Michela Zamuner, regular contributor to the Italian travel website Nuok, has explored travel destinations all over the world. But after taking in the breath taking views of Rhossili Bay on a recent trip to the area, Michela was left with a taste for the great Welsh coastline.
As an Italian coming from Venice, I’m pretty used to beautiful beaches and pretty seaside cities. This is why I didn’t expect to be blown away by the Gower coastline – and how wrong I was!
Having lived in Cardiff for quite a while, exploring the surrounding areas is something that has always been on my bucket list. Seeing Swansea’s beaches ranked among the best in the UK and Europe intrigued me, and given how close they all are to Cardiff, I thought it was definitely worth a trip.
Our little road trip started on a bright, sunny morning – the perfect weather for a bit of exploration! Visiting the best bits of Swansea Bay was really accessible by car – get off the motorway and you’re in Mumbles before you know it. Walking along Mumbles promenade made for a nice introduction to the coastline. The city is full of little boutique shops and sights along the way, where the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. There’s even a slice of home for me with Verdi’s ice cream parlour right on the waterfront.
After our short stroll, we headed west along the coast to the wonderful Three Cliffs Bay. Tucked away between – you guessed it – three cliffs, there’s a slightly challenging walk down the beach, but it shows off the nature and scenery of the place brilliantly. On the sand you’ll come across a mix of rock formations, small caves and, if you’re as lucky as I was, some majestic horses. Being a passionate rider, this is an adventure I’m definitely planning for my next trip!
Once we got back up the hill, we were westward-bound again to Rhossili Bay. This is the highlight of a trip to Swansea – a sprawling beach backed up on one side by unspoilt rolling hills, and by magnificent cliffs on the other. The sight of Rhossili Bay left me honestly speechless – as much as we do have great beaches in Italy, this was one of the most stunning I’ve ever seen.
If you’re there late in the day, you can get some absolutely spectacular shots of the sun falling away behind the cliffs and its worth walking right to their edge to experience the bay from every possible angle. It gets pretty steep in places, so after walking around we took a break at the traditional pub The Worm’s Head, to enjoy a nice drink with some nibbles while overlooking an incredible sunset.
This really was a world-class trip and the best part is that it’s all doable in a day. Even though I have yet to explore the UK’s coastline extensively, I’m pretty sure that topping Three Cliffs and Rhossili Bay will be close to impossible. If somewhere is as beautiful as Italia it’s pretty hard to beat!
