Let me just say, I like deserted parks…read more Not for any perverted reason, I just enjoy wandering without being privy to passers-by (if I do happen upon a few, ones without thirty cans of cider would be preferred). That said, Alexandra Park is probably my favourite park in the Cardiff-ish area. With gardens, topiaries, and hideaway benches peppered throughout, the park offers a stunning views of Penarth once you manage to climb to the top of its commanding hill. But it's a definitely a hike worth making. Right smack in the middle is a cockatiel aviary, which I find both mesmerising and kinda sad - I'm not really a crazy-hippie-tree-hugger, but I do feel strangely compelled to rip the caging off and let the poor things out. If you tire of the wooded landscape, Alexandra Park is right across the street from the Penarth Pier, where you can grab a slice of pizza and an ice cream cone before heading to the rocky beach for a stroll.

I've living with my back garden backing onto this park for quite a while now, and in all of 600+…read morereviews, I've never before thought to review it! It's kind of like reviewing your own garden... weird. This is a lovely little park with a tangels mess of pathways amoung the wood and flowers, with excellent clear views of the Bristol Channel and beyond (if the weather prevails).

Located on an industrial estate between a welders workshop and site for building materials, this…read moreperky lime green warehouse stands out a mile. Yummy mummies and their 4x4's stream in and out of the well guarded gates and high walls that lead to a sanitary paradise of indoor-outdoor adventure. Parc (Welsh for park) is marketed as an 'all weather playground' and it divvies up as two thirds indoors and one third out. The outdoor bit has a fantastic sandy 'beach' area, with large wooden boat complete with pirate flags. In-between the in and the outdoors there is a zip wire, water play area, two swings and a large slide. Inside there are two 'tube' slides, wooden adventure walkway with bridges and ropes and a toddlers area aimed at the 1-4's. The facilities include a cafe area, lots of seating throughout and toilets. I love the little touches such as the double-seater stripy deckchairs. In winter the heated cafe area, with clear views of the toddlers area, is the place to be. I have to admit it I've had my eye on this place from the outset. We live across the river from Parc and when I saw the sign go up wizzed over for a preview. I met the builders (our new, but temporary neighbours) and came back with a carboot full of wood offcuts for the burner. I thought - "a wooden playground on an industrial estate? I like!" ...And I still do, but as I mentioned earlier I do find this type of indoor 'gated' playground a little too sanitary for my taste and in many ways prefer taking my toddler to the beach or the park - But shock horror what if it rains?! A: I just let him get wet. Another small gripe, it seems that there is a small jump from toddler to confident child in terms of the equipment on offer. There could be more for the 3-6's here I feel. All in all well worth a visit, good place to hang out with your mummy mates. Bring your own picnic, sit down, chillax and have a natter...ok if you've got an under 5 that mayyy not happen! Opening hours: Weekdays 10am - 6:30pm last entry 5pm, weekends & school holidays 10am - 6pm last entry 4:30pm Cost: Adults £1.50 peak, £1 off peak. Children £5 peak, £3.50 off peak, reductions for more than 1 child. Note: Parties catered for - but pre-book. Also note: Visits are limited to 2.5 hours on very busy day (but that's about right anyway) Tip: As you can imagine it gets busy during school holidays and after school Tip: Free wifi Top tip: Walk , train it or cycle and get 50p off!

You'd think a place like this would be my idea of hell, but I have to admit I was really impressed…read morewith the facilities at Parc - it's too bad they didn't have play areas like this when I was a kid! I'd never be privy to playgrounds if it weren't for my beloved's two year daughter, who tires herself out by running endlessly from tunnel to slide and back again. I can't wait until she's a bit older so I can live vicariously through her as she tears through Parc on the zip wire... After chasing her around screaming for half an hour, I needed some sort of refreshment (I realised this is neither the time nor the place for a pint), but luckily, Parc has this covered as well, selling coffees and canned drinks, as well as hot dogs and even packs of Oreos (yes!). The best time to go is on a Sunday morning, where you'll pretty much have the place to yourself; otherwise get ready for an onslaught of families and hyperactive children, which isn't so bad, if you can be all Zen about it like the kind lady working the snack hut who simply says, "You don't even hear the screaming after a while - it's like white noise".

A lot of people think the bay is all bars, restaurants and waterside walking - it is BUT there is a…read morelovely little grassy area with a little kids park to enjoy to. It's just between the Waterguard pub and the cafe ship. This is a lovely place to come and sit, maybe even have a picnic, of a summers afternoon. They say the best things in life are free, this definitely lives up to this maxim.

Victoria Park is, apparently, one of the most popular parks in the UK. I can understand why. This…read morepark is full of flowers (beware, hay-fever sufferers), trees, winding paths and grassy areas. This is a fantastic place to bring children on a sunny summer day. Victoria Park is probably most famous for its spectacular playground and massive shallow paddling pool (in the summer). Imagine ice creams and picnics and children splashing water everywhere. Good times. There are also a number of summer events that go on in this park. Summer Fetes and Scout/Guide events, face painting and throwing wet sponges at teachers. There is also a bandstand and a cafe. The only thing wrong with this park is its popularity, as it does manage to get heavingly busy on hot days. You've been warned. I have lovely memories from Victoria Park, so could you!

A lovely traditional park, covering nearly 20 acres, situated just west of Canton, on Cowbridge…read moreRoad. It has been awarded a prestigious 'Green Flag' award and attracts over 600,000 visitors a year. It was founded in 1897 and contains a mixture of traditional flower beds, mature trees, a paddling pool, bandstand, children's playground, tennis courts, a 5-a-side football pitch, and open lawns. There's a cafe, toilets and a park-keeper's lodge - one of the few left in the UK where the keeper lives on site. The park used to have animals in a small zoo (my mother used to visit them in the early 1930s), most famously Billy the Seal; caught accidentally by a local fishing boat in 1912, he was donated to the park, living there until 1939. After he died, he was found to be female! She is commemorated by a life-size statue in the park. A great place for families and children, as well as for a quiet stroll.

As others have said, this is a lovely, almost hidden park, with a small area of formal gardens with…read morea pond and fountain, complete with a statue of Peter Pan, wild woodland areas and a large playing-field area. It has wonderful views from the top across the lower Ely valley towards Llandough, as well as some amazing mature trees. It is one of the city's oldest parks, given to the city by Charles Thompson in 1911. Perfect for a short walk or a lazy summer afternoon picnic.

Although there are a whole lot of parks in and around the Cardiff area, Thompson's Park in Canton…read morein somewhat unique. Most others offer wide stretches of grass, the odd flowered border and playgrounds. Thompson's Park is smaller than most, and has a particularly quaint feeling. This park is landscaped well, and combined areas of woodland in the heart of the city, with fountains (including the famous Peter Pan statue), duck ponds, winding stairs and a wide grassy area on its higher level. On this field I took part in many school sports days in my time. Never won anything though. Thompson's Park is small and compact, but large enough to take you away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's like a lost garden in a city wilderness.

At over 650 feet long, Penarth Pier sticks out into the Bristol Channel off the South Wales…read morecoastline. Part of a once thriving Victorian seaside town, the pier is still massively popular with tourists and locals alike. I saw in the Millennium on the end of this pier; my family all trooped down in coats and gloves to watch the sun go down for the last time of 1999. So for me, it had pretty spectacular memories attached to it. Apart from the pier itself, the fishing opportunities, the ice-cream and the fish and chips, admittedly Penarth pier has not got a massive list of further attractions to its name. But the sea front is a very pleasant place to watch the sun go down from one of the many beautiful restaurants and bars that line it. Only a ten minute drive from the centre of Cardiff, Penarth Pier, I think, is an excellent place to while away a summer evening.

Penarth Pier is one of only two surviving pleasure piers in South Wales (the other being at Mumbles…read morenear Swansea), and is one of the main attractions in the town and former port of Penarth. The 200m-long pier was begun in 1894 and completed in 1895, to the designs of H F Edwards. When built, the cast iron structure with its wooden deck was really no more than a landing stage, until a wooden pavilion was built at the seaward end in 1907. The pier was taken over by the local council in 1926, and three years later an attractive Pavilion was built at the land end, which still survives. This is an odd mix of Art Deco and Oriental architecture, but somehow works visually. Like many piers, it has had an eventful past. In 1931, a fire broke out on the seaward pavilion, entailing the rescue of some of the 800 people who were on the pier at the time. The pier was rebuilt by 1931 but the seaward pavilion was not replaced. In 1947, the 7,000-ton ship 'Port Royal Park' collided with the pier in a severe gale, destroying a large section of the structure, and entailing two more years of repairs. Another mishap occurred in 1966 when the White Funnel steamer 'Bristol Queen' collided with the pier, although thankfully the damage this time was less extensive. The pier has always been a popular call for pleasure steamers and at one time a regular ferry service was operated to the Somerset coast across the Bristol Channel: this gave me one of my earliest memories, crossing from Weston-super-Mare to Penarth to visit my grandparents, around the time of the opening of the Severn Bridge in 1966. The pier itself was refurbished in 1998, and now has free entry. There are plans to refurbish the Pavilion as an education and entertainment venue, although an approach to the Heritage Lottery Fund Wales have recently been rebuffed. The pier and pavilion are listed at Grade II. However, it is still a popular spot for fishing and for those simply strolling and enjoying the sea views. Entertainment is laid on most summers, and the steamers 'Waverly' (the last sea-going paddle steamer in the world) and 'Balmoral', which still call in the summer months, remain as popular as ever.

This may be called a wetlands reserve but its more like a little walkway along the reed area of the…read moresea front. Its not very big and don't expect to see a huge array of animals. There are information boards around so if your a keen wildlife spotter or want to get the kids involved they are a nice touch. What it is, is a very peaceful spot where even on a very busy summers day you can find a spot to sit and enjoy the sun, or feed the ducks (although I don't think your meant too!)

This is a fairly exposed nature reserve with a boardwalk for visitors to stroll along, bordered by…read moremarshy reeds and offering views out over the Bay. These wetlands were created in 2002 when the barrage was completed to compensate partly for the disappearance of the old saline mudflats, which of course were being turned into a freshwater lake. The wetlands provide an important habitat for over-wintering and breeding birds, so the reserve is justifiably popular with birdwatchers. On a cold and windy day, this isn't the most pleasant open space you could choose to explore because it often gets really windy with a nasty chill factor - far better off finding some secluded woods to shelter in. In the summer, however, it's a different story - with some good views from the boardwalk back over the reserve and to the Bay's skyline and out to Cardiff Bay Barrage.

Located near historic Llandaff Village, Llandaff Cathedral and Bishops castle, Insole Court has…read moresome beautiful gardens open throughout the year, with a huge variety of plants for those with an interest in botanicals. The listed manor house itself is stunning, built in the 1850s by James Harvey Insole to reflect his growing wealth from coal exportation, and the whole estate is in a Conservation Area and is owned by Cardiff Council. The house is used for community activities and the gardens are equally popular amongst locals. Some are ornamental and kept well-manicured, and others are wild and full of wildlife. There are some rare trees, too, many of them planted in Victorian times, plus wooded areas. There are family events such as theatre productions and puppet shows put on during the year, and it's a popular spot for summer picnics. If you haven't visited, go there on the next sunny day and take a picnic - it's a really tranquil spot away from the city centre and heavy traffic.

I enjoyed the tour tremendously. The staff were all very well informed, personable, and…read moreenthusiastic about sharing the heritage of the Insole family with the public. Part of my tour was speaking with staff members. Another part was a well-prepared audio. Not the type one hears through headphones. This was stories told from the perspectives of various members of the Insole family, in well orchestrated monologues and dialogues. Highly recommend!

Roath Mill Gardens, along with nearby Waterloo Gardens, are both well-manicured Edwardian parks…read morethat are linked up to Roath Park by the brook that runs through them. Although I personally prefer wilder parks and woodlands, these are still good, old-fashioned parks with an air of bygone elegance, flanked by Edwardian houses that match their period. The compact spaces mix grassy areas with well established-trees, formal ornamental planting, and a brook with plants growing up around them - home to plenty of wildlife. Popular with older people out for a gentle stroll, and parents looking for a park with flat walkways for pushchairs.

These two parks are small and old-fashioned surrounded by beautiful Edwardian houses and the lovely…read moreSt Margaret's church. Roath Mill Gardens runs along Sandringham Road and is very popular with dog walkers. It is close to a couple of primary schools, and many parents use this as a walk to and from school, and for the children to run around and blow off steam when school lets out. It also provided the filming location for a recent episode of Doctor Who. Waterloo Gardens is across the road from here and is slightly more closed off and secluded. Waterloo Gardens Post Office, Lifestyle Express and Waterloo Gardens Tea Rooms are located opposite, providing somewhere to get something to drink, pick up a paper to read on one of the benches, or grab an ice cream to eat on your walk. Both are conservation areas, and feature a wide variety of trees, plants and wildlife. Much quieter than Roath or Heath Park, these are popular places for a quiet stroll and are great for anyone who needs a peaceful place to sit and relax and watch the world go buy.

Not this is a country park not just a little patch of grass in the city and its a really…read moreinteresting place. Its in the Taff gorge and encompasses a site of scientific interest with a conservation site, a canal and part of the Taff Trial. There's bird watching hide outs, water features and picnic areas too. Its a really good day out and they do lots of education stuff there do so especially good for the kids.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…read more Then a little bit more zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Go watch the water flow past in the river taff for a bit then head back for some more zzzzzzzzzz Still not worked out what is there to do and see ....