I’m a big fan of The Mumbles having visited regularly since childhood, but it had been five years since my last (and only) night away there with my mum – I wrote about that here. So we decided to do it all again, because a day trip while great, just isn’t quite long enough.

Where to stay: Sea Watch, 714 Mumbles Road

As with a lot of the places I discover, I found Sea Watch on Instagram and added it to my list of places that I wanted to visit!

It’s a lovingly designed and refurbished three bedroom (sleeps 7) townhouse AirBnB right on the seafront – you cannot get a better location! Also did I mention the house is pink?

Lisa, her husband and sons worked on this property as a “lockdown” project (remember those?!) and every single detail has been thought of. It’s simply beautiful. Get an Instagram video walk around here.

My Mum and I were pretty much silent (shocker) for our first twenty minutes in the property as we went exploring and discovered many of the fabulous touches dotted around, from the ‘Welcome Pack’ to the basket of disposable spa style slippers at the bottom of the stairs.

The ‘pièce de résistance’ of course has to be the view which can be enjoyed from every level. Is there anything better than waking up to the sight and sounds of the sea?

The property was absolutely faultless from start to finish – actually, there was one problem… We didn’t have long enough! Book a stay via AirBnB.

What to do:

Retail Therapy

There are a variety of shops to have a mooch in – from high end fashion, handmade gifts, pieces of art and watersports gear to buckets and spades and slinkies. We had to stop in the Gower Gallery as we were just a little obsessed with the parrot in the lounge at Sea Watch which came from there. Next time I want to visit The Love Spoon Gallery!

Take a Walk:

Being on the coast there is a lot of choice for walks. The most obvious is a walk along the very long, flat promenade. If you’re only doing one walk, this is it!

One of my other favourites is the walk between Caswell and Langland. Google says it’s only 23 minutes each way… If you’re doing it in the heat of a day with a granparent and small child, allow longer! More walking guides locally on the VisitSwanseaBay website.

The Pier & Lighthouse:

What trip to the seaside is complete without playing on the 2p machines? Mumbles Pier has a whole load of those plus all of the other arcade games you’d expect to see. There’s also a cafe, the RNLI, a small beach, games room and occasionally special events. Check out their website. It’s also the perfect spot to get a view of the Lighthouse!

Go to the beach:

You’re surrounded by them! Locally I’d go Langland but if you’re happy travelling a little further then Three Cliffs is a showstopper and 100% worth the effort. Other favourites include Rhossili, Oxwich Bay and Llangennith.

Go to the park:

If you’re going with children there’s a fab play park with plenty of seating for grown ups and it’s own (very nice) food truck.

Oystermouth Castle:

If you’re a castle lover then it’s worth a visit. Not too pricey and great views, more info here.

Where to Brunch:

Langland Brasserie

We managed to score one of the premium spots with the best views and there really is nothing like it. Such a beautiful spot. We were this time a little disappointed with our food – the Eggs Royale is no longer served on muffins but on sourdough and it was inedible. The eggs were however cooked nicely and the salmon plentiful. Mum said her toast wasnt great either but the rest was impressive.. So we’d visit again, despite it not quite living up to the memory of our last visit.

Lighthouse Brasserie

Another eatery with a great view (definitely a theme in The Mumbles), we stopped for brunch after our stay at Sea Watch. Sadly the weather was not as pleasant as the day before so we were a little windswept by the time we arrived but their hot chocolate sorted that out – and it came with a flake!!

Thoroughly enjoyed our food too – Mum had the avocado on toast and Bea and I shared a ginormous sausage baguette. Would really like to return, preferably when the sun is shining and the air is still!

Where to Drink: Gin & Juice

I’d spotted ages ago that Gin & Juice now had a rooftop bar but never made it round to visiting, so this was the obvious opportunity. Children are welcome until 9pm so was no problem taking Bea. They have an enormous selection of gin’s (surprise) but we went for a glass of prosecco and managed to get a seat by the window despite the fact it was pretty busy even at 5pm on a Thursday. They do food – we ordered some fries to keep us going and they arrived promptly. Would like to go back child free and stay a little longer next time!

Where to Dine: Verdi’s

An oldie but a goodie. Very much the OG for us – we’ve been going for as long as I can remember! They’ve recently been purchased from the original Italian family and are now owned by the group that own Secret Swansea, Lighthouse Brasserie etc but we didn’t notice any compromise, the pizza we shared was delicious.

Service as always was friendly and prompt, lots of tables despite it being a sunny Thursday. We all had ice creams and they were yummy too!

Where to get Ice Cream: Joe’s

So for many years I would have always said Verdi’s over Joe’s, despite Joe’s being the more famous. I’ve debated this topic many times. BUT… at the ripe old age of *cough*37*cough*, I’ve changed my mind. I had the hazelnut fudge sundae and it gave me all of the joy.

Now I am a nutella addict, and there was plenty of it, but what I really love with my nutella is nice vanilla ice cream… and this wasn’t just nice, it was blooming lovely. One of the best vanilla ice creams I’ve tasted. (Sometimes they are too creamy for me – used to think my mum was a bit daft saying that but now I totally get it!) So I’ve been converted. Get a Joe’s. It’s brought the biggest smile to my face just thinking about it!

Where to get chips: Yallops, Mumbles Road

Another longtime favourite. Naturally I had to get a box (after my ice cream, because that’s been my weird tradition for the last twenty years!) just to check they were still as good… they were. Very good. Yum.

So yes, if you’ve made it this far, I absolutely love Mumbles! This was a super quick visit sadly, and there are still places I’m really keen to go back and visit… I want to say not just foodie places but the first ones that come to mind are Mor for their tapas (Spanish with a Welsh twist apparently), Papi’s Pizzeria and Fat Cow (for burgers). So much choice! (And loads I haven’t even mentioned). I will be back. No doubt about it.

Thank you for reading.

Lizzie x