Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and chances are you'll find a hidden spot. Resort towns are interspersed with extraor-
dinary
castles,
and there are cliff-top walks and boat trips, watersports, and fishing
villages. And the
Pembrokeshire Coast Path
offers a 186-mile walk from Amroth
to Poppit.
THE
best
TRAVEL
EXPERIENCES IN CARDIFF &
THE SOUTH OF WALES
W
Hitting the beach:
Here are some of the world's most stunning stretches of sand:
Almost anywhere on the Gower Peninsula (especially Three Cliffs Bay; p. 703);
Pembrokeshire (the desert island feel of lovely Barafundle Bay; p. 707); craggy
cliff-backed Mwnt, near Cardigan, with its sandy beach and crystal-clear sea
(p. 713); and the dunes and soft white sand of Dyfi National Nature Reserve
(p. 714).
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Going underground:
You appreciate the hard life of the coal miner when you see
the bleak mountainside entrance of the Big Pit, especially when it's covered in
snow. The underground tour, a light strapped to your helmet, takes your breath
away. Go down the pit, too, at Rhondda Heritage Park (also coal) and Dolaucothi
gold mine. See p. 714.
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Storming the castle:
Whether it's Cardiff (a Victorian fairytale reconstruction of
an ancient site; p. 680), Caerphilly (Britain's second largest castle; p. 683), the
impressive Norman fortress of Pembroke (p. 707), or others, the castles here are
all magnificent and wildly different from one another.
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Exploring the countryside:
It's easy to get away from it all here, up mountains, by
lakes, on hills, in valleys, and on coastal cliffs. Stroll along rushing rivers, or drive
down remote roads with jaw-dropping scenery around every turn of gently undulat-
ing pastures, magical forests, and picturesque peaks.
W
Watching the wildlife:
Whether it's a relaxing trip out to spot dolphins in Cardigan
Bay (p. 713), to see nesting cliff birds near Whitesands Bay (p. 711), or watching
red kites circling overhead just about everywhere, there's plenty going on.
18
CARDIFF
155 miles W of London; 110 miles SW of Birmingham; 40 miles SE of Swansea
From the exciting, arty waterfront of
Cardiff Bay
to the growing number of smart
shops in the heart of the city, and from the fairytale fantasy of
Cardiff Castle
to the
Aladdin's cave of the
National Museum and Gallery,
this is a city that combines
the new and old to great effect and demands to be enjoyed over several days. Once
you take in the outskirts (the even more fairytale
Castell Coch,
the rural delights of
St. Fagans: National History Museum,
Newport's Roman remains, and the sea-
side of Penarth or Barry), you've got yourself a real holiday before even venturing
farther afield. This is Europe's youngest capital city, designated as such only in 1955,
although it has long been the country's most important urban center. Even though its
roots can be traced back to 600 b.c., when the Celts invaded Europe, the Cardiff of
today is vibrant. The Victorian indoor market rubs shoulders with the twin, upmarket
malls of St. David's 1 and 2, traditional pubs sit next to modern bars, and you'll find
some very cool hotels
