As others have said, this is a lovely, almost hidden park, with a small area of formal gardens with…read morea pond and fountain, complete with a statue of Peter Pan, wild woodland areas and a large playing-field area. It has wonderful views from the top across the lower Ely valley towards Llandough, as well as some amazing mature trees. It is one of the city's oldest parks, given to the city by Charles Thompson in 1911. Perfect for a short walk or a lazy summer afternoon picnic.

Although there are a whole lot of parks in and around the Cardiff area, Thompson's Park in Canton…read morein somewhat unique. Most others offer wide stretches of grass, the odd flowered border and playgrounds. Thompson's Park is smaller than most, and has a particularly quaint feeling. This park is landscaped well, and combined areas of woodland in the heart of the city, with fountains (including the famous Peter Pan statue), duck ponds, winding stairs and a wide grassy area on its higher level. On this field I took part in many school sports days in my time. Never won anything though. Thompson's Park is small and compact, but large enough to take you away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's like a lost garden in a city wilderness.

This park is a worthwhile visit, as is the rest of the village. Another smaller shop area full of…read moremany shops; some hairdressers, a bank or two, cash machines, food and drink, snacks, toiletries, gift shops, craft shops, post office, cafes, bookshops, a Christian Bookshop, a card shop and jewellery shops, hand bags, accessorises and chocolate shops. Llanishen village used to be only wooded farm land in A. D. 535. There was a Battle known as the Battle of the Heath where the Welsh Celts ended up fighting the Normans in 1089 in the north settlement. As you can rightly see all of these small areas that I have talked about in some of my reviews do have quite a lot of Welsh history to them and there is much, much more which has yet to be heard. These areas include; Rhiwbina, and Cyncoed. They are the ideal tourist spots, where you will be able to learn many things about Wales that you may never learn elsewhere and perhaps would not expect to hear at all. So I recommend this area as a must, place to visit for all people not just for tourists. There is so much to see and do there.

This may be called a wetlands reserve but its more like a little walkway along the reed area of the…read moresea front. Its not very big and don't expect to see a huge array of animals. There are information boards around so if your a keen wildlife spotter or want to get the kids involved they are a nice touch. What it is, is a very peaceful spot where even on a very busy summers day you can find a spot to sit and enjoy the sun, or feed the ducks (although I don't think your meant too!)

This is a fairly exposed nature reserve with a boardwalk for visitors to stroll along, bordered by…read moremarshy reeds and offering views out over the Bay. These wetlands were created in 2002 when the barrage was completed to compensate partly for the disappearance of the old saline mudflats, which of course were being turned into a freshwater lake. The wetlands provide an important habitat for over-wintering and breeding birds, so the reserve is justifiably popular with birdwatchers. On a cold and windy day, this isn't the most pleasant open space you could choose to explore because it often gets really windy with a nasty chill factor - far better off finding some secluded woods to shelter in. In the summer, however, it's a different story - with some good views from the boardwalk back over the reserve and to the Bay's skyline and out to Cardiff Bay Barrage.

I've been Quad biking in a few different places now and while some offer little more than a field,…read morethis one really has a bit more variety and interest and being in Wales we usually have lots of mud which is essential for Quad biking! Firstly you have to do a bit of safety briefing an get used to the bikes ect, but then you get to follow the instructors out around the farm over different terrains, through the wood and such. They tailor the tour to suit the ability of the riders so don't worry if you've never been before. Trips last an hour or an hour and half, may not sound a lot but you'd be surprised by the aching the next day! They provide all the gear to keep you dry and safe. They also do other activities too such as clay shooting and gorge walking and can tailor make your Hen/Stag weekend events.

For Cardiff residents, this outdoor activity centre is practically on the city's doorstep, and…read morewhile the scenery isn't quite as striking as that of the nearby Brecon Beacons (where many Cardiffians travel to for outdoor pursuits) it's still quite an attractive area, and it's far more convenient. The centre has good quad biking facilities but lots of groups go there to do other outdoor activities such as archery, clay pigeon shooting, and cross country nature trails. They also arrange activities in other locations (including the Brecon Beacons!) such as gorge walking and even chocolate making - popular for hen parties. My friend went here to do archery, starting off with a training round on easy 'training bows', then moving on to a second scoring round with proper field target bows. It was raining, but they have an indoor barn set up to use, so it's a pretty good all-weather activity. She really enjoyed it, and it only cost about £12 per person (she was in a group of about 6). Her office is now planning a clay pigeon shooting jaunt there!

For anyone who's read a number of my reviews, you might notice that I like my parks, gardens and…read moremuseums. I'm an outdoors lover, and really want to share my wonderful memories with everyone on Yelp! So here goes! I really like Dyffryn Gardens, and would love the opportunity to go have more looks around. They are the wonderful grounds of an old manor house. It is in fact a series of gardens, or 'garden rooms', each of which have a distinct style or mood. It's another one of those places that has surprises and discoveries around every corner. My personal favourite is a little spring with a pool full of coins, which I recall getting very wet in as a child. It should be noted that they close at 4pm during winter, and last admission is a hour before closing. So you better get down there now.

Probably one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever visited and i've been to a few. Its only 10…read moreminutes away from Cardiff city centre and yet few people I've spoken to have never heard of it. Its just got everything really, like a childrens area, open spaces, wooded areas, water features and beautiful flowers. They even have a shop and cafe and public loos. You have to pay to get in, not really cheap at £6.50 per adult and £2.50 per child in the summer but when you see the amount of work it takes to look after the cost if justified and also keeps it a bit more peaceful. Gorgeous place.

Ynys Hywel is an Outdoor Education Centre situated in a magical valley. If gnomes and elves exist…read morethey live here. The Center is surrounded by old forests full of native trees and pine. Up on the hill some of the beech trees are a few hundred years old and their trunks are at least 8ft in diameter. The valley majestically curves around and follows the river, running down through the sleepy villages of Cross Keys and Risca. The cherry on the cake is the idyllic 12th Century whitewashed stone chapel just before you get to the Center. This is a great place for a walk. Keep your eyes peeled for the fossils in the mud-stone, these are 100 million year old trees and bushes. The views on the top of Machen ridge are stunning, they look over the Severn Estuary, Steep Holm and Flat Holme island. The Center itself runs outdoor activities for schools and youth groups. The staff are fantastically friendly and approachable. The activities include mountain biking, gorge walking, canoeing, hill walking, surfing, archery, bush-craft, orienteering, there's even a small on-site climbing and abseiling wall.

Understand Ynys Hywel has recently changed hands and is now run by an organisation called Family…read moreLife. They told me it is not for profit and they hope to offer respite weekends in the future for families with disabled children. Its great to see it is fully operational again. New owners have some interesting plans introducing new activities in 2019 so really looking forward to using the Centre later in the year.

i loved this place, it is very nice and calming 10/10. i stopped here after a stressful day, with…read moremy dog, she has lost her back 2 legs due to an accident on the roads. she hasn't ran around happily in her little wheels in months. she loves the birds and i love the nature. i would give this infinite stars if i could, definitely recommend to people who need a little bit of relaxation when things get stressful!

This is a fabulous place to visit. I often visit here with my dog, Molly. She loves the freedom of…read morebeing able to run for miles. It's a nature reserve, with an onsite building, with toilets. The toilets are modern, clean and well maintained. There's usually an exhibition in the main hall. The reserve itself is a haven for wildlife. If birdwatching is your interest, then this is ideal for you. There's also a large pond, which further increases the number of visiting birds. If you walk along the paths, eventually you'll get to Sker Beach. This is a wide sandy beach, usually deserted. A great cheap day out - take a picnic, parking is free!

Ystradfellte is the Brecon Beacon's Waterfall country and its also were I grew up so its a place I…read moreknow well and love very much. Its a place that a lot of people in Wales know of just because of the fall and the caving complexes. The most famous of the waters is Sgwd Y Eira. If you have seen the advertising posters for Brecon Water this is the waterfall in the picture. Its a fairly easy walk apart from the steps as you get near and its one of very few waterfalls that you can actually walk underneath, though do expect to get sprayed a bit. I personally prefer some of the walks around the other falls which are much quieter in the summer and offer refreshing pools to swim in or picnic by. In all my years of living here I have never got bored of walking the area, its different all the time. Just a note to vistors the two main car parks charge a daily fee and a national parks ranger goes between them. If you want to avoid the fee park in the village itself and walk a bit further, tempting as it may be to pull up on the verges near the car parks I have seen so many break in's that you really are risking it a bit.