Oxwich Bay is the big, calm beach of south Gower: two and a half miles of sand facing south-east, sheltered from the prevailing wind by a wooded headland and backed by the dunes, marshes and lagoons of a national nature reserve. Its shallow water makes it a favourite for families, paddleboarders and sailors.
Five miles further west, Port Eynon is the last village on the south coast, with a sandy beach, a couple of pubs and chip shops and a history of oysters, limestone and smuggling. From here the cliffs run wild and roadless for seven miles to Rhossili.
Top things to do: Oxwich Bay & Port Eynon
Spend a beach day at Oxwich
Park behind the dunes (the car park is on the private Penrice estate and charges a fee), hire a kayak or paddleboard in season, and walk the length of the sand towards Three Cliffs at low tide. The woods on the headland hide the tiny church of St Illtyd.
Oxwich Castle
Not a castle so much as a showy Tudor mansion, built in the 16th century by the Mansel family on the hill above the village. It is in the care of Cadw and usually opens in the warmer months — check dates.
Find the Salt House and Culver Hole
At the western end of Port Eynon beach are the ruins of a 16th-century salt works. Fifteen minutes further round the point, a sixty-foot masonry wall with windows seals a sea cave: Culver Hole, probably a medieval dovecote, though legend prefers smugglers. Reach it only at low tide and with care.
Walk the cliffs to Rhossili
The seven-mile (11 km) coast path from Port Eynon to Rhossili is Gower’s finest long walk: limestone cliffs, hidden coves such as Mewslade, and Paviland Cave, where the “Red Lady” — in fact a young man buried some 33,000 years ago — was found in 1823. Allow four hours and take the bus back.
How to get to Oxwich Bay & Port Eynon
- By car: Oxwich is about 12 miles (19 km) and 30–35 minutes from Swansea via the A4118; Port Eynon is 16 miles (26 km) and 40 minutes.
- By bus: Gower services link Swansea with Oxwich, Horton and Port Eynon, with a reduced timetable in winter. Check Traveline Cymru.
Insider tips
- Oxwich is the best Gower beach in a westerly wind, when Rhossili and Llangennith are being sandblasted.
- Paviland Cave is dangerous to reach and only accessible at low spring tides — view the cliffs from the path instead.
- Port Eynon and neighbouring Horton have seasonal lifeguards; Oxwich does not always.
- Oxwich has an acclaimed beachside restaurant; book well ahead in summer.
Best tours & tickets for Oxwich Bay & Port Eynon
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Oxwich Bay & Port Eynon with a guide:
Day tour from £80 Cardiff/Swansea: Gower Peninsula’s Cliffs & Mumbles Day Tour
A full-day minibus tour of the Gower Peninsula with hundreds of five-star reviews. It is the one Gower tour whose listing names Swansea as well as Cardiff, which makes it the natural first choice if you are staying on the bay — confirm the pickup point when you book. Expect the peninsula’s big coastal views and a stop in Mumbles.
- The most-reviewed Gower day tour on GetYourGuide
- Listed for both Cardiff and Swansea — check the pickup options
- Gower’s cliff-top viewpoints and time in Mumbles
Day tour from £99 Cardiff: Golden Gower Coast, Maritime & Mumbles Day Tour
A long-running day tour that combines Gower’s golden beaches with Swansea’s maritime story and the seaside village of Mumbles. It is a sensible middle option on price, and with a couple of hundred reviews you know what you are getting.
- Gower beaches, Swansea’s maritime side and Mumbles
- More than 200 reviews
- Full day with a driver-guide
Guided walk from £129 Three Cliffs Bay Circular Walk – Gower Peninsula
A guided circular walk at Three Cliffs Bay, the bay that regularly tops polls of Britain’s best views. Going with a local guide takes care of the route-finding, the stream crossing and the tide, and leaves you free to look. Newly listed, so there are few reviews yet — read the description for the meeting point.
- A circular walk around Gower’s most photographed bay
- Listed under Swansea, so no need to start in Cardiff
- Half-day or full-day options
