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Gower Sport and Activities
For the more energetic visitor to the Gower Peninsula,- the area has a wealth of sporting opportunities. Rhossili Downs is the highest point in Gower and fronts the Atlantic Ocean and is a great launch pad for hang-gliding and para-gliding enthusiasts. Surfing is best catered for at Llangennith, where there are also numerous surfing schools to serve novices at the sport. Other beaches suitable for surfing are Langland and Caswell. These beaches are also great locations for wind surfing. For those with an interest in more leisurely sports, the peninsula has a range of golf courses of superb quality. With such glorious countryside to explore there is no better way to discover Gower than on horseback and there are several horse and pony trekking centres located nearby which can cater for individuals and families alike. With the opening of Gower's new Archery Centre there has never been such a varied choice of sporting amenities for the visitor to enjoy!
Fishing
Late Summer Evenings around high tide, with a bait of crab, sand-eel or rag worm, will often yield good catches of flatfish, mackerel and bass around Knab Rock (an earlier dig along Swansea Bay will result in a plentiful supply of rag-worm for the twilight fish). Mumbles Pier is another popular fishing haunt, but access here is dependent upon a fee (per rod). The fish here, which include Bass and Cod, as well as Mullet, often group around the pillars of the pier and can sometimes be seen prior to the catch! Rag-worms or simple bread often provide the best lure here. The two Mumbles' islets are yet another popular fishing venue here. Access can be difficult in this area, however, and a keen eye should be kept on the tide. If stranded on the islets, do not attempt to wade back to the mainland as the currents here can be truly treacherous. The best bet is to wait a few hours after high tide and then follow the tide out to the islets. This will allow a good couple of hours of good fishing. Pollack, wrasse, bass and mackerel of decent size can be caught from the islets with a bait of soft crab. Langland Caswell Three Cliffs Oxwich A very popular beach for angling with a very expansive stretch of sand and good parking facilities. Although the beach is well used by anglers, a better catch can usually be gained from the rocks immediately to the fore of Oxwich Church and, especially, Oxwich Point. Mackerel, lug-worm or Peeler crab should bag you some good sized bass here. Port Eynon Rhossili
Llangennith (Note that the Hillend gates that provide main access here are locked at midnight.) A very popular beach during the summer evenings but also a good locale for the serious angler. A ready supply of razorfish, crab or lug-worm can bag some decent sized bass and flatfish here. For mackerel or mullet, the islet of Burry Holmes is the best bet at Llangennith. Watch the tide though! Here soft bait such as crab or mussel is the preferred lure. Whiteford Sands
With its numerous beaches and secret reefs, Gower is considered to be the base for surfing in Wales. Swansea Bay is an excellent place for the experienced windsurfer and the beginner alike Langland is best surfed at low to mid tide but can become crowded, especially during winter months. Popular amongst enthusiasts here is the Crab Island wave. Caswell is another crowded bay and, because of its smaller waves than Langland is more ideally suited for beginners. Here, mid to high tides produce the best conditions for the sport. The sea at Caswell also produces ideal conditions for windsurfing. Oxwich is another favoured locale for the windsurfer as it is suitable to sail here at most tides. At high tide, the bay produces quite a large swell for surfboarding. Port Eynon (and Horton) are not the ideal spot for the beginner as the area has some of the most challenging waves on the peninsula. Great for wave jumping, the bay hosts the Tiga Pro-Am Championship. Windsurfing is also popular here, but is again only advisable for the more adept at the sport. Heading west from Port Eynon, the coast from here to Rhossili has numerous reef breaks none of these are suitable for beginners, however. There are two further reef breaks at Mewslade. This bay can only be surfed at low tide though. Rhossili is only really surfable at high tide, but the northern half of the bay, known as Llangennith Sands, is the best known area for surfing in Wales. Surfable at all stages of the tide, Llangennith is the first place on the peninsula to pick up the swell. Although very popular, the size of this bay ensures that the waves never get too crowded. Broughton Bay is the last bay in Gower that is suitable for surfing. The sea here is only for the more experienced however, as the bay produces the longest waves in the whole of Wales. Gower Surf Shops Big Drop City Surf Shop Gower Board Riders Gower Surf Co. Hot Dog Surf Shop PJ's Surf Shop Surf & Snow
Golf Set amongst some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes in the country, it is no suprise that Gower's golf courses are rapidly establishing themselves as firm favourites amongst the UK's golfing fraternity. Most clubs here will accept visitors as long as they hold membership to their homebased golf club. It is always advisable though to telephone the club you intend to visit before setting off to make sure that they have a space available for you. Not all of Gower's courses are aimed at the experts, however. The peninsula also has courses for the as yet uninitiated to the sport and for young children also. Blackpill Golf Course Clyne Golf Club Gower Golf Club Gowerton Golf Range Langland Bay Golf Course Pennard Golf Course Tel: 01792 233131 A Links course with spectular views over Three Cliffs and Oxwich Bay. The ruins of Pennard Castle and Church are also sited on this course. 18 holes covering 6,329 yards. Trolleys available for hire. Catering by arrangement. Handicap certificate required. Singleton Boating Lake Southend Park Rock Climbing on the Gower Peninsula
Rock climbing on the Gower Peninsula remains a very sensitive issue. Whilst the rough limestone coast here is a natural draw to climbers, their practice of bolting the rock they climb has been the cause of some very serious consternation. Whilst many bolts have been removed, this does leave the rocks looking very scarred. There is also the issue of damaging cliff vegetation and of disturbing nesting seabirds in the area, all of which are legitimate worries and ones that often bring climbers and conservation groups to heated debate. Whether this sport causes as much environmental damage as the building of sports fields or cycle paths, or even footpaths, is a question that could be argued by climbers to support an argument that theirs is a pastime which is unfairly treated. The controversy of bolting notwithstanding, the peninsula does afford the climber with some breathtaking assaults. Please ensure that permission from the relevant landowner is gained before attempting any of these climbs, however, and be respectful of all indigenous life. Pennard Cliffs Three Cliffs & Tor Bay
This stretch of limestone coast offers some of Gower's more splendid vistas for the climber. Tor Bay has a variety of crags, the more important ones being 'Great Tor' and 'Little Tor'. Most of these climbs range from Very Difficult and higher. Three Cliffs is Gower's second greatest natural feature (after Worm's Head). With well over 20 separate climbs available on this rock it is also one of the most popular climbing regions on the peninsula. Climbs here are rated Difficult and higher. Three Cliffs' most popular climbing route (Scavenger), rated as Very Severe, is one of the few routes in Gower whose rocks have become quite polished from overuse. Port Eynon Rhossili North Gower Cycling in Swansea & Gower
The Gower Peninsula is an undulating countryside of hills and valleys, making much of it quite unsuitable for younger cyclists. The South Gower roads are also crowded with summer traffic during the more popular cycling months which really dictate its suitability to the more experienced bicycle rider only. That noted, Swansea Council has fully appreciated the desirability of creating a network of cycle paths through the region and, traffic free (except for pedestrians who share all these routes), they offer as rich a variety of routes as available anywhere else in the country.
The second favoured cycle route follows the Burry Estuary, Gower from Crofty to Llanrhidian. Although not a cycle path per se, this is a very quiet, gently curving route taking in a very wide expanse of National Trust managed estuary. The road [pic] is suitable for the whole family to enjoys a day's cycling, though caution should be exercised towards the close of the route at Llanrhidian. Here, the road climbs away from the estuary through a short tract of winding country lane where oncoming traffic should be watched for. The track offers excellent views towards Llanelli and Carmarthen, the rugged northern coastline of the Gower Peninsula, the distant enigmatic ruins of Weobley Castle and the infinite variety of wildlife associated with this region - particularly heron, stickleback, frog, toad, rabbit and the occasional fox. The estuary is marked with a myriad of small pools, which, after a retreating tide (which closes the road at high spring tides), contains numerous tiny dog fish and flat fish. Ponies graze the marshland here also and will readily take any food that might be offered to them.
An extended route can also be continued from the top of Llanrhidian by taking the road right from the crossroads. Here you will find the quintessential quiet countryside of North Gower - complete with rural villages and churches and also a couple of castles. Clyne Valley Cycle Path can be found about half way around Swansea Bay. The route dissects the quiet woodland of Clyne Valley and continues through Dunvant to the large conurbation of Gowerton. A return journey is approximately 16 km. Another fine cycle path can be explored along Penclawdd that tracks the easterly approach of the Burry Estuary and dips through a fine mini woodland. Excellent for very young children. Local Cycle Shops Action Bikes M & P Cycles Schmoos Cycles Swansea Cycle Centre Wheelies
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