Wellbeing Breaks

It’s always important to look after yourself, to make the most of the outdoors and find time to immerse yourself in nature to keep your mind happy and your body healthy

Get together with friends and family, enjoy a meal or a walk together – or a visit to a museum or gallery.

We’ve pulled together some ideas on how you can enjoy a Wellbeing break or day out in Swansea Bay!

A couple walking across Three cliffs in the winter

Walking for wellness

Walking is definitely good for your physical fitness and building bone density, but being outdoors, in nature, is also excellent for your mental wellbeing – improving your mood and lowering anxiety – and if you walk with a friend or in a group it’s also great for your social health!

In Swansea Bay we have a wide range of walks from gentle strolls along the Prom to walking the Gower Way – but it’s not all about the walking, maybe once in a while pause to find shells along the seashore, feel the wind in your face along the Gower Coast Path or stop to watch the seabirds wheeling overhead. Just enjoy the moment and hopefully it will help you find a moment of peace and stillness.

Walking

With nearly 400 miles’ worth of rights of way and the first path to wrap around the coastal border of an entire nation, Swansea Bay offers many memorable walking routes.

Couple walking their dog in winter clothes

Friends forever

It’s well established that the close connection people have with their dogs is beneficial for their health – the companionship and close contact – as well as the need to go for a walk twice a day!

We’ve lots of dog-friendly accommodation and cafés in Swansea Bay where you’ll both be welcomed – and you and your four-legged bestie will be able to enjoy a different walk every day.

Rhossili beach is a great big space for a lovely long walk, or stroll along the Promenade from Swansea to Mumbles (and you can both have a treat when you arrive!).

Image of tall trees

Woodland calm

Walking in woodland through the trees and listening to birdsong is both relaxing and positive exercise, but you could take this a step further into the more mindful experience of forest bathing.

This simple practice of being calm and still in a forest or woods, to benefit your wellbeing, originated in Japan. By clearing your mind of your ‘to do list’ and becoming more aware of the sights, sounds and smells of nature around you – you notice more of the wildlife close by and this could help you to experience a sense of quiet and calmness. Forest Connections can help you explore forest bathing in our green spaces.

And you don’t have to venture into the wilderness – Clyne Country Park is a stone’s throw from the city and Penllergaer Valley Woods is easily accessible from the M4. Our parks and gardens also have wooded sections where you can find some peace and tranquillity.

Parks and Gardens

Parks and gardens spaces are plentiful in Swansea, with over 52 areas to complement its coastline. Calming green spaces, beautiful bedding displays and fun family activities - our parks are a great place to unwind and enjoy the fresh air!

Image of Canal

Back to nature

Make the most of your time outdoors by being mindful of the wildlife around you. If you take a pair of binoculars on your walks – you can spot even more. The time and patience it takes to watch out for wildlife will help to quieten your mind and appreciate your surroundings even more.

Naturalist and TV presenter Iolo Williams has recently taken some nature walks in Swansea and Gower – watch his Swansea Bay Safari videos to pick up some wildlife watching pointers.

Nature and Wildlife

The Swansea Bay area is special when it comes to the nature and wildlife on offer, its geographical location covers coast and countryside, within half an hour you can go from swimming in the sea with seaweed tickling your feet to standing on top of a mountain with buzzards and…

Image of the night sky

Star gazing

Summer nights are a great time for star gazing, wrap up warm, take a blanket, a flask (a midnight snack or two!) and a torch – and experience the utter peace of watching the constellations track across the sky.

Read our Dark Skies page for the best places to go and some lovely pictures and video to whet your appetite for a moonlit stroll. We recommend taking your phone and letting someone know where you are going – or better still take a friend to share your blanket!

Dark Skies

Wales is blessed when it comes to dark skies and those over Gower are considered some of the best in the country for stargazers. 

Exhilarating Outdoors

Perhaps your way of achieving some inner calm is by taking part in some outdoor activity? Whether you enjoy cycling or watersports Swansea Bay can help you get active to unwind.

Boost Your Wellness

These are just a few ways in which you can boost your wellness on a short break in Swansea Bay – but of course, you may have your own ways of boosting your health and wellbeing.

Make Swansea Bay your wellbeing #HappyPlace!

Inspirations

Planning for your next break? Look no further for awesome walks, wildlife and water sports served with a side order of sundaes, seafood and sea views! For outstanding natural beauty and a lively city centre with a strong cultural heart, make Swansea Bay, Mumbles and Gower your new Happy Place.