Sometimes, the best things in life come when you least expect them. Last May, it was our ninth wedding anniversary, and my husband planned a whole trip behind my back. He simply announced a day before, that I need to pack my bags as we will be leaving early in the morning. This was definitely a first, but such a welcoming surprise. For the first time in forever, I had no clue where I was going, I couldn’t look up the places where we were going to sleep, and I couldn’t research some good places for coffee. It turned out pretty fine – actually it was one unforgettable trip. 

So without further ado, I’m going to introduce you to South and West Wales, as shown to me by my husband – the land of castles, sheep and so much greenery!

South Wales – Castles and abbeys

We landed in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales and picked up our rental car. As soon as we got out into the streets, we were hit by walls of greenery, driving in between hedges until we got to the city. Here we spent our first night, in a cheap but quite central hostel. I was not that impressed with the city – it is quite a small, typical British city. However it’s good for a one night stay – pub hopping at its best 🙂 We did, however, manage to see our first castle in the middle of the city. Compared to the ones we saw later on, this castle was quite well taken care of. It might be because it’s in the capital city, and apparently it is used for various events and festivals.

The next day we drove to another castle, Chepstow castle, which is the oldest surviving post-Roman stone fortification in Britain. Even though the castle is more of a ruin, you can still get in and wander around, taking in the view of the river on its backside. If you don’t fancy going in, you can also walk around its outside border following a long trail, which is part of the Chepstow Circular walking route. 

Our next stop was the ruins of an old abbey – Tintern Abbey, which was built around the 1100s. This place is so mesmerising to walk in – since the ceiling is no longer there, nature seems to have taken over with grass growing on the floor tiles and through the walls. I do suggest paying a small fee to go in, gaze at the gothic architecture, and try to imagine how life would have been a gazillion years ago when the monks inhabited the abbey. 

The town of books

Following a short tea break, which is essential in the cold weather, we drove off to our next destination – a personal favourite of mine, and one that my husband chose just for me – Hay-on-Wye. This is a very, very small town – and yes that extra ‘very’ was written on purpose. It is very small, and coming from Malta, this says a lot. The population of this town is around 1,800. But the most important thing about this place is that it is known as the ‘town of books’. There are around twenty bookshops, all tiny and cute. There is nothing much to do here, apart from going in these shops, wandering around books, most of them old second hand books. When you get tired, you can always find a small cafe and go for tea and cake. There is a castle in the middle of the town, and guess what there is at the entrance… a wall of books which you can purchase for a mere one pound per book. You see? The perfect Welsh town 😉 

Sheep, nature and more castles

We spent that night on a farm located in Brecon Beacons national park. This was a unique experience, as waking up surrounded with so much nature, is something that we don’t get to do often. And here we had the time to watch the sun set on a lake with only grazing sheep and the occasional couple of horses, in sight. The house was a traditional one, and we got to know our host over an enormous English breakfast, listening to his stories about when he met the queen. This was definitely a stay to remember 🙂 

High on bacon and eggs energy, we drove off to Caerfanell waterfalls, which are in the same national park as the farm. We hiked for a bit, went up a small hill until we reached the falls and could take in the enormity of this park. On our way to our next destination, we drove past Carreg Cennen Castle, which is on top of a hill. You can park on the side of the road, and walk up the hill. We didn’t go all the way up, but stopped where some cows and sheep were grazing, snapped a few pictures and went on our way. Next up were some seaside villages.

West Wales – beaches and… more castles

We headed to Saundersfoot beach for an ice cream and then drove off to Tenby for a walk on the beach while the tide was out. This beach is the picture perfect place for some good photography, with a castle looming in the background, seagulls flying everywhere and the occasional boat lying on the sand, waiting for the tide to come in. The small town is very quiet and a nice place for a stroll. We enjoyed the quietness here, before heading to a much larger coastal city – Swansea. This city is much more vibrant, with restaurants, cafes and chic pubs. We spent the night here, following a nice meal by the beach, and had breakfast at a beach cafe right on the pier.

We ended our trip at Rhossili Bay, which is three miles of golden sands. The tide was out when we went, so we could walk on the beach, which was more like walking on the seabed, with starfish, shells and the occasional crab skeleton, lying around. Following this walk, we headed back to Cardiff and ultimately back home.

What can I say? This was one unexpected trip! My advice is to rent a car so that you can drive around small towns and visit castle/abbey ruins that might not be reachable by public transport. The amount of sheep I have seen in these four days was by far the most I’ve seen in my life. You see them literally everywhere – at one point we even saw some in people’s front gardens. This part of Wales has a bit of everything – trails for trekking among the woods, beaches for the summer days, and vibrant cities for those unforgettable nights. We only got to see the south and west part of Wales, so I can’t speak for the whole country. But from what I saw, this is one amazing place, which I won’t mind going back to explore, have tea at, and gaze at the so much greenery this country has to offer!

And I will leave you with a bit of inspiration from some wise Welsh people: “Bob un cam, cer mla’n” (With each step, go forward) 😉