Gower

There’s something very elemental about the Gower. Sea, sky, wind and wildflowers meet in a landscape that feels both vast and grounding. It was the UK’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and once you’re standing barefoot at the edge of Rhossili’s long sweep of golden sand or watching the tide swirl around Three Cliffs Bay, you’ll see why.

This is a place for walking, wave-chasing and wind-in-your-hair wandering. Surfers head for Llangennith, wild swimmers find their saltwater serenity in hidden coves and coastal paths unspool for miles, linking castles, salt marshes and pubs with log fires and local ales. Explore more of the region with our Kip tips, below.

But the Gower isn’t just for summer. Come in spring for fields of bluebells and lambs leaping stone walls. Come in autumn for dramatic skies and bracing sea air. Come whenever you need to press pause and feel the elements. One of these hideaways could be your coastal home-from-home: a cosy cottage for family and friends or a beachy barn for just for 2.