South Wales is quite a big area and distinct from the North. In the North more people will speak the Welsh language, but in the South this was less likely in my experience.
My earliest memories of South Wales was visiting Pembroke on family holidays. It was a beautiful location and an alternative to Cornwall and Devon.
A bit later we visited The Gower peninsula. This too was beautiful and had good beaches, and not quite so far to drive.
As well as beaches South Wales has a fair few castles sprinkled about, so is good for history, check out this link for some of them. Caephilly is one that sticks in my memory with its askew keep.
Later trips to South Wales for me were with work. I was based in both Swansea and Cardiff and had to drive around those areas. I was able to pick my own accommodation and explored quite a bit more of the South.
A couple of places I enjoyed staying were The Mumbles and Porthcawl. The Mumbles is next to Swansea and a nice beach resort. The Gower is just beyond this. Porthcawl was quite a small resort and I got a super good value B&B just by the sea shore. I could hear the waves lapping against the sea wall from my bed.
Swansea is a lively town, and some good pubs to check out. Swansea Bay is a several mile long stretch of beach and I enjoyed walking along the beach front. I would be happy to go back there.
Cardiff, Wales capital city has plenty going on, and good for a few nights stay. The castle is impressive and if you want to know more the Visit Cardiff website has plenty of details.
If you are coming from the South of England, the Severn bridge is an interesting route to the area. I believe the toll has now been removed. From other parts of England I would come via the M50 then past Monmouth. If you’re already in North Wales there are several roads to the South including a coastal route to Pembroke or through the Brecon Beacons which could be a nice drive.
South Wales is not all beautiful beaches, there is also the industrial side with old mines and the steel works at Port Talbot. Port Talbot is a pretty huge complex and makes an interesting contrast to the rest of the area with its landscape of metal and docklands.
Main image : Huw Long (cc)
