A coastline loved by poets

“It’s one of the loveliest sea-coast stretches in the whole of Britain” said Dylan Thomas. A ‘townee’ at heart, he was rarely far from a café or a pub, but even he could not resist the sobering majesty of the “beautiful peninsula”.

Since then, Gower has captured the imagination of travellers from across the world. Rhossili Beach, voted one of the best coastlines in the world by National Geographic, brings far-flung visitors in search of its wide-open sands and salt-stung air.

The golden giant of Rhossili

“It’s a great, hulking, giant of a beach.”

That sweeping five-mile arc of sand is central to Gower’s magic. Uninhibited and immense, Rhossili seems to stretch forever, broken only by the blackened ribs of the Helvetia, a shipwreck whose skeletal remains still reach towards the sky like a long farewell.

From the village of Llangennith, walkers head east towards Worm’s Head. This serpentine outcrop, with its humpbacked spine, juts defiantly into the sea. The three-hour scramble from neck to nostril is challenging but wholly rewarding. With the causeway swallowed at high tide, timing is crucial. Thomas himself once fell asleep here and found himself stranded.

Solitude in the coves

“Breaking surf and coarse, unprinted sand.”

True to this corner of Wales, one cove after another tempts you off course. The sound of surf echoing in hidden bays and the soft sand untouched by footprints promise solitude and sanctuary, just as they once did for bootleggers seeking cover.

Untamed bays and cockle pickers

Eventually, the coast opens up again to reveal Three Cliffs Bay and Oxwich. Despite their popularity, both remain untamed and unspoilt. Cockles are still abundant, and pickers can be seen at first light, working the sands beneath corrugated cliffs to harvest this very Welsh delicacy. The tradition lives on, as gulls dive down to claim their share.

A fitting finale at Mumbles

“It feels like coming home.”

The path’s final stretch brings you to Mumbles. This seaside town is well-loved by stars such as Catherine Zeta Jones and Bonnie Tyler, and with good reason. The views across the bay continue to dominate, but now you can enjoy them with a Verdi’s hot chocolate or a scoop of world-famous Joe’s ice cream in hand.

The spirit of Gower

It is like nothing else, the Gower trail. Whether you have walked it dozens of times before or are setting foot on its sands for the very first time, it always feels like coming home.