One Of Wales' Best Surf Beaches Has Epic Waves And Hikes Along A Unique Sea-Serpent Headland

Lists of Europe's best beaches are so often filled with visions of gold-sanded Portuguese strands and the majestic, cliff-backed coves of Mallorca. Rarely do the wilder reaches of the continent get included, but there's one spot that regularly breaks the mold. It's been named among the finest coastal locations on the continent, is consistently ranked among the best surf locales in the U.K., and has even made it into TripAdvisor's lineup of the planet's top 10 finest beaches (via BBC). So, get ready to be stunned by the sheer beauty of Wales' Llangennith Bay.

Clocking up 2.8 miles as it runs from a rocky headland in the north to another, even rockier headland in the south, this is a vision of the rugged, raw side of the Welsh coast. High moorlands rise behind the beach, feathering away into vast areas of undulating dunes that peak and trough, sea oats dancing on their tops, waves rolling into their base. There are coastal hikes to tidal islands you'll never forget, epic surf, and cozy country pubs with beer gardens.

Getting here will mean driving the whole length of the Gower Peninsula. There's parking at the Hillend campground on the north side of the beach, favored by surfers. Access to the best hiking paths is via the National Trust parking at the south end in the charming village of Rhossili. It should take about 40 minutes to cruise the coast road from the nearest airport and the city of Swansea. The route takes you past other epic beaches, like the dramatic landscapes and golden sand dunes of Three Cliffs Bay, which is definitely worth a stop.

Long, wave-smashed Llangennith Bay lays claim to some of the best surfing in the whole of the U.K. It's all down to the consistency. The big, open beachfronts at this exposed point in the Welsh coast mean there's often a wave here when everywhere else is flat. Of course, that means that things can get heavy in the winter, when huge storms push swells to well overhead, and even getting into the water can demand a very good level of fitness and surf know-how.

What's great is that there's a variation in the power of waves as you move from end to end. The rocky point at the northern end usually has extra punch: waves here are around a foot or two higher than at the southernmost spot. There, below the cliffs of Rhossili village, the high coastal hills shelter the waves on windy days. The upshot? This can be an excellent location for all levels of surfer, with small-swell days perfect for even complete beginners.

There are local surf shops and rentals at Guts Surfboards, about a 35-minute drive from the beach in Bishopston, and at PJ's Surf Shop in the nearby Llangennith (less than a 5-minute drive from the north side of the bay). Expect to pay around £35 for a full day's surfboard and wetsuit rental.

Walking paths weave and wind around the whole Welsh coastline, and the village of Rhossili at the tail end of Llangennith is the gateway to one of the most epic hikes in the whole Gower Peninsula. The Worms Head Causeway takes you across a jagged section of rock reef onto the backbone of a headland that the Vikings thought was a sleeping sea dragon. The walk is only doable at low tide and involves tricky ascents up sea boulders to lookout points that gaze back toward the long beach.

But that's not the only walk in these parts — far from it. Take the steep path going in the other direction, and you'll scramble up a barren coastal ridge known as Rhossili Down. It's the highest point in the region, comes studded with 4,000-year-old cairns, and offers jaw-dropping views of the sloshing seas and swells below.

An even more secret route skirts the edge of a series of sunflower fields that bloom bright yellow in the summer months (they're now a popular Instagram-worthy spot), eventually leading to a trail that's all about super-dramatic sea stacks, fern-filled woodlands, and secluded bays that disappear as the tide rolls up.