Spending an afternoon in the Mumbles, South Wales

The Mumbles in South Wales is just outside of Swansea. It’s a famous seaside town, with lots of shops and a nice walk along the seafront. Here’s my guide to spending an afternoon in the Mumbles, South Wales.

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What’s the best way to visit The Mumbles?

The Mumbles is a small seaside town just outside of Swansea. It’s a perfect place to visit if you’re in Swansea and fancy exploring somewhere different. Alternatively, it can be a great place to visit if you’re staying on the Gower Peninsula. I visited the Mumbles on a very rainy afternoon during my holiday on the Gower Peninsula. Spending an afternoon in the Mumbles, South Wales was a great way to spend an afternoon when it was too windy and rainy to be climbing up to the cliffs.

If you’re planning to visit The Mumbles as part of a trip around South Wales, I’d recommend buying this guide to Wales (affiliate). It gives some great ideas of things to do and places to stay, as well as a section on The Mumbles.

How long should I spend in the Mumbles?

For me personally, I thought an afternoon was long enough to spend in the Mumbles. It wasn’t my favourite seaside town that I’ve ever visited. I’m sure the rain didn’t help, but it still wasn’t my favourite. But as you’ll see from my photos below, I was there on a very, very rainy day…

You could probably fill a whole day if you visited a couple of cafes and restaurants during your day. But if you’re just looking for a walk on a rainy day, an afternoon is enough.

What are the top things to do when spending an afternoon in the Mumbles, South Wales?

1. Walk along the seafront

The best thing to do when spending an afternoon in the Mumbles, South Wales is to walk along the seafront. There’s a clear path and cycle path, with great views out over the water. There are some boats lined up along the edge as well.
At low tide, there’s a beach that you can walk across and explore. However, at high tide the beach completely disappears. So if you are on the beach, keep an eye on the water!

2. Mumbles pier

Another great attraction in the Mumbles is the Mumbles Pier. There are some arcade games here, as well as lovely views out across the water.

3. Enjoy fish and chips, and a doughnut

There are plenty of places to eat the drink in the Mumbles. I’d recommend getting some classic fish and chips for your day at the seaside. Xxx is a great fish and chip shop in the Mumbles. There are also some great cake shops as well. This doughnut from Gregg’s was amazing.

4. Browse the shops and pubs

The Mumbles has a good range of chain and also boutique shops. On a rainy day, it can be nice to browse the shops. There are clothes shops, shops selling home decorations, outdoors shops, and loads more. Enjoy browsing, then stop in one of the pubs for a drink.

5. Mumbles Lighthouse

Just past Mumbles Pier is the Mumbles Lighthouse. It’s on a rock out to sea, surrounded by some impressive cliffs. You can’t get right up to the lighthouse, but you can still enjoy the views.

6. Oystermouth Castle

Oystermouth Castle is another attraction that you can visit when spending an afternoon in the Mumbles, South Wales. It’s high on a hill looking over the town below, but it doesn’t take long to walk up. Check the website for opening times and how to visit – when I was in the Mumbles the castle was only open for guided tours a few days a week. Check the details on the website here.

8. Look out for wildlife on the beach

If you’re visiting the Mumbles at low tide, you might be able to see some wading birds foraging in the rocks. I saw this Turnstone looking for things to eat in the seaweed. It was really well camouflaged, so you might need to look carefully!