Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
high, curving ceiling and wood floor. Room prices are realistic, and even a 3-course
dinner costs only £18 Monday to Friday, with £10 bottles of wine available. You can,
however, choose to pay a lot more for the best rooms, which truly are huge, with 6-ft.
beds and 42-in TVs. Across the road, next to the Dylan Thomas Centre, is Morgans
Townhouse, a Georgian house converted into rooms (but without room service).
Somerset Place, Swansea SA1 1RR. www.morganshotel.co.uk.
&
01792/484848.
42 units. £65-£250
double. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; concierge; room service.
In room:
TV/
DVD, hair dryer, Wii (in main hotel), Wi-Fi (free).
Swansea Marriott
Right on the marina with panoramic views over the bay,
this is the safe, international option. Even if it's not the most inspiring building to look
at, inside it's everything you expect from the upmarket chain. Rooms are a decent
size, and modern in a way that would never offend. There's a good pool, with views
over the gardens, a gym, and
Abernethy's restaurant.
Maritime Quarter, Swansea SA1 3SS. www.swanseamarriott.co.uk.
&
800/228-9290
in the U.S. and
Canada, or 01792/642020. Fax 01792/650345. 119 units. £101-£180 double. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; concierge; exercise room; Jacuzzi; indoor heated pool; room service; sauna.
In room:
A/C, TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (£7.50 per day).
18
GOWER PENINSULA
The Gower (in Wales it's often just “Gower”) pokes out from South Wales at the edge
of Swansea. Its coastline starts just past Mumbles, the seaside village at the end of
Swansea Bay. Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with a breathtakingly
beautiful coastline, Gower is all about beaches. Some are huge (Rhossili is 3 miles
long); some are almost exotically picturesque (Three Cliffs Bay is magical); others are
simply unspoiled, clean, and sandy, providing everything you need for a beach vaca-
tion. There are plenty of outdoor activities here. Walking along the coast path is
spectacular, or you can walk across the peninsula following the 35-mile Gower Way.
There's also pony-trekking down to the sea, and watersports. Inland there are woods
to tramp across, including
Park Wood,
near the
Gower Heritage Centre
at Park-
mill (see below), and at
Millwood,
near Penrice, where wild daffodils grow. To the
north, there's a huge network of dunes at
Whitford Burrows
and
Llanrhidian
Sands.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
For train information see Swansea (above), because Gower
starts just outside the city. By road, from Swansea follow Mumbles Road.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Mumbles Tourist Information Centre,
on
Mumbles Road (
&
01792/361302;
www.mumblesinfo.org.uk), is open year-round,
Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm (4pm winter).
GETTING AROUND
Gower has a good bus network; the
Gower Explorer
will
get you to Llangennith, Oxwich, Port Eynon, and Rhossili.
First Cymru
goes to
Oystermouth, Mumbles, Bishopston, and Pennard. For details on both, call
&
0871/2002233,
or visit
www.traveline-cymru.info.
Exploring the Area
Three Cliffs Bay
is believed by many to be the most beautiful beach in
Wales, and it certainly has everything: Fantastic sand, caves, rock pools, a ruined
castle, and the unique three-pyramid rock formation (with its own natural arch),
