26Gower The Gower was the fi rst place in Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Blessed with spectacular beaches and coastline, lush countryside, rolling hills and pretty villages, this 18-mile long peninsula has 23 nature reserves and some 400 miles of public walkways. For surfers, walkers and beach lovers, Gower is the perfect visitor destination. It is a place to get away from it all and experience the splendour of a truly magnifi cent natural landscape. Gower beaches are routinely awarded the coveted Blue Flag, Rural Seaside and Green Coast awards, recognising their quality, cleanliness and services. The choice is simply superb. Caswell Bay, closest to the bustling village of Mumbles and with excellent facilities, is popular with surfers and families.Head further west and the coast becomes even more dramatic. Three Cliffs Bay is one of the most photographed beauty spots in the UK. Here a river meets the sea, sheep graze on grassy verges, wild ponies roam freely and a boardwalk winds it way beneath a twelfth-century castle.Three Cliffs links with Oxwich, a vast expanse of sandy beach with dunes, a hotel and water sports club for learning to sail, surf and wakeboard. Well served too are the family beaches of Port Eynon and Horton.

27Quiet and equally impressive with miles of golden sand is Rhossili Bay. At one end is Burry Holmes, an outcrop of land with the remains of a tiny chapel, and at the other end Worm's Head rears majestically out of the sea. Meaning dragon, it comprises two rocky islands joined to the mainland by a narrow causeway accessible only at low tide.A surfers and water sports enthusiasts' paradise is Llangennith. This gigantic fl at beach with endless dunes is fringed inland by a campsite and caravan park with parking, a café, beach facilities, and a typical Gower village with pub and surf shop.Inland, the Gower is just as appealing. At the centre lies the lofty moorland Cefn Bryn, one of the highest points on the peninsula with a view that extends as far as Devon in the south and the Black Mountains to the north. It is also thought to be home to the burial ground of the legendary King Arthur. A pub and restaurant, aptly named the King Arthur Hotel, sits on the edge of the village green at Reynoldston.Other attractions include the Gower Heritage Centre and the Gower Inn nestled in the pretty, wooded area of Parkmill valley. There's an 800-year-old working watermill and 70 acres of peaceful Parc le Breos in which to walk, hire bikes and try out pony trekking. For golfers, the spectacularly located Pennard Golf Club welcomes visitors and stands proud above Three Cliffs Bay with unrivalled views out to sea.