SWANSEA

Swansea has a modern maritime spirit, with an abundance of arts, food and shopping opportunities, all in a magnificent setting. Around £4 million has already been spent on improving the look of the pedestrianised area of the city centre and major long-term plans are in place to make Swansea city centre and the waterfront combine to become a European destination of distinction by 2020.

Five miles along the coast from the city centre lies Mumbles, a place that has a well-established reputation for its special, seaside village atmosphere. Mumbles is a place that has been much appreciated by generations of Swansea students. The Gower Peninsula has some of Britain's most stunning coastline and around 50 unspoilt beaches, coves and bays can be found less than 15 minutes from the city of Swansea. Gower beaches are routinely awarded the coveted Blue Flag, Rural Seaside and Green Coast awards, recognising their quality, cleanliness and services. The surfing is excellent. A short journey inland will bring you to woods, waterfalls, hills and valleys. 

Getting Around

Swansea is easily accessible by road, rail, sea and air. Cardiff International Airport is less than an hour away and the M4 motorway, the main east-west arterial route from London, passes through the northern outskirts of Swansea. Swansea railway station is on the main west coast line from London Paddington, less than three hours away. There are also frequent ferry crossings from Swansea to Cork in the Republic of Ireland. Student bus passes are available. There is an extensive network of traffic-free cyle paths, inluding well-used cyle routes to and from the universities and the town centre.

Attractions for Students

Sport: Swansea has six leisure and sports centres and good tennis and swimming facilities across the city. The Gower Peninsula and surrounding countryside offers hiking, golfing, fishing, kite and wind surfing, kayaking and horseriding on the beach.  The city has 52 green spaces, including award-winning parks and gardens. 

Culture and Nightlife: The city's famous café quarter on Wind Street provides a host of popular pubs and clubs, restaurants and entertainment venues including a 12-screen state-of-the-art multiplex cinema and £-multi-million casino.Taliesin Arts Centre is a popular venue presenting a wide variety of performances and exhibitions including regular cinema screenings, an average of ten visiting exhibitions per year, and a variety of live performances, from dance and drama to jazz and world music. The Egypt Centre is an accredited museum on the campus of Swansea University. Swansea Museum, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and the Dylan Thomas Centre are found in the city.  Penyrheol Theatre is part of Penyrheol Leisure Centre. Other theatres are the Grand, where the Welsh National Opera performs, and the Dylan Thomas Centre in the Maritime Quarter. The city is also home to the £30-million National Waterfront Museum which attracts over 250,000 people a year. 

Shopping: Swansea is the regional shopping centre of south west Wales and is currently undergoing the first phase of a £30-million retail regeneration. It features most popular high street retailers, including all the main supermarkets. Tesco (next to the bus station), Lidl (Parc Tawe) and Sainsburys (Quay Parade) are closest to t he university in the centre of town. Elsewhere, Swansea Market, located in the main shopping area, offers a range of local and fresh produce at reasonable prices.  

Population: 228,100
Student Population: 15,000

Proximity to the city centre: University of Swansea: Singleton Campus is less than three miles from the city centre; Swansea Metropolitan University: Mount Pleasant campus is within one mile of the city centre.