Beaches
The Gower Peninsula is home to some of the most glorious beaches in the United Kingdom, if not further afield. When the sun is shining and you look around at the shimmering sea and golden sands you could be mistaken into thinking you were in the Mediterranean.
Whiteford Burrows is a wild, unspoilt beach in North Gower - see map, with the Bristol Channel on one side and the Loughor Estuary on the other. It is also a 3000 acre nature reserve of sand dunes, beach, pine plantations, marsh and mud-flats where you are likely to find a range of sea birds, ducks, geese and waders including oystercatchers, snipe, curlew, lapwing, redshank, reed and sedge warblers and buntings. You might also stumble across the odd naturist!
At the furthest point to the north stands an alluring, out of commission, cast iron lighthouse.
Download details of a walk round Whiteford Burrows here.
Rhossili Beach stretches for 3 miles from Rhossili at the south to the village of Llangennith at it's most northerly point. Skirted by Rhossili Down where you can often see hang/para-gliders, it is accessible at low and high tide via a path and steps down the hillside.
The Worm, only accessible at low tide, stretches out into the Bristol Channel. Only attempt to cross to the worm if you have checked the tide tables. Parking is available in Rhossili, currently about £2 a day.
To see a map click here.
Fall Bay and Mewslade are the next beaches along, in an anti-clockwise direction from Rhossili Beach, and involve a certain amount of effort to reach, including climbing down a small clif to get to Fall Bay. Parking is available in Pitton - see map.
Port Eynon further round the coast towards Swansea gets quite busy during the summer as you can practically park on the beach. Salt used to preserve locally caught fish was extracted from sea water at the now derelict Salt House, dating back to the 1500s - perhaps before that it was the house of a notorious local smuggler. There are also rumours there is a long lost secret passage under the headland to Culver Hole which may have served as a smugglers den.
Dog Restrictions
From 1st May to 30th September Dogs are restricted from some beaches. Please click here for further information.
Click here to download some Gower walks