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Loop Trails near Swansea

13 routes near Swansea qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 4.1 km and 90 m (295 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 8.6 km.

That is 27 percent of the 49 routes we map near Swansea. They are shorter than the local average, 4.1 km against 22.3 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 90 m (295 ft) against 491 m (1,611 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Easy

Dinefwr Park Wildlife Walk

Wales · United Kingdom

Distance
4.8 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
1 hr 9 min
  • Wildlife watching
Easy

Butterfly Walk

England · United Kingdom

Distance
5.1 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
113 m
Typical duration
1 hr 14 min
Easy

Penybedd Trail

Wales · United Kingdom

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
31 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Rhosili Headland Walk, GowerWales4.3 km95 m1 hr 2 minEasyApril to October
North Gower Butterfly Walk, GowerWales0.9 km20 m13 minEasyApril to October
Rhosili Down, Hillend and beach walk, GowerWales6.8 km150 m1 hr 39 minModerateApril to October
Dinefwr Park Wildlife WalkWales4.8 km105 m1 hr 9 minEasyApril to October
Butterfly WalkEngland5.1 km113 m1 hr 14 minEasyApril to October
Circular Walk around the Vile, Rhosili, GowerWales2.0 km44 m29 minEasyApril to October
Countisbury circular walk via Winston's PathEngland1.7 km37 m24 minEasyApril to October
Countisbury figure of eight walkEngland4.3 km95 m1 hr 3 minEasyApril to October
Heddon Valley to Woody Bay WalkEngland8.6 km189 m2 hr 5 minModerateApril to October
Heddon's Mouth circular walkEngland3.0 km65 m43 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Rhosili Headland Walk, Gower, North Gower Butterfly Walk, Gower, Rhosili Down, Hillend and beach walk, Gower. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

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