9 BEST Things To Do in Llanelli [2024 Guide] (2024)

Llanelli is a market town which sits on the Loughor estuary along the beautiful coastline of West Wales. It was once at the centre of the global tinplate industry which is how it grew to become the largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire (surprisingly bigger than the town of Carmarthen).

Today, it’s best known for its rugby team, the Llanelli Scarlets, one of just four professional rugby union teams in Wales. Considering the town isn’t typically a tourist hotspot, on my recent visit, I found a surprising number of things to do in Llanelli and its surroundings which I’ll share with you in this guide.

1. Visit the beach at the Millennium Coastal Park

© Wales Guidebook

© Wales Guidebook

© Wales Guidebook

The Millennium Coastal Park is the 13-mile stretch of walkway and cycleway alongside Llanelli Beach. The beach itself is a long sandy beach that’s great for relaxing. It’s also west-facing so expect excellent sunsets.

If you want to cycle along the path but don’t have your own bicycles, you can hire one from Kranz Bike Shop which is very close to the Millennium Coastal Park. Alternatively, you can hire one from Pembrey Country Park as below.

Whilst at the Millennium Coastal Park, you also have to check out St. Elli’s Bay Bistro and Brasserie if you want something to eat. We were there around brunch time so I indulged in the Eggs Benny and there were no regrets!

2. Try mini-golf, tobogganing, tubing, and more at Pembrey Country Park

© Wales Guidebook

© Wales Guidebook

Pembrey Country Park is a diverse coastal parkland area not far from Llanelli which includes a designated nature reserve, woodlands and an 8-mile-long sandy beach. There’s a seemingly endless array of activities on offer here as well as a campsite and a winter sports centre.

You can relax on the beach at Cefn Sands, play mini golf, try your hand at skiing or tubing down the dry ski slope, or try my favourite activity at the park, tobogganing down Wales’ longest toboggan track.

Some of the newer activities include footgolf and a bear trail. There are also plenty of walking and cycling trails with the opportunity to hire a bicycle from the onsite hire shop. They also have 4-seater family bikes!

Pembrey Country Park is free to visit if you walk or cycle there (you can easily cycle there in 30 minutes from Llanelli), however, you’ll have to pay a parking charge if you visit by car. The prices vary by season, you can see the current rates along with a full list of things to do in my guide to Pembrey Country Park.

3. See flamingos at Llanelli Wetland Centre

Llanelli Wetland Centre is a 500-acre nature reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) on the outskirts of Llanelli. Unlike other wetlands in Wales, this is a paid attraction unless you are already a WWT member, but they are a charity so all admission fees go towards caring for the birds and habitats.

The salt marshes of the nature reserve provide the habitat for many different species, including several rare or endangered ones such as the water vole and the only black-headed gulls in South Wales.

But the highlight of the reserve and the main reason why people flock here (excuse the bird pun), is to see the bright pink and very vocal flamboyance of Caribbean flamingos that are resident there.

If you are visiting during the school holidays, you can also rent a 2-person Canadian canoe for just £12.50 and head out on the water for yourself. They also hold many events from art workshops to tours with the warden, you can check the listings here. Events are usually free, but you’ll still need a valid admission ticket or membership.

4. Learn about ‘Tinopolis’ at the Parc Howard Museum

© Ken Day / Wikimedia

Parc Howard is a museum and art gallery set inside a former villa in Llanelli. The museum tells the history of Llanelli and how it made its fortune at the heart of the global tinplate manufacturing industry during the industrial revolution.

The art gallery at Parc Howard contains a large collection of Llanelli pottery, another of the town’s famous exports.

One of the gallery’s most iconic exhibits is a Stepney Spare Wheel. This was the first type of spare wheel for a car which would be clamped to the flat tyre and inflated to allow the car to continue onward. It was invented in Llanelli in 1904 and in some parts of the world a spare wheel is still known as a ‘stepney’.

Unfortunately, the museum was closed for repairs during my latest visit to Llanelli, but I’m excited to come back again after it reopens sometime in 2023. Check their website to find out the latest.

5. Feed the swans at Sandy Water Park

© Wales Guidebook

Not far from the Millennium Coastal Park, you’ll find Sandy Water Park. Just in case you’re wondering as I did, there is no sand involved, it’s just in a neighbourhood called Sandy.

The waterpark is essentially a large lake with a trail around the outside. The lake has an abundance of waterbirds, most famously a resident population of swans.

The trail takes around half an hour and is suitable for prams and wheelchairs. There’s a dedicated car park at Sandy Water Park too, although you’ll have to pay for parking (entrance is free, however).

If you want a longer walk, you can walk through Mabinogion woods towards the coast where you can enjoy a small sculpture trail on your way. This information leaflet has more details.

6. Explore the impressive Kidwelly Castle

© Wales Guidebook

© Wales Guidebook

Kidwelly Castle is an impressive medieval fortress around a 20-minute drive from Llanelli and is well worth visiting as one of my favourite castles in West Wales. It’s also earned a name for itself for appearing in the opening scene of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Initially constructed by the Normans to protect against attacks from Welsh princes during their conquest of Wales, the castle has a unique design which is semi-circular when viewed from above.

The castle is vast and remains well-preserved so you’ll want to allow between 45 minutes to an hour to fully explore the ruins. You can walk along the castle walls and climb up the towers for panoramic views across the picturesque River Gwendraeth and the surrounding countryside.

The castle is managed by CADW and is a paid attraction unless you are a member. See my full Kidwelly Castle Guide for more information.

7. Take a guided tour of Plas Llanelly House

Plas Llanelly House is a Georgian house found on the outskirts of the town centre. It’s considered to be one of the finest examples of architecture from this period.

I would highly recommend that you take one of the guided tours. You’ll be led by Craig, a very knowledgeable and humourous guide who will show you around and introduce you to some of the people that used to live here. He also promises to share some scandalous secrets and you might even get a cream tea afterwards.

Tours are typically run three days per week, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, with extra days added during school holidays. You will need to book ahead here.

If you’re feeling puckish after the tour, they also have an excellent bistro open daily (except Sunday) for breakfast and lunch. They occasionally open in the evenings for themed nights such as Tapas night and tribute bands, find out details here.

8. See the ruins of Loughor Castle

© Crown copyright (2023) Cymru Wales

If you only have time to see one castle, Kidwelly is my top pick, but if you can squeeze in another, you can head to the ruins of Loughor Castle which are just 10 minutes away in the neighbouring town of Loughor.

The current castle ruins you can see were also built during the Norman Conquest of Wales, although a fort called Leucarum stood on this strategic site since Roman times.

Throughout its existence, Loughor Castle witnessed numerous conflicts, not least being burnt down during the Welsh uprising of 1151 and later captured by Llywelyn the Great in 1215.

Today, the ruins are managed by CADW but are free to visit. You can explore the ruins of the stone tower and the remnants of the curtain wall.

9. Follow the Llanelli Blue Plaque Trail

© Jaggery / Geograph

The Blue Plaque Trail is exactly what it says on the tin, a trail of 16 blue plaques across the town centre that take you to some of the town’s most important and historic landmarks.

You can purchase a booklet from Llanelly House which details the locations of the plaques and some information about them.

If you don’t want to purchase the booklet, there’s an information panel outside Llanelly House which has some basic information to begin your journey.

Following the success of the Blue Plaque Trail in the town centre, more than 50 blue plaques have been installed in the area around Llanelli so keep an eye out for these as you explore the area.