you're staying out at Whiteford Bay - about six miles south - this makes an excellent morning outing before heading to the coast. Swansea itself has better attractions than this, but as a filler day activity when the weather's being kind, it's well worth the twenty-minute drive.