There are tons of things to do in South Wales with kids. It is famous for its nature featuring lots of national parks, mountain ranges, cascades, and stunning beaches. This time we decided to open a camping season travelling to Wales with kids.
Our journey included West, South and Mid-Wales. In our seven days out in Wales, we have visited both Pembrokeshire National Park and Brecon Beacons National Park. So, we have planned two camping sites, a lot of driving, and an incredible amount of fun exploring the beauty of Wales’s nature.
In this article, we will share our experience, including a one-week itinerary and best places to visit in Wales for families.
If you go camping with kids too, check our amazing articles below. They will help you to be fully prepared and get more out of your trip to Wales with kids.
How many days do you need to visit the Brecon Beacons?
People say that the weekend is enough. We’d say if you are going camping to the Brecon Beacons with kids, you need at least three full days to explore various sites. Of course, it all depends on how you travel, what things you would like to cover during your trip, and how much time you have got. But keep in mind, there are a lot of interesting things to do in Wales with kids, so plan your time wisely.
How many days do you need to visit Pembrokeshire National Park?
Pembrokeshire National Park is famous for its vast sandy beaches. You can spend their weeks. If you aim to learn surfing, this place is great for you. Then probably you will need to have sufficient time to cover the course. If you are a tourist and came here to enjoy nature, a weekend is more than enough.
Is Wales friendly?
Wales is great to relax as a family or solo. Welsch people are extremely kind, relaxed, and laid back. Regardless the fact how narrow and curvy the roads are, everyone drives safely letting you pass when needed. We were quite surprised by the measured pace of life of Wales.
A full camping itinerary and things to do in South Wales with kids
We started from East London, so it took us about six hours to get to the western part of Wales. On the way, you can find a lot of landmarks and places to visit too. Check our guide.
Read More: Travel around the United Kingdom
Pembrokeshire National Park with kids
There are lots of beaches and places to visit in Pembrokeshire National Park. We have enjoyed the hidden ones. Some of the beaches were not indicated on the map. Some of the towns seemed beautiful to stroll around. How did we find hidden gems?
Since we didn’t have any time limitations, we used to stop when we saw a beautiful place. This is how we found interesting non-tourist towns and beaches.
Here is the list of beautiful beaches to visit in Pembrokeshire National Park.
- Whitesands Bay is a great beach for surfing, fishing, and wandering around the massive rocks. Two beaches from the top of the hill look gorgeous.
- Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
- Broad Haven
- Marloes Sands
- Freshwater West
- Broad Haven South Beach
- Barafundle Bay Beach
- Manorbier Beach
- Tenby South Beach
- Tenby North Beach
We have spent two days in Pembrokeshire National Park and on the third day early in the morning, we packed, disassembled the tent, and drove 2.5hs to Cantref Adventure Farm in Brecon Beacons where we had four more beautiful days out in South Wales.
Things to do in Brecon Beacons with kids
Take a look at what we decided to explore all over the Brecon Beacons. To be honest, there are many places to go in South Wales but nothing is located near each other. Every day, we spent half an hour to one hour getting to various places. The Brecon Beacons has a ton to offer but it is always better if you had a car to make your travel with kids easier.
Cantref Adventure Farm
One of the greatest things to do in South Wales with kids is to visit Cantref Adventure Farm. We aimed to arrive by 10 am because there is a lot to do there. In the reception, we were given a map with a detailed timetable of all the events planned throughout the day. Every day is filled with activities and events, so if you want to have free play in various playgrounds, enjoy mini-golf, try extreme sliding, or simply have some lunch or picnic, then you probably have to sacrifice some of the activities.
We decided to make a stop for a nice pancake brunch, so we got one hour late, which was not a big deal.
Cantref Adventure Farm is huge but easy to locate. The farm offers horse lessons for all ages starting from four years of age. This will cost you separately and shall be booked in advance. For little riders aged four and five, they offer half an hour lesson. If your kids are older, you will be able to get a ride for over an hour outside the farm. There are half and full-day tours too.
The horse class was our favorite. It is a proper lesson with lots of exercises and excitement.
The farm also offers baby lamb formula feeding, pony brushing, pig races, theatre, foam parties, tractor rides, animal petting, and much more. It is great fun for a day.
Brecon Mountain Railway
Among all the things to do in Wales, you have to try the Brecon Mountain steam train.
The next day we had our ticket to Brecon Mountain Railway. It departs several times a day. The staff is absolutely amazing. It is indeed one of the greatest family activities.
You will take a traditional steam train up the mountain and enjoy spectacular views.
We have also learned a lot about the train, observed how charcoal was used, and how the train was maintained during the trip. There is a timetable that you can take with you, get out at one of the stops, hike for a couple of hours, and hop on the last train that takes you back to the main station.
Did you know?
The steam train that is used in Brecon Mountain was imported from Brazil.
National Showcaves Centre for Wales
This is a fantastic place for kids where you can explore three caves and a massive dinosaur park. There is also a museum, an Iron Age farm, and a kids’ play area.
The first cave is the biggest one. In the second cave, you will see a cascade and a chapel. This is a cave where you can get married. The third cave is extremely small, but the views on its way are stunning.
While you are visiting these caves, you are actually wandering in a dinosaur park with gigantic dinosaurs. This is one of the best dinosaur installations we have ever seen. It seems that they have the most thorough collection of all dinosaurs that lived on the planet Earth.
Waterfall Country
Waterfall Country is a hiking area where you can explore nature the whole day investigating different waterfalls. This place is so peaceful. It reminded me a lot of my hometown in Latvia.
The river follows you the entire journey. There are so many places you could swim and have fun in the water if the weather allows.
Wales is full of surprises and hidden gems. There are lots of sports and things to do in South Wales with kids. We wish you have a fantastic trip!
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