Best Areas to Stay in Swansea, Wales

Swansea City Centre is located on the west bank of the River Tawe, very close to its mouth in Swansea Bay.

This historic area, centred around Oxford Street is home to the Welsh city’s main business, shopping and nightlife districts.

The Swansea Indoor Market, the largest in Wales, is a glass-roofed historic marketplace where you can find local fresh produce, shops, food and cafés.

A few metres east lies Swansea Castle. Originally founded by Henry de Beaumont in the 12th century, the castle is now ruined and only two blocks remain.

Next to the castle lies Wind Street, the main nightlife area in Swansea. This lively thoroughfare is packed with pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants for all tastes.

Nearby is Parc Tawe Retail Park, a shopping and leisure centre home to Plantasia, an indoor botanic garden featuring a hothouse with tropical plant and animal species.

Swansea City Centre is also home to some of the best cultural attractions in town, including the Swansea Museum; a neoclassical museum with exhibitions focusing on history, the Dylan Thomas Centre; with a permanent collection featuring life and work of the Welsh poet, and the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery; which offers an eclectic collection of Welsh, British and international works of art.

Swansea railway station, located directly north of the main shopping district, is the main transport hub in the city. This historic terminus station, opened in 1850, offers connections to several places in Wales (including Cardiff and Newport), as well as Bristol and London Paddington.

Although the Maritime Quarter is effectively a part of the City Centre, we have listed it separately as one of the best areas to stay in Swansea due to its unique atmosphere and wealth of attractions.

The Maritime Quarter is located immediately south of the city centre commercial district and includes Swansea Marina, a large boat facility built on an artificial basin. A waterside walkway to the northeast of the marina is home to cafes, pubs and arcades.

Perhaps the biggest attraction in this area is The National Waterfront Museum, a large cultural landmark housed in a refurbished warehouse. The museum offers exhibits focusing on the Welsh industrial legacy and innovation and combines historical artefacts with modern technologies.

Not far, Mission Gallery hosts exhibitions and events in a 19th-century church and the Attic Gallery houses permanent and travelling exhibitions.

On the other side of the marina lies the Maritime Quarter Beach, home to Marina Park and the Swansea Observatory.

The Mumbles, also known simply as “Mumbles” is the name given to the headland that marks the beginning point of the Gower Peninsula’s coastline.

This fishing village is home to a great variety of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and pubs.

Its seaside promenade is also dotted with souvenir shops, lovely terraces and ice cream parlours.

During the high tourist season, the “Mumbles Land Train” connects the village to Swansea City Centre.

Mumbles is a very popular destination among water sports enthusiasts, surfers, roller-bladers, hikers cyclists and families.

The most popular cultural tourist attraction in The Mumbles is definitely Oystermouth Castle, a Norman stone castle dating back to the 13th century. Other local attractions include the Mumbles Pier, the lighthouse and Underhill Park, which offers excellent views of the village and the bay.

Mumbles is one of the most beloved tourist destinations in Wales and its accommodation offer is quite varied. Here, you can find quaint, family-run B&Bs, small hotels and country cottages, some with breathtaking sea views.

Projecting towards the Bristol Channel and covering an area of roughly 70 square miles (180 sq km), Gower was the first place in Great Britain to be awarded the title of “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” in 1956. When you see its breathtaking scenery, you immediately understand why.

The Gower Peninsula is mainly known for its coastline, caves, rolling hills, grasslands, and cliffs.

Its southern coast is made up of a series of small bays, such as Langland and Three Cliffs, and larger beaches such as Port Eynon, Rhossili and Oxwich Bay. Meanwhile, the north of the peninsula has a rugged coastline and is home to the cockle-beds of Penclawdd.

Inhabited since prehistoric times, Gower is home to several archaeological sites, caves and menhirs. There are six medieval castles on the Gower Peninsula, some of the most popular include Oystermouth Castle, Weobley Castle, Pennard Castle and Oxwich Castle.

Overlooked by the ruins of Pennard Castle and cut by the Pennard Pill stream, which dramatically flows into the sea in the middle of the bay, you’ll find Three Cliffs Bay, one of the most scenic places in Wales.

Not far, Rhossili Beach is considered one of the best beaches on the peninsula. Its 4.8km stretch of golden sands features towering cliffs, rocky promontories, dunes, and even a shipwreck.