Date spot in Cardiff
Cardiff Bay Barrage to Penarth
Start at Mermaid Quay and walk round the Bay and across the barrage, past the locks and out by the sea, to Penarth's marina and on to its Victorian pier.
Cardiff Bay to Penarth
Address: Cardiff Bay Barrage, Cargo Road, Cardiff CF64 1TQ- Outdoors
- Free
- Romantic
Why it's a good date: A long, breezy walk with water on both sides and a drink at the end. If your legs give out, check whether the water bus is running from Penarth back across the Bay.
Photo: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized)
More from our Cardiff guide
Wales Millennium Centre
Bute Place, Cardiff Bay
Address: Bute Place, Cardiff CF10 5AL- Event
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Big night
- Culture
See a West End musical, Welsh National Opera, dance or comedy under the copper-coloured shell on the Bay, with its huge lines of Welsh and English poetry across the front.
Why it's a good date: A proper night out with the Bay right outside: dinner on the waterfront first, then a stroll by the water after the show.
Photo: Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Castell Coch
Tongwynlais, on the northern edge of Cardiff
Address: Castell Coch, Tongwynlais, Cardiff CF15 7JS- Trip
- Cheap and cheerful
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Romantic
- Out of town
Head just north of the city to the little red castle in the beech woods, a Victorian fairy-tale rebuild of a medieval ruin, with round towers, conical roofs and lavishly painted rooms.
Why it's a good date: It looks like it's been lifted out of a storybook, and the woods around it are lovely for a walk afterwards. Repairs are going on, so check Cadw's page before you go.
Photo: Zeniris, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Cardiff Market
St Mary Street, city centre
Address: St Mary Street, Cardiff CF10 1AU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Wander the stalls of the Victorian covered market under its glass roof, picking up Welsh cakes warm from the griddle and a bite to eat from the food counters.
Why it's a good date: Cheap, cheerful and very Cardiff. Look down on it all from the upstairs balcony, then head out into the arcades.
Photo: Dominic Nelson, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
