Wales
Cheap date ideas in Swansea
Updated
Swansea is kind to couples watching the pennies. The bay prom to Mumbles is free, and so are the pier, Clyne Gardens and the city’s museums: the Glynn Vivian, the National Waterfront Museum and the Dylan Thomas Centre. For a few pounds, graze Swansea Market for cockles, laverbread and warm Welsh cakes, climb the ruined Oystermouth Castle (Castell Ystumllwynarth) above Mumbles, or catch an independent film at the Taliesin. No Sign on Wind Street is the oldest bar on the street, said to have been one of Dylan Thomas’s haunts. Further out, Rhossili and Three Cliffs Bay are free, and Aberdulais has a tin works by a roaring waterfall.
Our picks
Swansea Bay promenade
Oystermouth Road to Mumbles, along the seafront
Address: Mumbles Road, Blackpill, Swansea SA3 5AS- Outdoors
- Free
- Active
Walk or cycle the flat, traffic-free path that follows the curve of Swansea Bay from the Marina out to Mumbles, with the sand on one side the whole way.
Why it's a good date: It's about five miles end to end, so it's easy to do one way and get the bus back. Go late on a clear afternoon and you'll be walking towards the sunset over Mumbles Head.
Photo: Alan Hughes, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Mumbles Pier and Bracelet Bay
Mumbles Road, Mumbles
Address: Mumbles Pier, Mumbles Road, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4EN- Outdoors
- Free
- Romantic
Stroll out along the restored Victorian pier at the tip of the bay, then follow the path round the headland to Bracelet Bay for a view of the lighthouse on its island.
Why it's a good date: Mumbles does a seaside afternoon properly. Stop at Verdi's by Knab Rock for an ice cream on the way, and stay on for the sunset over the bay.
Photo: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Oystermouth Castle
Castle Road, Mumbles
Address: Castle Avenue, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4BA- Culture
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Explore the ruined Norman castle (Castell Ystumllwynarth) on the hill above Mumbles, then cross the glass bridge up to its old chapel.
Why it's a good date: Small enough for an hour, with a view straight down the bay from the top. It's run with the help of local volunteers and opens in the warmer months, so check before you go and pair it with lunch in the village below.
Photo: No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Clyne Gardens
Blackpill, off Mumbles Road
Address: Clyne Gardens, Mumbles Road, Blackpill, Swansea SA3 5DH- Outdoors
- Free
- Best in Spring, Summer
- Romantic
Wander the hillside paths of an old estate garden famous for its rhododendrons and azaleas, with ponds, bridges and a bluebell wood.
Why it's a good date: In late April and May the whole place is in flower, and it costs nothing. It's right by the prom at Blackpill, so walk or cycle there along the bay and make a day of it.
Photo: Peter Glyn, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Swansea Market
Oxford Street, city centre
Address: Oxford Street, Swansea SA1 3PE- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Graze your way round Wales's biggest covered market: Penclawdd cockles, laverbread, Welsh cakes warm off the griddle and plenty of stalls to browse.
Why it's a good date: Dry, cheap and properly local. Try cockles and laverbread if you never have, take a bag of Welsh cakes for later, and go in the morning when the stalls are busiest.
Photo: Alex Liivet from Chester, United Kingdom, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Alexandra Road, city centre
Address: Alexandra Road, Swansea SA1 5DZ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Look round the city's free art gallery, with Welsh paintings, porcelain and changing exhibitions in a handsome Edwardian building and its modern wing.
Why it's a good date: Quiet, free and a few minutes' walk from the station, so it's an easy rain plan. Pick a favourite painting each and go for lunch at the market afterwards.
Photo: Sionk, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)
National Waterfront Museum
Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter
Address: Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea SA1 3RD- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
Explore the story of Welsh industry and invention, from copper and coal to computers, in an old dockside warehouse joined to a glass hall.
Why it's a good date: One of Wales's free national museums, and there's lots to play with. Afterwards walk round the Marina and out to the beach, which is just across the road.
Photo: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
The Dylan Thomas Centre
Somerset Place, Maritime Quarter
Address: Somerset Place, Swansea SA1 1RR- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Free
See the free exhibition on Swansea's most famous son, with his letters, notebooks and photos, in the grand old Guildhall by the river.
Why it's a good date: A good way into the man before you hear his lines read out. If it hooks you, book a tour of his birthplace at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in Uplands and walk round Cwmdonkin Park, which he wrote about.
Photo: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Taliesin Arts Centre
Singleton campus, Mumbles Road
Address: Swansea University, Singleton Campus, Swansea SA2 8PZ- Activity
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Culture
- Cosy
Catch an independent film, a dance show or a live screening from the National Theatre or the Met Opera at Swansea University's arts centre.
Why it's a good date: Cheaper and calmer than a multiplex, with films you won't see elsewhere in town. It's next to Singleton Park and a few minutes from the beach, so walk the prom first if it's dry.
Photo: Eugenus78, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
No Sign Wine Bar
Wind Street, city centre
Address: 56 Wind Street, Swansea SA1 1EG- Bar
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Cosy
- Big night
Have a drink in Wind Street's oldest bar, a long, narrow, wood-panelled room that's said to have been one of Dylan Thomas's regular haunts.
Why it's a good date: A characterful old pub on a street better known for loud bars. Go early in the evening for a quiet glass, or stay for the live music downstairs in the cellar at weekends.
Rhossili Bay and Worm's Head
Rhossili (Rhosili), western tip of Gower, about 18 miles from the city
Address: National Trust Visitor Centre, Rhossili, Swansea SA3 1PR- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Out of town
Drive out to the far end of Gower for three miles of sand below the downs, then cross the causeway at low tide to Worm's Head, the long rocky island off the point.
Why it's a good date: One of the great views in Britain, and the sunsets are worth staying for. Worm's Head can only be reached for a few hours either side of low tide, so check the times at the coastwatch lookout before you set off across.
Photo: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Three Cliffs Bay
Pennard, south Gower, about 9 miles from the city
Address: Three Cliffs Bay, Pennard, Swansea SA3 2HD- Trip
- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Out of town
Walk along Pennard Cliffs from Southgate and down to a sandy bay framed by three pointed limestone crags, with the ruins of Pennard Castle above.
Why it's a good date: It looks like a postcard from every angle. Park at Southgate and follow the cliff path, keep an eye on the tide and the river across the sand, and bring a picnic for the dunes.
Photo: Keith Lawson 11, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Aberdulais Tin Works and Waterfall
Aberdulais, near Neath, about 10 miles from the city
Address: Aberdulais, Neath SA10 8HA- Trip
- Cheap and cheerful
- Out of town
- Culture
Head up the Vale of Neath to the ruins of an old tin works beside a roaring waterfall, with a giant working waterwheel.
Why it's a good date: Turner painted the falls, and they're at their loudest after rain, so this is one for a showery day. It's a short visit, so carry on into the valley for more waterfalls if you're keen.
Photo: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Quick answers
What should we try at Swansea Market?
Penclawdd cockles and laverbread if you never have, plus Welsh cakes warm off the griddle. Go in the morning when the stalls are busiest.
Is Oystermouth Castle open all year?
No, it opens in the warmer months and is run with the help of local volunteers, so check before you go.
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