Caswell Bay Beach for Kids
For
the young, or just young at heart, there's plenty to do in the area.
The beach itself will provide hours of entertainment with clean, soft sand to build sandcastles with. Rock pooling is lots of fun
when the tide is low as are the caves to the side of the beach. Legend
has it they're where pirates stored their treasure, so look carefully
and you might find some! Don't worry if you've fogotten to pack a
bucket, spade and net though, the shop at the beach has plenty on sale.
Caswell Beach is patrolled by lifeguards during the summer holidays, so
don't forget to swim between the flags to enjoy the sea safely.
For the ultimate souvenir from your stay at Caswell Bay Chalet why not book your children and yourself, if you're up to the challenge, into the surf school on the beach? It offers lessons for all ages and levels at the Caswell Junior Surfing Academy. Children under 8 must have their parents present on the beach and all participants must be able to swim 50m in a swimming pool. For more details click here. You could also try paddle boarding in the bay at Mumbles or in Langland Bay, depending on wind direction. Lessons for ages 8+ bookable here or you could book an illuminated board night paddle. Another exciting activity is a ride on a 10 metre RIB powerboat around the Gower Coast from Oxwich with Gower Coast Adventures. It's a thrilling ride where you'll encouter stunning scenery, fascinating history and get up close to wildlife such as seals. More information is available here.
Local Activities
Apart from the beach, for other child-friendly entertainment in and around Mumbles there are various options. Just outside of Mumbles, at Blackpill, on the road to Swansea, is a playground set beside the beach of Swansea Bay. It has a large paddling pool for little ones to splash around in. The Swansea Bay Rider, a small train which is a big favourite with children and big kids, will take you from Mumbles to Blackpill and back for a small fare. Alternatively, you can hop on a bus to Swansea from Mumbles which will stop at Blackpill. Catch the bus just along from the corner of Newton and Mumbles Roads.
You can also board the Swansea Bay Rider at Southend in Mumbles, just by the slipway and beside the park. This is also where you'll find another good playground as well as a mini-golf course.
A
short walk towards the Mumbles Pier from this playground and you'll
come to Verdis, where you can have a coffee, ice cream or a meal overlooking Swansea Bay. Another eat in or eat out ice cream
parlour is Joe's, on Mumbles Road, opposite the Co-op. It sells delicious ice cream in all sorts of flavours, but
their vanilla is highly recommended! A couple of doors down is
the Captain's Cabin, a shop selling buckets, spades, fishing nets,
wetsuits, and a great selection of pocket money toys. Your children
will have a lovely time choosing from the huge range of items they
sell.
If you walk futher or drive along the Mumbles Road out of Mumbles, away from Swansea, you will come to Limeslade, where the lighthouse and Mumbles Pier are located. The Pier has an amusement arcade and bowling alley; a cafe if you fancy a meal with a lovely view and a fish and chip shop. Take a walk along the pier and visit the new Mumbles RNLI Lifeboat house. You can go inside and see the lifeboat and, if you're lucky, you may even see it being launched.
A bit further on from the Pier is the Castellamare Pizza restaurant overlooking Limeslade Bay. It's a good place for a meal with children but also has another adjoining restaurant more suitable for grown-up dining. Outside the restaurant is a playground with a pirate ship, swings and climbing equipment. Walk a little further around Bracelet Bay and you'll come to Fort's ice cream parlour. It also serves hot drinks and a range of snacks and light meals.
If you're feeling energetic, you can continue on the coastal path here and it will take you around to Langland Bay and, eventually, on to Caswell Bay.
For unbeatable fish and chips, look no further than Johnnies on Chapel Street in Mumbles. Be warned though, the portions are very generous!
Don't be surprised if you see Michael Douglas or Catherine Zeta Jones with their children in Mumbles during the summer holidays. Their house is located a few minutes from the village.
Back in Mumbles itself you'll find a good selection of shops along the waterfront and also on Newton Road. You'll find Cover to Cover, an independent book and gift shop, with a great selection for children, along with Oyster, a homeware and gift shop with a coastal flavour.
Towering over Mumbles is Oystermouth Castle. For a very small charge you can go inside for a glimpse of life as it was in the castle and walk on a glass walkway through the castle. Information for visitors here. There are various activities in and around it throughout the year. A noticeboard outside the Ostreme Hall, just across the road leading to the castle, will tell you all upcoming events at the Castle and in Mumbles. Alternatively, click here for events around Mumbles and Swansea.
If the weather's not too good and you need some indoor entertainment, there's a good selection in Swansea. The Leisure Centre, LC2, has a swimming pool with slides and a wave machine, indoor surfing pool, climbing wall and various other activities. It can get very busy in bad weather but you can pre-book to save queuing. There are two cinema complexes - Odeon and Vue. Plantasia, which is opposite Sainsburys, is an indoor tropical garden with reptiles including snakes, lizards and also monkeys. The Marina hosts a maritime museum too with various interactive attractions for to children. Further afield there's the steam railway near Camarthen - details here.