South Wales

Wales's populated south. Cardiff has a castle in the middle of town, a redeveloped bay and a rugby stadium that shuts the city down on match days. West of it, the Gower was Britain's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with Rhossili Bay at its end. North, the southern edge of Bannau Brycheiniog holds waterfall country — a cluster of falls you can walk behind — and the valleys keep their mining heritage at Big Pit and Blaenavon.

Best time: May–Sep; autumn for the waterfalls in full flow

• Cardiff — the castle, Cardiff Bay and Principality Stadium
• The Gower Peninsula and Rhossili Bay
• Waterfall Country at Ystradfellte
• Blaenavon Industrial Landscape (UNESCO) and Big Pit
• Tintern Abbey and the Wye Valley