Gower Peninsula

The first area in the United Kingdom to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in 1956, the Gower Peninsula extends westward from Swansea as a compact block of limestone headlands, sandy bays, and salt marsh. Its southern coast alternates between high cliffs and broad beaches, while the northern edge faces the estuary of the Loughor across extensive tidal flats. Worm's Head, a tidal island at the southwestern tip, is reached across a causeway passable for roughly two and a half hours either side of low water.