What to do in Wales
Wales is a great place for family holidays as well as activity orientated short breaks. There's plenty of things to do and here you can find some info on the activities available to you.
South West Wales is a land of lakes, rivers and coastline. It boasts many National Parks and scores of golf courses. Whether you are looking for a mountain biking holiday or a relaxing family break walking some of the many long distance trails - South West Wales can deliver.
Family fun days out are everywhere. Here are some examples - take your pick.
About this Page
Listed below is a whole bundle of information about local attractions or days out. This has been grouped by interest to help you sift through the various suggestions.
Many of these attractions have been visited by our guests, others have not and are provided here for your convenience to save you spending hours trawling the plethora of websites.
As you can see, a week's break will never be enough! If you find something of interest & want to know more, follow the links provided by hovering over the highlighted & underlined text which will take you to the website of that attraction or venue. This has been set up so that the website will open in a new window.
If you find any broken links, please let us know so that we can mend them. This can sometimes happen if the web page changes location on the providers site.
Enjoy planning!
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Parks, Nature Reserves & Gardens
Nearby & inexpensive Pembrey Country Park offers plenty of activities & facilities for families. Take a go & try out your skills on the dry ski slope or toboggan run. If that's too much activity, then opt for a train ride, a game of pitch & putt or crazy golf, and let the kids burn off some energy in the adventure playground. A visitor centre and restaurant are also on site.
Fancy a walk or cycle? Then enjoy the Millennium Coastal Path - right on your doorstep - 22 kms of traffic free cycle & walking pathway with spectacular sights from along it's length. Use the bikes provided to get a taster and take a picnic for a longer day out. Pop into the Discovery Centre for more information about the area or to grab a snack.
If that's not to your liking, get your sea legs on and take a boat trip out from Tenby Harbour and see Caldey Island. Here you can visit Caldey Abbey, home of Cistercian Monks. The monks farm this little island and produce revenue from sales of Caldey Island perfume & chocolate. Whilst you're here, enjoy looking around the medieval priory, lighthouse & museum. To remember your day, buy a souvenir or two from the gift shop. And before you leave have some refreshment in the tea garden.
Take a trip to Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park. This is located on a stunningly beautiful headland overlooking the nature reserve of Cardigan Island. Breeding and living in the caves here is a colony of Atlantic Grey Seals. You can view them at close quarters most days.
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in Llanelli has various areas of natural habitat for a variety of birds & fowl. There are events throughout the year and the centre has a shop & restaurant on site.
For several hundreds years of history, visit the Aberglasney Gardens which is approximately 20 miles away. The main house is steeped in history and there are beautiful formal gardens, such as the Walled Garden, the Ninfarium, Cloister Garden, the Yew Tunnel and many more. There is a shop and café/restaurant on site also.
Dinefwr Park also provides beautiful gardens designed and executed by Capability Brown in the 18th century. This is located near the lovely town of Llandeilo where you can find a traditional sweet shop selling childhood favourites and delicious ice creams.
Visit the National Show Caves Centre in the Brecon Beacons National Park & learn how to tell your stalactite from your stalagmite! See various caves, shire horses, an iron age village, dinosaurs, stone circles and more! An educational fun day out, north of Swansea.
Very close by is the WWT National Wetlands Centre in Llanelli, which was opened in the early nineties & covers an area of some 500 acres. For the dedicated bird watcher this place must be paradise as there are scores of sightings of dozens of species of birds such as Greenshank, Black Tailed Godwit, Wigeon, Greylag, Spoonbill, Pintail, Perguin & snipe to name just a few!
The Gower Coast National Nature Reserve near Swansea takes in the Worms Head tidal island. It has varied plant life and many species of birds making it their breeding ground. Cliff top walks require caution, but the views are wonderful.
For something a little different & to take in some history too, a visit to Aberdulais Falls in Neath offers a pleasant change. The power from the falls operates Europe's largest electricity generating waterwheel. There are also a static tin man exhibition and interactive turbine house display.
Carmarthenshire is a magnificent place for naturalists (No! not the people that like to not wear clothes - that's Naturists!). There are almost 40 nature reserves in Carmarthenshire alone and these reserves are the home to hundreds of different species of wildlife, especially birds. A detailed listing of bird watching sites can be found on the Carmarthenshire Bird Watching site where it not only tells you where to see them, but also what species are resident or visiting the reserves. Another useful site which details what birds can be seen where is the RSPB website.
Further nature reserves which are further away can be found on this useful website - Countryside Wales UK
Activity - Water Related
Water Sports/Boats
Boat Fishing Wales offers pleasure cruises, & sea bass fishing trips operating from Burry Port harbour. Fully licensed crew and boats assure you of safe passage. Carmarthen Bay offers the premier bass fishing location in the UK.
Learn to Jet Ski or windsurf during your holiday with us. Swansea Watersports offer courses on various water based activities and operate in Swansea (about 30 minutes away by car). Courses are run for all levels from absolute beginner to expert and all training is carried out by RYA accredited personnel.
If you fancy trying your hand at Kite Riding, then Gower Kite Riders operating at various locations on the Gower peninsula, can help you do just that. From an initial taster lesson to more advanced tuition, you may be able to kite ride your way back to Llanelli!
Another operator offering a wide variety of water sport activities is Euphoria Sailing based in Oxwich bay on the Gower peninsula. Take a look at their site to see if there is anything that takes your fancy.
If you don't want to travel to the Gower, then Kayak, Canoe & Archery based in Llanelli might be a good choice.
For further water sport operatives please visit Breakout Adventure.
Fishing
If a more gentile approach to water sports suits you better, then perhaps you'd enjoy a spot of freshwater fishing.
Close by is Sylen Lakes offering 24 hour coarse fishing for Bream, Tench, Roach Rudd & others.
Garnffrwd Trout Fishery is near Carmarthen and maintains a well stocked fishery with brownies, Tiger Trout & Monster Rainbows.
To the east of Llanelli you will find White Springs Fishery voted Britain's No1 Fishery by Anglers Mail. Offering a choice of six lakes to fish from, this venue offers a great deal of amenities.
You could also try out Lower Lliw Reservoir if it's Trout you are after. Telephone 01437 532694 for further details. This venue is located in Felindre, Swansea.
For more comprehensive information about where to find certain fish varieties, take a look in this useful guide.
Activity - Land Based!
Horse Riding & Racing
There are several opportunities to go pony trekking or horse riding in Carmarthenshire.
On the Swansea side there is Parc-Le-Breos - a family run centre with over 35 years experience. It is sited around a 19th century hunting lodge set in 70 peaceful acres - once the deer park of William de Breos Norman Lord of Gower.
To the west of Llanelli you can find the Marros Riding Centre. This offers horse riding for all the family. ABRS, WTRA, WTB approved and Pony Club Centre providing tuition, hacks, own-a-pony days and beach rides.
At Pembrey you can find Cowin Equestrian Centre where you can try out with starter lessons to see if this is the activity for you! If you are already an experienced rider, they can provide training to further enhance your skills.
Enjoy a ‘dual day' out at Palecwrt Equestrian Centre where the younger ones can learn to ride or improve their technique whilst the adults can learn to clay pigeon shoot in the shooting ground (and no, it does not appear to scare the horses!).
If on the other hand you prefer to watch - then take a visit to the newly opened Ffos Las Racecourse- about a 15 minute drive away. If you've never been to a horse race before, Ffos Las offer special race days for just £23 per person. This includes a behind the scenes tour, a £5 bet on the Tote and lunch! Incredible value for a fun day out - but please check their fixtures list and booking in advance is required.
Cycling
Cycling can be as gentile or as rugged as you want!
Guests of Beachlands Holidays have free use of bicycles and our holiday homes are located right on the Millennium Coastal Path which was built on land reclaimed from the areas heavy industrial past. It stretches for 22kms and runs from Pembrey Country Park along to beyond The National Wetlands Centre. It provides traffic & free level cycling with plenty of vantage points along the way.
There are dozens of routes available in the Llanelli area and many of these can be found on the Carmarthenshire County Council website, many of which are traffic free. Other easy routes can be found on the Routes 2 Ride website.
Don't forget, that our guests have shared use of bicycles on a rota basis. We have 2 x adult bikes and 2 x ‘tweenager' bikes (suitable for older children aged 10+). All bikes have Hybrid tyres which mean they are suitable for on road & light terrain off road use.
Additional cycles or different size bikes can be inexpensively hired from Merlin Cycle Tours who have a cabin just 500 metres away from the accommodation.
Walking
Of course, any of the cycle paths can be followed by walking enthusiasts. For more detailed information and maps please check out the Walking World website which will help you plan your time.
The countryside in Carmarthenshire is beautiful and should not be missed. Many walks take you into areas with historical interest and you will find ordnance survey maps available for your use in both properties.
Perhaps you'd like to join in with the Llanelli Festival of Walks which happens every springtime. It's a great tradition and is on for 3 days in May with six various walks planned on each day.
Ordnance survey maps are provided for your use in our holiday homes to enable you to simply ‘go off road' wherever you fancy. It is however advisable to make sure the weather is going to be fine and that you have food & water should your walk take you further than anticipated!
You can download walks from the National Trust website where there are several stunning routes within a half hour car ride from the accommodation. Covering Carmarthenshire, the Gower and beyond, there is plenty of wonderful scenery to see.
Golf
Wales was home to the Ryder Cup in 2010 so this will give you an idea of how important golf is to Wales.
Thankfully for most of us though, there are many less daunting courses locally ranging from 9 or 18 holes and on different terrain. Some also have driving ranges to practice the swing!
On the doorstep is the fabulous Jack Nicklaus designed Machynys Peninsular Golf & Country Club. Open to non members, this course is of links championship standard.
Within a 45 minute drive there are at least another 17 golf courses. Probably one of the most well know is the Ashburnham- a challenging par 72 links course, just 4 miles from Llanelli.
Another is Glyn Abbey- par 70 parkland course and just 5 miles north of Llanelli and a little further away is the Carmarthen Golf Club where there is an 18 hole par 71 moorland course.
Also in Carmarthen is the Derllys Court Golf Club offering a par 70 parkland round. Or try your hand on the Parc Garnantcourse in Ammanford which is a par 72 hillside course. The challenge here is to stop the balls rolling downhill!
For details of plenty of other courses in the area or further afield, please visit this site - Visit Wales and define your search to produce a comprehensive list of courses nearby. Alternatively, take a look at this guide which focuses on courses in Carmarthenshire alone.
Adrenalin, Theme Parks & Action!
Nearby Pembrey Park will be the home of a brand new Go Ape! adventure centre opening in March this year. Built on the site of an old munitions factory, this new course incorporates brick tunnels that you can walk through - apart from those that have been made into bat habitats of course! Booking is advisable and this new location is booking ahead now.
If something more combative is of interest, there many paintballingcentres not too far away. There are several paintball parks close by in Llanelli & Kidwelly with other more extreme forms of mock combat further afield.
Try your hand at Quad Biking or off road 4 x 4just 15 minutes away from your holiday home. Catering for adults and children from the age of 12, this is sure to please! If however, you have younger children and want to take part as a family, have a ride on an Agrocat which seats 5 passengers. Or try visiting K Quads who do cater for younger children who want a hands on experience of this exhilarating activity.
For a fun theme park day out, visit Oakwood& take a few white knuckle rides to get the adrenalin pumping. Oakwood offers something for all ages, and level of thrill. Ideal for the whole family and only a half an hour car ride away.
Discover dinosaurs right here in Wales at The Dinosaur Park, near Tenby! A great day of discovery for all the family plus lots of other activities and rides.
Alternatively, somewhere great for the younger ones & a firm favourite of our guests is Folly Farm. This is a great place for a fun packed day out for the children - and if they are happy, then everyone is! Visit the zoo, have a ride around on the land train, ride a horse on the carousel, or have a picnic.
Gwili Railway has been used for period TV dramas & films - this is the only standard gauge steam railway in the UK. Children love the special Thomas the Tank days & the whole day out brings a bit of nostalgia to our high speed & high tech lives.
Another great family activity centre is Heathertonnear Tenby. Packed with great rides and activities for all ages. Beat dad to the line on the bumper boats, or watch the chequered flag go down on the huge indoor scale model car raceway track. Try not to lose granddad in the Maize Maze as you may need him to help you find your way out! Adults can take in a round of golf, learn archery, or the whole family can have a game of baseball.
Perhaps for the occasional wet day, venture to Narbeth to the Blue Lagoon Water Park where you will find an indoor nautical adventure. A giant pool with wave machine and geysers provide fun filled bathing. Wind you way along the Lazy River, splash down the flumes or bubble away in the spa pools. Who cares what the weather is like outside!
Closer by is the modern LC (Leisure Centre) in Swansea offering a great water filled day for all the family. Shute's & flumes, pools and spas, the LC has some state of the art surf rider experiences and the impressive Master Blaster (from experience this is great fun, if not a tad painful on the nether regions!)
No trip to Wales would be complete without a trip to the famous Pemberton's Chocolate Farm where tours are carried out showing how the chocolates are made. Indulge yourself in the Comfort Food Cafe before leaving - via the farm shop of course!
Historical Interest
History
Wales has more than plenty to offer if you love history. Locally, there is so much to see & to learn about the journey through time this beautiful part of the world taken.
Llanelli's history is one of industrial revolution making the town a major player in the steel & copper industries. For almost 200 years, the steel & copper works dominated the coastline here with its tall chimneys and tin works, gaining the town nicknames such as ‘Tinopolis' & ‘Sospan' (saucepans were also a major export of the town). During the period from the 19th century and into the 20th, the coastline from here to Pembrey was a bustling string of factories, power stations, mines and mills, producing a vast range of products for export all over the world. At this time, Llanelli attained world recognition for producing 50% of the supply of tin to the world.
During the period of industrial growth, many entrepreneurs were permitted to develop the lovely coastline and countryside into large swathes of polluting manufacturing premises without any restrictions being applied. The local people welcomed this industrialisation as it created wealth for the area and despite the environmental damage it caused, gave them jobs and an income. Thankfully, enormous investment has been made into the area & significant regeneration continues to flourish and brings with it the wonderful tapestry & diversity of what we have today.
To see what it was like long before the chimneys, mines and smelts take a journey or two to some of the following places.
Castles
The closest is at Kidwelly where the castle is a remarkable testament to the skills of the 12th century men who created it. Still greatly intact it is one of the finest castles to be seen & has commanding views over the countryside.
Carreg Cennencastle near Llandeilo is sited high on a sharp hilltop providing stunning views. Beleived to have been built in the 13th century, it's a hard climb to reach the castle, but boy the view is worth it!
Located on the River Taf estuary is the famous Laugharne Castle which looks out to sea. The area is probably better known as the place where Dylan Thomas lived, but the area has much older roots and provides plenty to see on a day trip.
South west of Carmarthen lies Llansteffan Castle which is between the Tywi estuary and the rolling Welsh countryside. The village of Llansteffan also boasts some pretty houses and shops. The beaches below large & golden and offer up a great harvest for cockle gatherers .
The Swansea area offers up Oxwich Castleon the Gower peninsula but it is really more of a Tudor mansion house. Though with the castellation, it's easy to see why it has earned the ‘castle' label. On the other hand, Oystermouth Castle is a magnificent & impressive sight & perhaps worth a combined visit.
There are many more castles in Wales, and some of these don't even look like castles any more, but there is much to see & learn from the Castles of Wales website.
Museums
History can be viewed in other forms too. Our area has many Museums depicting many historical domains. You can visit a toy museum for some nostalgic moments - imagine what the kids faces would be like when you show what you played with when you were their age!
What about the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea? See vehicles from the industrial revolution age, learn about how people lived, worked & played.
The Kidwelly Industrial Museum exhibits the industrial past. With displays showing how tin was mined and made into products.
The Parc Howard Museum tells of the rise of Llanelli from a small village to a major tin producing area in the 1800's. It also boasts a fine collection of 'Llanelly' Pottery.
The Dylan Thomas Boathouse is a museum of sorts and tells about how this talented writer drew inspiration from his surroundings to write some of the worlds best literature.
For something completely different, take a journey to the Pendine Museum of Speed at Pendine. Learn about how the land speed record was attempted and see ‘Babs' the famous racing car in which Parry Thomas lost his life trying to beat the previous record set by Malcolm Campbell.
Additional Useful Links
Although this is a traditional looking site, West Wales offers loads of information and links to other sites and is well worth a visit.
Where Can We Go- this is a great site for finding out about events in the Llanelli area. Simply type in the Llanelli postcode (SA15 2) and search by activity type. The Best Of also lists events etc in and around the Swansea area.
If you just want to take a look at some lovely photographs of the area and find out about events, then please take a look at this site which has some fantastic information and images of Carmarthenshire.
Crafts are in abundance in this area as well, but often not well advertised as the artisans often do not have websites which is the way most of us find things these days. A comprehensive guide can be found of crafts in this area by following this link.
Mumbles.co.uk is a site principally showing details about what you can see & do in Mumbles & Swansea which is about 30-40 minutes way by car. It does however have a page on activities in these areas which you may want to consider. Similarly, there is another site giving details of what to do on the Gower peninsula and around Swansea.
Swansea Grand Theatre hosts many top shows and plays. Take a look at the website to see if there is anything that tickles your fancy.
Another site detailing ideal places to take children is Day Out With the Kids. Simply enter an area or postcode (SA15 2).
For local events and days out in South West Wales visit this site which also which tells you about activities, events & local attractions.
For more outdoor activities, give this site a look - As Wild As You Want It - the clue is in the domain name!
Fancy leaving the car behind? Then check out this site - Travel Direct - which details how you can get from A to B easily using train, bus or other modes of transport.
Perhaps you fancy learning how to Clay Pigeon Shoot?Why not try your hand (& eye!) out at Brondai Shooting Ground near Ammanford.
Eating out?Then apart from local restaurants, of which there are many, this useful guide will help you decide. This site also lists some lovely unusual shops in the Carmarthenshire region - including a real favourite - Heavenly in Llandeilo where the sweet tooth can be satisfied time and time again!
You can also see from this site (Sugarvine.com) just how many places there are in and around Llanelli to eat out! This list does not constitute a recommendation, but there are reviews by customers on many of the eateries. A new 'destination' in Llanelli town centre is the Vista Lounge which is very up-tempo and contemporary.
Further information about the area can be found on the I Know Wales website or on Tourist Information Wales pages. A new guide about Carmarthenshire is also being developed which will help you discover more.
Many Tears Animal Rescue Centre
If, like us, you are an animal lover, please take a look at the Many Tears Rescue Centre near Llanelli.
Many Tears takes in ex -breeding dogs & un-wanted pound dogs knowing that when they go into Many tears, their stay will be a happy one with good food, medical care, a comfy warm bed with plenty of walks, & lots of love.
Many Tears has a "no kill policy" and will keep their animals until they can rehomed. They often have to spend a great deal of money in treating conditions and ailments that many of the animals arrive at the centre with, and as such the centre is always in desperate need of funds.
They have a very comprehensive website which tells you all about them, the animals looking for new 'forever homes', and about the ways in which we can all help. Make sure you have some tissues at hand as the first visit is often a tearful one!
They even have an eBay shop where you can buy virtual cans of food, Many Tears merchandise and toys for your own pets at very inexpensive prices.
If you fancy a walk one day during your stay with us, they always welcome visitors & would be very pleased if you could help by walking a dog for them. We're sure you will then see first hand (as we did when we visited), what a fantastic job they do and how well the animals are looked after once they arrive at the centre.
Thanks for reading!
