Wales help please???

[Giant-Churchy]

Hello all sorry if this post is in the incorrect area/part of the forum?

I am planning a visit to wales with my other half this summer. I'm trying to do some research on Where to visit and where to stay. If I mention what I am looking for any suggestions on places to stay, places to visit and must do's while we are there would be much appreciated.

1. My other half doesn't really cycle but she will go for a ride with me when required. So areas where I can go road cycling and somewhere I can stretch the mountain bike out on say a national cycle park would be great. Being close to a mountain bike cycle park/ national park would be very helpful.

2. She would also like to visit the seaside at some point so being close to the coast with a car journey would be good.

2. Decent Campsite as we would like to camp, she wears contact lenses and needs to clean her face/eyes with clean water so a good shower/wet room at the camp site is essential.

3. VIEWS we both love VIEWS. I believe this to be due to us living on the flat of Lincolnshire where views are scares lol.

4. For me I'm happy if shes happy . A safe campsite and possibly some for of decent bike storage could be very handy.

Thanks for reading my post and I look forward to your comments.

p.s cant wait

 

[Garethgas]

I can't be specific but check out the Gower coast.
You will have all of the above and more.

 

[Giant-Churchy]

Any reason North wales?

 

[welsh dragon]

The Pembrokeshire coast is supposed to be nice. But if you want to so some mtb, and your OH isn't a cyclist, that may be a bit awkward to get everything you both want.

But south wales is probably your best bet.

 

[Profpointy]

Perhaps somewhere in the Swansea Valley - good campsite at Dan yr Ogof - the show cave, also quite good to be fair. Nearby great walking - Fan Hir - or if you can contrive two cars, OR be prepared to cycle back to Herbert's Quarry - then there's a great walk from there back to Dan yr Ogof . The "waterfalls" area near Ystradfellte also fabulous. Further west, there's Carreg Cennen castle, and Gower an hour or so (drive) to the south

 

[Glow worm]

Clarach Bay near Aberystwyth is nice. You can walk the coast path south to Aber or up to Borth/ Ynyslas. Ynyslas beach is lovely. I spent weeks on end there as a student when I should have been studying! Lots of camping at Clarach. Great sunsets and if you're lucky you might see dolphins.

 

[Giant-Churchy]

The Pembrokeshire coast is supposed to be nice. But if you want to so some mtb, and your OH isn't a cyclist, that may be a bit awkward to get everything you both want.

But south wales is probably your best bet.

Ok thanks, see will go cycling with me but anything technical will stop her in her tracks. Last time she came on a camping holiday with me she pulled this awesome stoppie down a mountain in the lake district by grabbing the front brake when an animal ran out in front of her. It looked like she was a pro to the beer garden in the pub opposite. and she landed it!!!! Great Moments

Although on a serious note a campsite near a national park would be good as I thought it would cater for all and when she's chilling I can hit a bit of roadie time.

 

[welsh dragon]

Clarach Bay near Aberystwyth is nice. You can walk the coast path south to Aber or up to Borth/ Ynyslas. Ynyslas beach is lovely. I spent weeks on end there as a student when I should have been studying! Lots of camping at Clarach. Great sunsets and if you're lucky you might see dolphins.

That area is nice. Not difficult cycling, and the beach is great

 

[Giant-Churchy]

Bike park wales looks interesting?

 

[Banjo]

The Afan Valley cycle trails are close to Brecon Beacons National Parlk and also close to Gower Penninsular which is loaded with beaches and campsites. Glyn Corrwg mtb trails are also close to Afan Valley.

 

[Giant-Churchy]

The Afan Valley cycle trails are close to Brecon Beacons National Parlk and also close to Gower Penninsular which is loaded with beaches and campsites. Glyn Corrwg mtb trails are also close to Afan Valley.

do you know of any cycle friendly campsites

 

[theclaud]

Hello! Camping, views and beaches are all screaming out "Three Cliffs!". You can camp overlooking one of the most spectacular beaches anywhere. There's a ridge called Cefn Bryn which is both wonderful walk with views in all directions and an mtb ride which is not very technical if you are pootling about but can also be more of a blast ridden fast. It also has a picturesque boozer with decent beer and not-bad grub at the west end of it, in Reynoldston. There's more decent natural swoopy singletrack to be had on the other two high spots of the peninsula - Rhossili Down (with views of the astounding Worm's Head) and Ryer's Down, and riding through Bishopton Valley to the relatively secret and very beautiful Pwll Du beach is fairly demanding rocky rooty mtb fun. For easy flat riding with Mrs GC you have the fantastic Millennium Path from Llanelli to Pembrey (which connects very nicely with the Gower via a lovely marsh route called Pont y Cob Road), the Marsh Road from Crofty to Llanrhidian, and the Mumbles to Swansea foreshore cycle path. Gower is nice for short to mid-length road loops, and it has some tough hills if you fancy them and some ways to avoid most of them if you don't. If you want bigger road rides, there's a little-know mountain called Mynydd Betws just north of the city and the Black Mountain from Brynamman to Llangadog a bit further afield. As @Banjo says, the trail centres at Glyncorrwg and Afan Argoed are within striking distance and they are fab - there are runs to suit all abilities and a decent cafe at Glyncorrwg. Closer to Gowerand Swansea there are the smaller but pretty good Clyne Valley trails (although some are still under construction), and Clyne also has another good flattish path that connects North Gower with Swansea Bay.

 

[Giant-Churchy]

Hello! Camping, views and beaches are all screaming out "Three Cliffs!". You can camp overlooking one of the most spectacular beaches anywhere. There's a ridge called Cefn Bryn which is both wonderful walk with views in all directions and an mtb ride which is not very technical if you are pootling about but can also be more of a blast ridden fast. It also has a picturesque boozer with decent beer and not-bad grub at the west end of it, in Reynoldston. There's more decent natural swoopy singletrack to be had on the other two high spots of the peninsula - Rhossili Down (with views of the astounding Worm's Head) and Ryer's Down, and riding through Bishopton Valley to the relatively secret and very beautiful Pwll Du beach is fairly demanding rocky rooty mtb fun. For easy flat riding with Mrs GC you have the fantastic Millennium Path from Llanelli to Pembrey (which connects very nicely with the Gower via a lovely marsh route called Pont y Cob Road), the Marsh Road from Crofty to Llanrhidian, and the Mumbles to Swansea foreshore cycle path. Gower is nice for short to mid-length road loops, and it has some tough hills if you fancy them and some ways to avoid most of them if you don't. If you want bigger road rides, there's a little-know mountain called Mynydd Betws just north of the city and the Black Mountain from Brynamman to Llangadog a bit further afield. As @Banjo says, the trail centres at Glyncorrwg and Afan Argoed are within striking distance and they are fab - there are runs to suit all abilities and a decent cafe at Glyncorrwg. Closer to Gowerand Swansea there are the smaller but pretty good Clyne Valley trails (although some are still under construction), and Clyne also has another good flattish path that connects North Gower with Swansea Bay.

Thanks for your comments much appreciated, would you have any recommendation on a central camping site to stay at. Thanks

 

[Giant-Churchy]

I am looking forward to this now although I seem to find it hard to pronounce the locations lol

 

[theclaud]

Thanks for your comments much appreciated, would you have any recommendation on a central camping site to stay at. Thanks

The one I linked to at Three Cliffs is unbeatable for views, comes recommended by friends, and is not too far away from the City if you need anything. It's not central to anything except Gower, but it ticks quite a lot of your boxes. Hillend is also a nice location but is full of surfers, a bit further away from everything, and accessed by a dead-end road which is always clogged up with cars in Summer. I'm not a Gower camping site aficionado as camping isn't really my thing and I live nearby anyway. I have enjoyed wild camping at Nicholaston Burrows and Pwll Du, but that wouldn't suit Mrs GC's shower-room criteria...