Best of Gower Peninsula Walk : Visit Rhossili Bay & The Mumbles

Best of the Gower Peninsula

7 Days & 6 Nights

Walk the Gower Peninsula, home to some of Britain’s best coastal scenery
Dramatic promontory at Worm's Head and the award-winning Rhossili Beach
The fashionable and fun town of The Mumbles, gateway to the Gower
Charming and welcoming Welsh villages and local pubs
Salt marshes, freshwater pools, sand dunes and diverse bird and plant life

Walk the Gower Peninsula, Britain’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Explore trails that take you along sand dunes and towering grassy cliff tops, through woods, charming villages and past hidden coves, Iron Age promontory forts and Medieval castles. Immerse yourself in the ancient history of the Gower Peninsula. The first inhabitants recorded here were pre-historic and the oldest modern human remains were discovered in a cave on the south side of the peninsula in 1823. The Normans invaded in the 12th century, leading to instability and troubled times. Nowadays the Gower offers serene and peaceful landscapes, with award-winning beaches, nature reserves and the friendly Welsh people, with their wonderful lilting accents!

What To Expect

If you love walking by the sea and through areas of great natural beauty, staying in welcoming B&B’s and learning about fascinating history, including intriguing tales of piracy and smuggling this tour is a great choice for you. This 7 day/6 night walk is rated moderate, due to the fact that there will be some significant elevation gains and losses as you walk up to the cliffs and down to the beaches and up various hills.

Trip Style:

Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active holiday.

Activity:

Multi Centre Walking | You will spend multiple nights in one or more of the locations on this walking holiday

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Coastal & Island

Grade & Terrain

This tour involves coastal walking, along dunes, beaches, through some wooded areas and on cliff tops and also offers some inland walking on footpaths and bridleways and small country lanes. Some of the walking will be quite flat but at other times there will be ups and downs as you will be walking from beaches up to cliff tops and vice versa, etc. The distances are not so far though, so this tour is walkable for those who have a good level of physical fitness. This tour is rated as moderate.

Please note that depending on where you spend the night, the distances at times may be more or less than listed every day. So please be prepared for longer or shorter walks when necessary.

Navigation

Quite often you will be walking on the Gower Coast Path which is quite well signposted. However at other times, you will be walking on public footpaths and bridleways, so you will have to rely on the detailed route notes that we provide to help you find your way. GPX tracks are also accessible on the Macs Smartphone App, so you can simply follow the route on your phone if you wish. We also provide detailed maps.

Accommodation Information

The accommodations on this tour are mainly comfortable B&B’s and guest houses with the occasional small hotel. They are all warm and welcoming and some may be quite simple, yet always comfortable.

On the Gower Peninsula, accommodation choices can be limited, so at times there are choices of 2 places to stay and we organise the walks so that you can walk from or to either place. Because of this, the walk distances may vary, depending on where you are staying.

Additional Nights

If you wish to add additional nights along the trail or at the beginning and end of your itinerary please contact us. You may choose to add some rest days or extra days where there is plenty of sightseeing.

Solo Walkers & Single Rooms

This holiday is available to solo walkers, although a solo supplement is payable.

If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate your request, although it is not generally possible to secure more than three single rooms in a party. A single supplement is payable.

Included

6 Nights in B&B’s, guesthouses and hotels
6 Breakfasts
Luggage transfers
Transfers to walks as necessary
Detailed Information Pack, route notes, maps, access to the GPX tracks via the Macs Smartphone App
24/7 telephone support from our UK office

Excluded

Travel to Gowerton
Travel from Mumbles
Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
Travel Insurance
Personal Equipment

Extras

Extra night(s)

When To Go

You can start your Gower Peninsula walk anytime between April and October. Please note that if you are planning on booking this tour it is better to do it as early as you can because the B&B’s tend to get full quickly, especially at the weekends, so some flexibility with your start date may be required. Please note that local buses are limited or non-existent on Sundays, if they run at all. When planning your journey please take this into consideration.

Getting to the Start

The closest airport to the start of the walk is Cardiff Airport. You can make your way from Cardiff by taking either a train or bus to Swansea (takes between 2H30and 3H30). From Swansea take a train to Gowerton and from here an included transfer (30 mins) brings you to Llanmadoc/Llangennith. Please let us know your train time arrival as soon as possible after booking so that we can plan your pick-up at the appropriate time. It is also possible to fly into any of the London Airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted). Then make your way into the centre of London to Paddington Station. For further information on train or bus travel please visit the following websites, Trainline or National Rail, Traveline Cymru.

Getting from the End

The Mumbles is easily accessible by bus to Swansea. There are buses every 20 minutes and the journey takes 25 mins. From Swansea take a train to Cardiff. Again check out the websites above for more specific times and schedules.

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes.

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Llanmadoc/Llangennith and overnight

Arrive in Llanmadoc or Llangennith, two quaint villages. You will stay in one or the other depending on availability. Included is a transfer from Gowerton Train Station which is only 30 minutes away. Llanmadoc’s name is derived from St Madoc, a 6th-century saint of Irish origin. The church here is the smallest on the Gower, dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to St Madoc. If you are staying in Llangennith it is nestled between the slopes of three hills; Llanmadoc Hill, Rhossili Down and Hardingsdown.

Enjoy dinner in the local pub tonight.

Overnight Llanmadoc

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Tallizmand Guest House

This is a very great relaxing place to stay. Tallizmand is a beautiful B&B with great accommodation. The rooms are spacious, clean and fresh with en suite bathrooms. The warm and friendly owners could not be more friendly. A packed lunch can be offered upon request but its best to ask for it the night before its needed. There is also a small café run by the local villagers from where you can buy a packed lunch.

Forge Cottage

Forge Cottage, is about 250 years old and has been refurbished to a very high standard. It sits in three quarters of an acre of gardens & orchard. The accommodation consists of just two en-suite bedrooms, so your personal attention is guaranteed. There is one double room and the other room has a single and a double bed so can be used as a double, twin, single or small family room. Both rooms are centrally heated, have tea/coffee facilities and colour TV. WIFI facilities are available at a nominal cost.

Western House B&B

Situated in a characterful house in the centre of the village, within walking distance of the local pub. Pippa and Mike have run this house as a B&B for the last 23 years. The rooms here are colourful and quirky. Each of our guests will receive one of our delicious breakfast options, which includes either a traditional, vegetarian, vegan or continental breakfast. All of our food is locally sourced and all eggs are our freshly laid free range.

Day 2 Walk from Crofty to Llanmadoc/Llangennith on Gower Coast Path 10 miles / 12 km

A short transfer (20 mins) brings you to Crofty, from where you walk beside the salt marshes on the Gower Coastal Path. Check out the ducks, geese and waders, plus wild ponies. Go through the village of Llanrhidian where you pass Weobley Castle. Its existing buildings date back to the 1300s and if you would like to visit it is open to the public between April and October. It has spectacular views over the Llanridhian Marsh.

Cross some stepping stones across Burry Pill (“pill” is a term used in this area to describe a tidal marsh). However, if the tide is high you can take an alternate route through Cheriton. Arrive in Llanmadoc, whose name is derived from St Madoc, a 6th-century saint of Irish origin. The church here is the smallest on the Gower, dates from the 13th century and is dedicated to St Madoc. If your accommodation is in Llangennith, walk along footpaths to this village from Llanmadoc.

Enjoy a warm welcome from your B&B hosts and this evening enjoy a meal in the local pub.

Overnight Llanmadoc

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Tallizmand Guest House

Forge Cottage

Day 3 Loop Walk via Whiteford Nature Reserve and Llanmadoc Hill 10 miles / 16 km Day 4 Walk to Rhossili on Gower Coast Path 10 miles / 12 km

This section of your walk is incredibly varied as you walk through dunes, forests, on cliff tops and along one of the Gower’s finest beaches. Pass Hill Tor, enjoying amazing views over Whiteford Sands and it’s Nature Reserve, which is over 3,000 acres and is home to rare species of butterfly and wildflowers in the early summer.

Continue onto Burry Holms, a small tidal island whose name is Norse in origin, suggesting that it may have been a base for Viking raiders.

Here is where you turn left and walk along the long sandy beach of Rhossili, one of the most spectacular beaches in Britain. Further along the beach you can keep going, or walk along the crest of the ridge above the beach when you reach Hillend. Here you can see numerous ancient stones, evidence that there was a human presence on this peninsula in the Neolithic period (4,000—2400 BC).

Watch the surfers as they ride the waves and pass the Old Rectory, a white house, apparently used by smugglers in the past and now rented out by the National Trust. As you approach Rhossili you can see the iconic tidal headland at Worm’s Head, nicknamed Gower’s “Land’s End”

Before your transfer to either Port Eynon or Oxwich after your walk (20 mins) make sure to sit on the Worms Head Hotel terrace (or inside if the weather isn't being kind) where there are terrific views to absorb while partaking in a local brew.

Overnight Port Eynon

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Rickyard B&B

This B&B is tucked away down a Port Eynon side street and is very quiet. With 3 spacious ensuite rooms, you will enjoy a very comfortable stay here. For breakfast there is a choice of cereals and cooked or vegetarian. Complimentary tea & coffee, plus a flat screen TV is also available.

Oxwich Bay Hotel

In Oxwich there is a small hotel or couple of B&B’s a short walk away, which are part of the same complex. The hotel itself faces Oxwich Bay and is in a fantastic location. Breakfast can be eaten overlooking the bay. Check in at the hotel and they will show you your B&B rooms.

Day 5 Gower Coast Path and Inland Loop Walk, via Oxwich Bay 10 miles / 16 km Day 6 Walk from Three Cliffs Bay to The Mumbles 10 miles / 16 km

After a fortifying breakfast, a short transfer (10-15 mins) brings you to Three Cliffs Bay, one of the most breath-taking views on the whole of the Gower. From here walk through Pennard, passing its ruined castle and along the high cliff tops to Bishopstone Pill, passing around the exposed headland above Caswell Bay. Here is an Iron Age promontory fort and the rest of your trail into The Mumbles proceeds through rugged coastal scenery. At times you walk along the beach, but mostly the trail is on a pleasant surfaced path.

Arrive in The Mumbles, your final destination and whose name dates from the time of the Normans and the castle at Oystermouth which was the dominant feature for many centuries. Walk along the seafront and into the town where there are many restaurants and pubs and where you can dine in celebration of your final night here in Wales. Hwyl Fawr or goodbye!

Overnight The Mumbles

Accommodation

A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.

Langland Road B&B

The Langland B&B offers boutique accommodation just a short walk away from the centre of the Mumbles. It is set in an Edwardian villa which has been completely refurbished. The rooms are all decorated with great care and have a variety of facilities including hairdryers, flat screen TV's, air conditioning etc. They also have hospitality trays with complimentary welsh hot chocolate, bottled water and Welsh Brew Tea. You can also enjoy a delicious full cooked breakfast.

Tides Reach Guest House

Tides Reach is an elegant, comfortable and spacious guest house facing the sea and overlooking the promenade, with uninterrupted views to Mumbles lighthouse and Swansea Bay. It offers a variety of uniquely decorated and furnished rooms – 2 standard doubles, a superior double, family room and two with sea views. Every room features crisp white sheets and down duvets and pillows. All rooms have high ceilings and decorative detail and are decorated to a high standard with elegant furnishings and thoughtful touches to ensure that our guests feel at home during their stay.

Our delightful and airy breakfast room boasts exceptional views across the Swansea Bay towards Mumbles Lighthouse. Retaining the elegant style of the surroundings, it allows you to dine in comfort and in a relaxing atmosphere, whilst gazing at the ever-changing view.

Guests can opt to start with a variety of cereals, fruit choices, fruit juices, yogurts or toast whilst waiting for their cooked breakfast with unlimited tea and coffee to enjoy.

Patricks with Rooms

Patricks with rooms is an established family run Restaurant with rooms. The 5-star rooms at Patricks are stylishly decorated with rich fabrics and modern art. Each room has a luxury bathroom, and a flat-screen TV with a DVD player and iPod dock.

Patricks Restaurant serves modern British cuisine and fresh local seafood. The elegant Lounge Bar offers indulgent afternoon teas and fine wines, and full English breakfasts are served daily.

Day 7 Departing Point: The Mumbles