Outstanding natural beauty in South Wales

South Wales is very much a centre for culture, with the capital city of Cardiff dominating the area and how it is shaped. With much of the countryside here an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty too, flying above the region in a hot air balloon ride reveals its full extent.

Cardiff

There is a passion for the Welsh capital that is evident everywhere. Dominated by Cardiff Castle, which overlooks the bay area in an imposing fashion, the city inspires awe from the air. The Cardiff Bay area has been fashioned into an entertainment hub over recent years, and attracts shoppers and food enthusiasts from near and far. With the Millennium Stadium at its heart too, soaring above it truly reveals the dynamic, modern place that the bay is.

The Wye Valley

The Wye Valley has long been a habitat for artists and poets, with its inspiring landscape a natural muse for many. With cliffs surging through the sky, wooded areas clinging to the steeply rising hills, and the rolling valleys of the area, it is easy to understand its draw for the likes of William Wordsworth and JMW Turner. With more than 200 years since such luminaries captured its spirit, the Wye Valley still casts its spell. It’s devastating beautiful, with much of it making up an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is why it is possibly best witnessed from a basket silently ascending. There is more than just beauty here though. Flying through the skies also reveals the industrial history of the area, such as the coal mines for which South Wales is synonymous. With ancient forts dotting the entire region too, a fly-by of Caerphilly, the biggest castle in Wales, is a glorious sight.

More to discover

With the city of Swansea close by, and the beautiful counties of Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan offering dramatic landscapes and sandy beaches, South Wales has delightful secrets no matter where the winds blow.