Looking to book a wee week away in a months time to Wales.
Probably Down the southern end as I’ve been up north a few times already.
Where to stay?

Would like to be fairly close to a nice beach or two, something for the wee girl (3) to look forward to so fun parks, fancy fun swimming pools, zoos all that sort of stuff.

And of course – Biking. The wife loves blue and red sort of trail centre stuff and had a ball at Coed y Brenin and Llandegla before. There seems to be a load of smaller wee centres dotted all around the south and the big one at Afan?

Myself – I keep seeing pictures of the Doethie valley route and reading about the Gap in the Brecon Beacons and wouldn’t mind having a stab at one of those.
Don’t mind driving to the trails to be honest.

Would prefer staying somewhere small and picturesque instead of a large bustling town. Thinking country self catering cottage.

Somewhere on the Gower should fit the bill

Pendine is nice not a huge distance to the trails you mention, further West the beaches are nicer but the trails are further away.

In mid Wales places like Tresaith and Llangranog are lovely. Trails again not to far away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gower_Peninsula

Not to far from Afan

Pembrokeshire is beautiful and will certainly tick the family elements. It’s not too far from there back to Brechfa or the Doethie valley. Depends how much driving you want to do once you get to your destination.

Pigface +1 should the weather turn grim you can make use of the LC2 in Swansea which has a fance pool / raft ride / slides etc

+ faux train on the Mumbles + Joes ice cream

Great info, thanks guys.

I take it that routes like the Doethie and Gap are well trodden and thus not too hard to follow with the appropriate maps and information?

Doethie is pretty easy to navigate. Not ridden the Gap, but it looks pretty wide and eroded, so shouldn’t be difficult.

Tenby for the beaches, zoos, theme parks etc. and then drive to brechfa for riding.

As above, Tenby is lovely and it has this place which is amazing for kids!

COOL

Folly Farm, Dinosaur World, bluestone lagoon – all within spitting distance of Tenby
AND there’s the Prince Philip Madame Tussaud’s wax work rejects masquerading as guards at manorbier castle 😀

Not ridden the Gap, but it looks pretty wide and eroded, so shouldn’t be difficult.

It’s pretty rocky at the top, but gets less so as you drop down. When I rode it, there were three of us, two with 5/6″ travel bikes, and one with a 4″ travel bike, and he ended up carrying it a fair way down, ‘cos he just couldn’t get enough momentum to ride over the rocks.There’s some biggish step-downs, too. Tke it with a bit of care at the top, and you should be fine.

We stayed in Pembrokshire a couple of years ago at Slate Mill Lodge. It was fantastic and the owner, David I think his name was, was incredibly accommodating. He’s really warm and genuine man and excellent chef and he cooked us up some incredible meals. Though he did have a thing for blond haired eastern european ladies…..there were a few around there, for some reason. Here’s a bit of what we experienced.

We visited Stackpole and the beaches around there as well as walked many miles of the Coastal Path. You MUST check out the Druidstone for a sundowner or dinner. Also try and take a boat trip to Skomer island to see the Puffins and other sea birds on the Island, it’s also incredible.

If you’ve got the legs and belly for it you can go sea fishing which was amazing fun too.

i suggest the kings head on gower. pretty wild country but there are activities to do on gower rain or shine
http://www.kingsheadgower.co.uk/ –stay here http://www.gowerbrewery.com/our-ales/ –drink this
http://www.perriswood.com/ –take the kids here
http://www.mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Centres/Afan_Forest_Park/Afan_Forest_Park.aspx –ride here
http://danhart1981.wix.com/swanseasurfschool –surf here

sorted

edit; we also have this event coming up – http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/celebrity/now-give-us-the-baby-say-welsh-2013072476669

one with a 4″ travel bike, and he ended up carrying it a fair way down, ‘cos he just couldn’t get enough momentum to ride over the rocks

😯

I’ve ridden it on everything from 7″ travel to early 90s fully rigid V brake 1.9″ tyre bikes. The only difference was the speed and comfort levels. It’s really not THAT rocky!

Anyway, if you do go for the Gap, make sure you do the full loop coming back off-road, don’t just do the gap and come back on the Taff Trail and the canal like many do, apparently… I’ve also got another similar classic Beacons route that doens’t seem popular at all, and I reckon is quite a bit better than the Gap.

Maybe you can be ‘trail leader’ for the morning then?!

Anyone else any input on this for me before trying to get stuff booked tonight 🙂

Dan yr Ogof, Lovely cottages next to the show caves there.
Loads of walks, waterfalls, mtb routes, etc.

I’m off to S Wales to this place in a month with my 3 yr old; hope it works out well:

http://www.parkdeanholidays.co.uk/wales-holidays/trecco-bay/trecco-bay-holiday-park.htm

I hear Penrhys is nice this time of year. close to afan. and has some fantastic views of the surrounding valleys

We’re staying in ” Kiwi cottage” Talybont on usk late August. Gap ride goes past the front door.
Loads o family typef stuff shortish drives away.

My mums got a caravan in trecco bay porthcawl,sure she’d do you a bargain price if I asked her.

If you do the Gap, unless you are mega-gnarr, push up the steep side and enjoy the long, long descent to the lake on the other side.

And as others have said, loop it around the Cwmdu valley on one of the many BW’s.

If you do the Gap, unless you are mega-gnarr, push up the steep side and enjoy the long, long descent to the lake on the other side.

It’s really not worth doing that, imo. The descent on the south side is just rocky steady gradient. You just sit there and trundle down it. It’s a far better climb, which is the only reason to do it imo. Neither descent is great.

There’s far far better epic riding around there.

Why I’m in folly farm right now, great place for all ages as it turns out. Giraffe platform is ace!

My mums got a caravan in trecco bay porthcawl

No good for me as I’ve already booked a place there but she must think it’s a pretty good place right? Just looking for some assurance that we’re going to enjoy the stay!

I’ll be off to Hill End in the Gower later in August, it’s the most amazing spot, decent local XC, Afan is about 40 mins away if you want a quick blast. You could be in the middle of nowhere, an amazing beach. I love it there but you have to be into that kind of holiday (chilled and relaxed).

No good for me as I’ve already booked a place there but she must think it’s a pretty good place right? Just looking for some assurance that we’re going to enjoy the stay!

I have happy memories of the Dirty Duck at Trecco Bay !! But maybe that’s shut now 🙁

Porthcawl is great, just beware of how far the tide goes out and how fast it comes back In. There is a fair ground at Coney beach and you can catch the tourist train over to Rest Bay. Rest is a huge beach when the tide is out but fills in to just the bay in front of the lifeguard station. You can get cut off if you are at Pink but can walk around by the golf course to the lifeguard station. Hope this helps.