Swansea

The Gower Peninsula's southern coastline unfolds in a series of limestone headlands and sweeping bays that feel like Cornwall's wilder cousin. This stretch of coast around Three Cliffs Bay serves up some of Wales' most dramatic scenery, where golden sand dunes meet jagged rock formations in a landscape that's somehow both rugged and gentle.

Perched above Oxwich Bay, the area offers proper walking country. Little Tor and West Tor provide cracking viewpoints across the Bristol Channel, while the clifftop path reveals hidden coves at every turn. Three Cliffs Bay itself is the showstopper - those distinctive limestone arches rising from the sand like ancient cathedral ruins. Gets busy at weekends, mind, but arrive early and you'll have the place largely to yourself.

Inland, Nicholaston Wood makes for decent rambling through ancient oak and ash, leading down to the medieval ruins of St Nicholas church. The Perriswood Archery & Falconry Centre adds a bit of medieval flair to proceedings, though it's the natural amphitheatre of Tor Bay that really impresses - a sheltered inlet where the water runs turquoise on sunny days.

Getting here requires a car, really. The nearest proper town is Swansea, about 20 minutes' drive northeast, though the market town of Mumbles is closer for supplies. The coastal road can get congested in summer, particularly around Oxwich village.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense for exploring this corner of Gower. You're ideally placed for both the coast path and the peninsula's excellent beaches - Rhossili and Caswell Bay are both within easy reach. Plus you'll avoid the daily drive from Swansea when the car parks fill up by mid-morning.