Located 40 mi/65 km west of Cardiff, Swansea is Wales' second-largest city and was poet Dylan Thomas' hometown.
You can walk along the streets of the old town and the regenerated docklands—home to the National Waterfront Museum, which covers the industrial history of Wales. You can also visit the Swansea Museum and try to get a feel for what inspired Thomas at the Dylan Thomas Centre.
At the end of Swansea Bay is the Mumbles, birthplace of actress Catherine Zeta Jones and a popular seafront district with many restaurants.
Jutting west from Swansea is the Gower Peninsula, which offers beautiful drives along bays, sea and hills. The peninsula can take several hours to drive around if you stop at every scenic spot to take photographs. Rhossili Bay on the peninsula has been recognized as among the world's top beaches.
Try to locate King Arthur's Stone, an ancient dolmen just outside Reynoldson village. Another good side trip is Margam Country Park, a magnificent 19th-century manor house and orangery 10 mi/16 km to the southeast.
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