Aside from its beaches, one of the real jewels in Swansea's crown is its amazing parks. The area is blessed with some amazing beauty spots steeped in tradition and history for the whole family to visit and enjoy without having to spend a penny.
The city has every reason to boast about its outstanding areas of natural beauty, so much so that everyone has their own opinion over which park is Swansea's finest, with no conclusive answer. Unless you believe TripAdvisor, of course.
The reviews website, which sees people leave ratings between one and five stars, along with an account of their experience whilst visiting attractions and destinations, has ranked the city's parks. And whilst we see many talking up their many highlights and plus points, others have taken the opportunity to air their grievances about their trip to one of the beauty spots. We recently visited Swansea's worst rated car park according to TripAdvisor, which you can read more about by clicking here.
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Here's the top four parks according to TripAdvisor rankings, and the mixed bag of feedback left for the consideration of others before they make their own visit. You can get more Swansea stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
4. Singleton Park
Singleton Park is the largest urban park in Swansea and is enjoyed by thousands of people across the city every single week. Whether it be a family picnic, a game of crazy golf, a pedalo ride around the boating lake or your very first concert, the stories and moments which have been shared in its vast confines are endless. It also has a fascinating history, dating back to the 1800s. You can read more about that by clicking here.
Many on TripAdvisor can't speak highly enough of it. One person writes: "This park is an absolute hidden gem. Hardly used for its size. It is very large and has a botanical gardens in the middle. Perfect for a walk, or to get a bit of fresh air overlooking the sea. Maintained beautifully. "
And another adds: "This is one of the highlights of living in the Swansea front area. There is nothing better than a nice walk through the park on a Sunday and a nice family day out. The park is always well kept and has a lovely range of things to do."
But others were less than impressed. One person wrote: "Went there to walk the dog in the sunshine and it was like an assault course to avoid the geese droppings which were all over the path by the boating lake - and the smell as well."
And another adds: "I appreciate the park is famous for its duck and geese families but the mess from the birds is everywhere and I do wonder if it is dangerous with small children running around, it was hard enough for adults to avoid the mess everywhere. Needs a good hose down."
A third writes: "The water actually stinks. Why anybody would want to hire boat to go round that sewer is beyond me."
3. Brynmill Park
Steeped in local history, Brynmill Park has the honour of being Swansea’s first informal then formal park. Dating back to 1872, it is of national interest through its Grade II listing by Cadw’s Register of Parks and Gardens of Historic Interest.
At a local level the park developed alongside the early growth of Swansea for which its reservoir supplied domestic water, and was an important part of the active life of the city residents for whom the park has always been a special place. As well as having some superb facilities, the park also has a unique outdoor classroom, the Discovery Centre.
One TripAdvisor reviewer wrote: "Have to say it's one of my favourite places to go in Swansea. The scenery is absolutely stunning and the facilities were equally amazing. Big fields and a big park for the little ones. Perfect."
Another added: "Having moved away from Swansea many years ago, Brynmill Park is on my must visit list when visiting Swansea. Not only is it a great place to stroll around watching the park's interesting bird life centred around the lovely lake, it's also educational with many activities for children held throughout the year but mainly in the summer when there are more visitors. The playground is really safe for children with plenty of grass areas for ball games or a general run around. It is well tended, keeping the shrubbery trimmed and tidy throughout the park. Interesting any time of year with each season bringing its own magic."
But others added: "Pigeons are a nuisance. Lake needs a good clean up. Problem car parking", and "the toilets are a bit minging."
2. Cwmdonkin Park
A beautiful park with unique features and various references to Dylan Thomas, including a memorial stone which has lines from 'Fern Hill'. Its features include a bowling green, children's play area, four tennis courts, walking trails, a woodland, tea rooms and public toilets.
Many waxed lyrical about it on TripAdvisor, including this reviewer: "It's a delightful park, with paths to explore, lawned areas, shrubs, tennis courts, a children's play area with several activities to entertain them. There is even a basketball hoop. It's not frequented by many people, so if you want a relaxing moment, where, if you have them, your children can entertain themselves, then I suggest you give the park a visit one day."
Another wrote: "This shows how the Victorians cared about health and the provision of recreation facilities for the ordinary people of the city. The care in planting and the beauty of the trees is remarkable."
But others had a very different experience, including this reviewer, who wrote: "I did get chased by a squirrel once. It was fairly frightening. But that hopefully won't happen to you."
Another added: "Just a basic park, sorry. Nothing different to the norm and certainly not worth going out of your way to see - although a lovely location."
1. Clyne Gardens
Swansea's favourite park, according to TripAdvisor. Clyne Gardens is even ranked as Swansea's ninth top attraction in general. It is steeped in history. William Graham Vivian - the millionaire of Clyne - purchased 'Clyne Castle' in 1860 and lavished time and money on it to reflect his wealth. Three important trees planted by him can be found in front of the Castle, one Wellingtonia 'Sequiodendron giganteum' and two Monterey Cypress 'Cupressus macrocarpa' - one is one of the tallest recorded in Britain. The estate passed to his nephew Algernon, 'The Admiral', in 1921, who owned it until his death in 1952. He had the greatest influence on the gardens as we see them today.
The gardens offer lush planting and interesting features, such as the bluebell wood, and Japanese and Italian bridges. One reviewer wrote: "Best park in Swansea. Immaculately presented gardens with exotic plants and great views of the bay."
Another added: "Just amazing! The fields, the flowers, the pathways - everything! If you are in Swansea it is a must-see place. Separate a few hours to stay there and enjoy the beauty of the nature."
A third wrote: "We love walking in the gardens. It's absolutely beautiful at this time of the year. It's perfect for relaxing and admiring the gorgeous scenery."
Another had a different outlook, writing: "Finding it was a real problem - it's not well signposted off the main coast road. Then the car park was hopelessly inadequate in size. There were no information leaflets available in the dispenser nor was the information kiosk open. The pathways are bewilderingly and confusingly marked."
Another simply added: "One day I intend to kiss a lady here under a tree."
