Whitmore Bay is what most people think of when they talk about Barry Island, and has all the…read moreameneties you'd expect for a suburban resort: amusement arcades and fish'n'chips abound. Just behind is a small fairground, which I recall visiting when I was a small child - I used then to think it was quite impressive! The bay has also now been made famous by featuring extensively in the TV series 'Gavin and Stacey'. Up until the 1960s, however, it used to be packed during Bank Holidays with people coming on day trips from the mining communities in the valleys: newsreel footage shows every inch of sand covered with families! It's rather quieter than that, now, but still popular for day trips.

The larger of the two beaches on the island, this is very popular with holiday makers and local…read morewalkers. It's a surprisingly huge beach with soft golden sand and long headlands on either side. Ideal for families throughout the season for swimming and sunbathing. There is usually a coastguard presence. There are horse and carriage rides along the beach in summer, and many tourist and beach shops, cafes and fast food outlets around the promenade. The famous Pleasure Park lies behind the beach. The island railway station is fairly close (by foot) and you can journey to Cardiff from here.

Very lovely for a day out a lot of variety to do very exciting and has everything to offer like…read moreentertainment food has alot to offer definitely recommend

It seems now you can't mention Barry Island without mentioning the popular T.V sitcom 'Gavin and…read moreStacey'. I'm not saying this is a bad thing because Barry Island got the recognition it deserves, as it has been a wonderful leisure park and beach that I grew up in for many years. Where do you start with Barry Island? There are so many choices! Lets start with the main attraction in the summer; the beach. Believe it or not the beach is huge, plenty of space to build those sandcastle and then kick a ball to destroy it. I'm not going to like but the ocean doesn't look like the most appealing water to enter in mainly because it's brown. But that still doesn't bother anyone because it's Barry Island and we wouldn't have it any other way. There is an amusement park which was under construction the last time I visited, I wasn't sure if it was being torn down or being rejuvenated. Some of the rides did include a ghost train and a log flume, which is great fun. Now of course I can't forget the arcades down the island because they are such a big part of it. You have a wide choice of arcades. My favourite was always 'The Carousel'. Finally, I need to talk about the crazy golf course they have there. This was knocked down and then rebuilt into a pirate themed course, which I had a lot of fun playing with friends. Barry Island has now gone down as a famous tourist attraction due to Gavin and Stacey but that is irrelevant as the people who go there still have a fun day and I'm sure they would consider visiting again.

Most visitors to Barry Island get no further than the main beach in Whitmore Bay by the railway…read morestation, but eagle-eyed visitors will notice a concrete footpath running from the east end of the beach along the cliff top: follow this around and you eventually come to Jackson's Bay: as Jane Elizabeth says, beware in stormy weather or high tides, as the path descends to the foot of the cliffs to reach the beach. The bay is backed by cliffs, so feels quite secluded. It's certainly very different from the fish'n'chips bustle of Whitmore Bay. It's actually an artificial bay, since the east side is formed by the breakwater at the entrance to Barry Docks. Still, it's a nice place to walk to, and you can stroll to the breakwater and view the boats in the little marina that's been built at the Dock entrance and, occasionally, see one of the larger ships enter the Docks themselves. Just above the bay on the cliff top is a pleasant area laid out as lawns, and adjacent to Friar's Road - just a few minutes' walk from the beach - is a rather innocuous clump of trees. This is worth further investigation, as the trees shelter the scant remains of the original chapel dedicated to the Celtic Saint Baruc, after whom Barry is named. It is said his remains were buried in the chapel, although there is no archaeological evidence for this.

The smaller of the two lovely beaches on Barry Island and a very pleasant place to visit. The sand…read moreis very soft and the water suitable for swimming and paddling. There are great views out across the Bristol Channel too and it's always interesting to see the ships passing by. You can reach this secluded bay by a footpath which slopes down from Redbrink Crescent (where you can park for free in the street), or on the path which follows the cliffs around Nell's Point (although at times the incoming tide can cause difficulties and wet feet as I know to my cost!) On the other side of Jackson's Bay is Barry Harbour and a dock.

Found west of Friar's Point on Barry Island, this is a popular place for dog walkers when the tide…read moreis out. There's a large expanse of sand with some rocks and shingle nearer to the road and nearby Knap Point, a grassy promontory. When the tide is in the waves provide quite good surfing conditions, although I've never surfed here myself! I used to be involved in the annual beach cleaning operation here and on Barry Island's beaches and a fair bit of litter builds up from time to time which isn't washed away by the tide.

This attractive and steeply sloping park has large areas of lawn, formal borders, a small…read morearboretum, bowling green and tennis courts. The gardens were laid out at the end of the 19th century, and my grandfather played football here before going on to become a professional soccer player, so it has a close family connection for me. The park is busy with families, children and students on sunny days - a great place for kicking a ball about, or maybe flying a kite (so long as you stay away from the trees!). It's just a stone's throw from the Knap Gardens and beach at Cold Knap, but tends to be more sheltered.

It is a pleasant spot and definitely a nice place to walk all year round. We often used to go there…read morewhen we lived nearby.

This place should be better than 2 stars as it is and could be even more so such a good facility…read more The building is good and the facilities are great. The staff are in the main very helpful. However .... The signs asking people remove their shoes before going in to the changing rooms are ignored by many people so the cubicle floors of the changing rooms end up filthy. The staff walk back and forth ignoring the point and I have never seen them ask a shoe wearer to remove their shoes. So expect to come out of there with dirty feet. The pool is rarely at 50m and when it is it is often very busy. Monday and Thursday nights can be quieter if you aren't too tired to train at 10pm ... In the mornings and now at weekends many of the lanes are taken by the swimming club. Not an issue but expect the other lanes to be crowded and have people of varying ability in each lane. If you are a quick swimmer expect to be frustrated as you dawdle behind a breast stroker waiting for a safe moment to overtake them. The pool is regularly booked out for galas and swim events at weekends and the information/warnings about these events is very discrete or difficult to find so be prepared for Saturday / Sunday morning disappointment and wasted trips. The pleasure pool is mayhem. The lifeguards do a good job but expect to be kicked by other swimmers, by bumped into, swam over/into and come out feeling the most unrelaxed you ever will. As a venue for promoting healthy lifestyle this place surpasses itself. Not!!! For those who bother to use the benches to remove or put on shoes, there is a glittering array of chocolates and sugary drinks in four vending machines, ideally located opposite you. If you or your children manage to get passed them, there are more sugary calorie dispensers by the exit turnstiles and just in case you haven't managed to give in to the sugar, there are 4 more vending machines on the way out. Only the British would fill a "healthy" sports venue with obesity causing, tooth rotting filled vending machines. So, while you are trudging home in the dirty foot rot of other people from the changing rooms, you can comfort yourself with chocolate and fizzy pop to remind yourself what a healthy life you live!

I love this pool and the centre itself. It looks fantastic and its great inside too. Whether your…read morethere to relax and have fun with the kids or to do a serious bit of swimming there is a place for you. Its easy to access and has lots of parking too. There is a gym, sauna, jacuzzi and do all sorts of fitness classes too for quite a reasonable monthly fee. Swimming for adults is £3.70 and no time limit. Family tickets also available. The only downsides are that the changing rooms can be a bit chaotic and its always worth checking out whats going on before you head down because they often have events on at the weekend so you might not get in.

Running from the edge of Porthkerry Park to the promontory known as 'Cold Knap', this is a popular…read morebeach for dog walking and with wind-surfers. It's very pebbly, but is used by intrepid bathers in the summer. There is good fishing from the rocks at the far end of the beach, on the promontory itself. At high tide, it's quite steep, although there is a shingle/sand stretch revealed at low tide. Situated on the Bristol Channel, this stretch of coastline has the second highest tidal range in the world, at about 15m, so it really does go up and down. (It goes without saying, therefore, that you should be careful about not getting cut off under the cliff at very high tides). There's a large, free car-park at the foot of the cliffs, a favourite place for showing off souped-up Ford Escorts in the evenings. In summer, there's an ice-cream van as well. Porthkerry Park can be reached 0.5km along the beach if you are reasonably fit, and the tide is out, although it can be hard to walk on the larger pebbles and rocks. The cliffs and rock formations on the beach offer a text-book example of horizontal sedimentary geology, and are amazing to look at. In various places there are sea-cut caves, although given the propensity of bits of cliff to tumble down from time to time, it is not recommended that you get too close to the foot of the cliff itself. The beach also has some rock pools, although the tides and waves mean that they are not the most interesting - although you can find the odd hermit- and shore-crab if you are persistent, and perhaps a small fish or two. It's a favourite with beach-combers, too. Above the beach, the green by Marine Drive offers spectacular views across the Bristol Channel to the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm, and the Somerset coast, 15-20km beyond. There's always plenty of shipping to watch too, heading up- or downstream, or simply waiting for the tide to take them to the docks at Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, Barry or Sharpness.

This pebble beach in Barry is generally quieter than the sandy beach of Barry Island, just a few…read moremiles to the east, although it still gets busy on hot summer days. It's located in one of the wealthiest and most attractive areas of the town, near big houses and expensive flats. It was originally used by the Romans as a port, and now has a lake right next to it where people go to feed the swans and ducks. This - Cold Knap Lake - was the subject of a poem by Cardiff-born poet Gillian Clarke. It's most attractive on a really crisp, frosty day when the sun's out but few people are about. A former outdoor swimming pool has been filled in and turned into part of a tourist trail. The area is also home to a skate park.

The Knap Gardens are one of the most popular parks in Barry…read more It's an attractive triangular garden of lawns and borders, with a small stream running into a large boating lake, which is built in the shape of a Welsh Harp. The lake is home to a colony of swans and ducks, as well as the odd seabird. On sunny week-end afternoons, it's busy with families, including those with remote controlled boats. There's also a sheltered sunken garden with a small pond and fountain, with high hedges to keep off the stiff breezes that blow in from the Bristol Channel. The park backs onto Cold Knap beach, and at the other end are shops and cafes providing teas and ice-creams. There is ample parking at the nearby car park adjacent to the beach.

Other reviews are great but I just wanted to add that there are now parking restrictions on the car…read morepark in the evening. It closes at 5.30pm -- you can get out if you've parked up before then but you cant get in to park - there are only a few spaces available (disabled parking etc). I was chased by a swan when I last went so I now leave the bread at home - and I have also noticed some 'do not feed the ducks' signs! The skate park is popular with the youngsters and there's some fantastic talent over there! It's great to go over and watch them.

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).