The wonderful coastline of the Gower peninsular, the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK and a region filled with SSSI locations, this brilliant coastline is a superb place to cruise either under sail or by power, this guide rather than being navigational is directed at the parts of the coastline you will encounter on a trip around the peninsular.
The main cruising area of the Gower is off the Southern coast as much of the North is marshland, the prevailing winds are generally Easterly’s but will often change, the coastline is well mapped and documented with strong tidal flows to all areas which can generate strong tidal races at several of the headlands. Undoubtedly one of the best ways to explore the Gower is by sea as it offers you superb access to beaches which are secluded on the land side and a view of the history of Gower unparalleled on the land.
Swansea Bay
Set at the Eastern extreme of the Gower peninsular Swansea bay is a wide and sweeping bay, with the Marina located just up the river on the NE of the bay and the popular village of Mumbles to the other side this bay offers a good modern base with all the facilities you might require making it an ideal starting/jumping off point for cruising the Gower.
The local yacht clubs of Swansea Yacht & Sub Aqua, and Mumbles Yacht Club both provide well run and friendly stop offs in addition to arranging the local race series held in the bay.
The bay itself usually provides shelter to the Western end depending on the prevailing wind conditions behind the islands off the head but as with all the Bristol channel it is always important to pay attention to the large change in depths if anchoring up here.
The river approach to Swansea marina consists of a channel marked by buoys from Mumbles head, it is worth noting here that the locks will normally be closed for 1.5hrs either side of high water and opening hours are variable depending on seasons, generally berths are readily available.
Langland & Caswell
Moving Westward from Swansea itself these two bays are some of the easiest accessed from the city and therefore are some of the most popular and busy.
Langland is easily identified by its large numbers of green ‘Seaside huts’ and when travelling between the two you can easily pick out the coastal path, completed in 2012 this path runs the entire length of the Welsh coastline uninterrupted, a world first.
They both boast good facilities and there is a popular fishing area off Langland usually marked by the large numbers of boats anchored here.
Both bays are considered non-landing areas for boats due to the very large numbers of swimmers in the water and the fact that both see some very good surf making it difficult to land anyway.
Brandy Cove & Pwulldu
Just past Caswell lies Brandy Cove, so named as a result of being a popular smugglers haunt for, unsurprisingly, Brandy -There are even still several tunnels purportedly leading up into the local village through which the smuggling operation may well have been run.
Whilst pretty from the sea this little cove doesn’t offer any particularly good mooring options and is generally a very rough bottom, if you wish to visit it is more practical to land at nearby Pwulldu and walk the coastal path back.
Shortly after Brandy cove you will find Pwulldu, a far more welcoming anchorage offering a largely sandy bottom and good shelter from the prevailing behind the large headland.
As this bay is far more difficult to access than many others Pwulldu bay provides a quieter place to stop and relax, notice the great shingle bank at the back of the bay, go for a walk along the coastal path or walk up Bishopston valley which finds its head at the bay – just follow the stream and you can walk for hours, a particularly nice way to cool off on a hot day.
In the bay you will notice two houses on the Western side, private today these once served a public houses associated with the smuggling trade, the old signs for which can still be noticed in the brickwork.
Pobbles & Three Cliffs
Upon sailing further East from Pwulldu you come across Hunt’s bay, a rocky bay just the other side of the headland, on top of the hill above Hunt’s bay lies some of the most expensive property in Wales, understandably with the uninterrupted views they enjoy.
Pobbles makes up the small shingle backed bay to the Western side of the easily recognised Three Cliffs, a short walk up the valley behind pobbles will lead you to the local golf club and small village of Southgate where the clifftop walks are easy and enjoyable with stunning views.
Three Cliffs itself is easily recognised by the large, well publicised rock structure it is known for but once you have taken a walk underneath the arches you can wander further inland where you can jump over the stepping stones or climb the sand dunes to visit Pennard castle which myth suggests was covered in sand by angry sprites.
If you walk up the full length of the valley you will find Parkmill which is home to ‘Shepards’ the ice cream shop, The Gower Heritage center and highly rated restaurant Mae’s Yr Haf.
Both Pobbles and Three Cliffs are well known for harboring strong currents so take extra care, note also that these beaches both offer little protection from the prevailing winds as they lie at the Eastern extremities of the large Oxwich bay.
Tor Bay & Oxwich
To the Western end of Three cliffs there is a tall singular rock formation ‘Great Tor’ which marks the divide between Three cliffs and the smaller Tor bay, a popular bay which doesn’t enjoy the ease of access from the land which many others do making it quieter and a nice place to stop for some quiet sunbathing or short walks.
After Tor bay comes the sprawling expanse of Oxwich, sat in a large valley and extremely well sheltered behind the very large headland outside of Swansea Bay this bay offers probably the best anchorage on the Gower.
The main anchorage area and approach is found near the headland at the Western side of the bay where you will also find the popular Oxwich Bay Hotel, a small church and massive amounts of beach space to relax and chill out in.Note the large boulders on the side of the peninsular near the beach, the result of a large landslide the occurred here only a few years ago.Be a little wary at low water of the shipwreck which sits near the headland marked on the rocks by a large which arrow, this wreck often comes partially out of the water on low tides so should be avoided.
Port Eynon & Horton
Just further East from Oxwich around the headland lies the beach and villages of Port Eynon & Horton, Port Eynon is a lovely little village offering amenities and shops not found at many of of the other anchorages on the Gower.
The grassy banks of the headland is home to a large campsite and youth hostel whilst at the extreme you can spot the now defunct Salthouse, once tasked with extracting salt from the local waters for use in storage with its large wells this building is an interesting piece of heritage to visit.
Just off the headland at Port Eynon is marked by the East Helwick Buoy, the start of the Helwick sandbank (that the ship outside our marina office was once responsible for), this bank runs most of the remainder of the coastline from Port Eynon head towards Worm’s head.
The coastline between here and Rhossili is very rocky and consists of only a couple of small bays, prettiest among which is Mewslade about halfway along.
However this stretch of coast should not be discounted as there is some of the more interesting coastal scenery along this stretch, chief among which is ‘Culver Hole’ a large cave which has been fronted with masonry making it look reminiscent of a dwelling, theory’s abound as to what this originally was used for, some suggesting access to an old castle on top of the cliffs above, others suggesting a smugglers and shipwreckers haunt although the most likely explanation it was simply a large aviary!
Viewing it from the sea is one of the best ways with which to visit this unusual structure.
Further along at Paviland cove there is a famous cave which was home to one of the earliest excavations of prehistoric remains known as ‘The Red Lady of Paviland’ believed to date from around 29,000 years ago. Named for the red orche covering the bones it was later discovered that this was actually the remains of a young male opposed to a woman as first thought.
Worms Head & Llangennith
With its long distinctive shape and visible from the moment you round Port Eynon point you can spot the almighty worms head, guardian at the Western end of the Gower peninsular, a spot which many this impressive land spit juts out and can be walked onto at low tide with careful planning.
Another popular fishing spot you will often see a number of small fishing boats just off the headland here you will spot a multitude of sea birds which make their home here in the structure, around the far end of the headland is the massive expanse of Rhossili bay which encompasses the lovely village of Rhossili and large campsite of Llangennith.
Rated as one of the best surfing beaches in the UK when the surf is not up then you’ll spot paragliders off the top of the tall Rhossili downs or zipping along the beach under kites on buggies or just simply lounging about on the dunes.
Take note that as a result of being such a good surfing bay the wave height here often makes landing here not viable however the bottom is largely sand so with normal considerations to conditions anchoring here is fine.