Swimming spot: Rhossili and Blue Pool, Gower

Walk through sand dunes to play in the waves at one of Wales’ best-loved beaches. Nia Lloyd Knott, author of Wild Swimming Walks South Wales, is your guide.

Walk through sand dunes to play in the waves at one of Wales’ best-loved beaches; visit a hidden cove and climb onto rugged cliff tops for panoramic views, before descending to perfect blue swimming pool. Wildflowers and marram grass adorn the clifftops and sand dunes.

A path leads down towards the sea, very steep and sandy, with a rocky scramble required at the bottom to reach the beach. Much care is needed, and it is also worth timing your visit with an outgoing tide to give you plenty of time to climb back up afterwards.

As you descend, you’ll catch a glimpse of the Blue Pool: a legendary swimming hole, perfectly round, with bright turquoise water captured in a ring of rock carved out of the cliffs by the sea.

The depth of the pool changes with the seasons and the state of the sea. The beach itself is a lovely place to spend some time, with a huge archway at the far end. When the tide is far enough out, you can walk all the way along to Broughton Bay along the sand.

DISTANCE: 4 miles
TIME: 4 hours including swims
START POINT: Broughton car park, Burrows Lane (SS 416 926, SA3 1JP)
END POINT: Broughton car park.

Wild Swimming Walks South Wales by Nia Lloyd Knott is published by Wild Things Publishing. Readers can receive 20% discount and free P&P with code OSMag23 at wildthingspublishing.com

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