Mumbles – a walking tour from Langland Cove

Mumbles circuit: highlights and headlands in three hours

It’s just a ten-minute stroll from Langland Cove Guesthouse to pretty Mumbles Village. Brimful of independent shops, cwtchy cafes, micro-breweries and ice-cream parlours, plus a castle, historic railway, pier, lifeboat station and much more. Here’s our guide to getting the best from this vibrant little village in just three hours:

Mumbles Village from Oystermouth Castle, Gower Peninsula

Mumbles Village from Oystermouth Castle

Village life

Turn left out of Langland Cove B&B and head up Rotherslade Road to the junction. Cross the road and take the steps down into Underhill Park, where you’ll find young teams honing their football and rugby skills on weekend mornings. Head right across the park, passing a children’s playground, to emerge at traffic lights by Oystermouth Primary School. This is the top of Mumbles main shopping street, Newton Road. Amble slowly down the hill and enjoy the shops: don’t miss Oyster Gallery  (for seaside homewear, gifts and art), Pebble  (coastal-inspired clothing and accessories) and Cover to Cover, our fabulous independent bookshop selling many local authors.

Shopping, Mumbles, Gower Peninsula

Browsing the many independent shops on Newton Road

History and hospitality

If time allows, detour left along Castle Road to check out Oystermouth Castle  (open Apr-Sep, 11am-5pm) before heading down Castle Avenue to rejoin the high street. Grab some goodies from Olives and Oils (a delicatessen selling Welsh and French cheese) or pause for a delicious coffee at Mumbles Coffee, tucked away in Castleton Arcade. If you are not too heavily laden with gifts and goodies, skip the last hundred meters down to the waterfront. Beyond the car park (which hosts a bustling fresh produce market on the second Saturday of every month), admire the views across Swansea Bay and along the South Wales coast. Now turn right towards the pier – a twenty minute walk.

Oystermouth Castle, Mumbles

Oystermouth Castle

Mumbles eating and drinking institutions

You’re spoilt for choice with sweet treats along the way: grab a Joe’s Ice Cream or press on to Verdi’s Ice Cream Parlour and Restaurant – half way along the promenade in a large, glass-fronted building overlooking the sea. If real ale is more your thing, stop off at The Pilot – our local microbrewery and South Wales CAMRA Pub of the Year 2014 – to quench your thirst. Then stride out along the seafront to the Pier to try your luck in the arcade. Or soak up some history with a visit to Mumbles Lifeboat stations, and the iconic lighthouse on Mumbles Head.

Mumbles Head lighthouse at sunrise from Bracelet Bay, Gower Peninsula

Mumbles lighthouse at sunrise from Bracelet Bay

Gateway to the Gower Peninsula

If your legs will carry you, why not take the scenic route – the stunning Wales Coastal Path (WCP) – back home? This 30-minute walk will give you a real taste of gorgeous Gower – the UK’s first AONB. Take the hill road behind the pier following signs for the WCP. Pass the famous ‘Big Apple’ kiosk, Mumbles Head, Bracelet Bay and then Limeslade Bay before picking a path back along the jaw-dropping coast to emerge at Rotherslade Bay – the bottom of our street. Treat yourself to a reviving cuppa at the Surfside Cafe then plod 200m back up the hill – and you’re home!

Mumbles Head Aerial Shot Gower Peninsula

Mumbles Head from above

For more local information, check out http://www.mumbles.co.uk/