Perched on the eastern shore of Swansea Bay, Port Talbot is a Welsh seaside resort home to one of the largest steelworks in the world. The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, with the remains of 4,000 BC farming ditches and an Iron Age village discovered here.
Things to do in Port Talbot
Stretching the length of Port Talbot is Aberavon Beach, which is backed by a promenade overlooking Swansea Bay. It’s one of the longest beaches in Wales and a popular spot for sand yachting and kite surfing. Behind the beach is a family-friendly splash park, children’s play areas and a miniature golf course, as well as a handful of cafes and restaurants.
One of Port Talbot’s quirkiest attractions is the Baked Bean Museum of Excellence, which occupies the home of “Captain Beany”. It is packed with vintage cans and promotional material from various brands of baked beans, with highlights including the “Branston Bathroom” and the “Heinz Kitchen.” During your visit, you can learn about “Captain Beany’s” world record-breaking feat of sitting naked in a bathtub of baked beans for 100 hours.
A short drive inland from Port Talbot is the South Wales Miners' Museum, which is located within Afan Forest Park in the village of Cymmer. It is dedicated to the region’s coal mining past, with a recreated tunnel, a blacksmith’s shop and a pithead wheel on display. You can learn about the hardships of life as a miner and step inside a working engine house.
Getting around Port Talbot
Port Talbot is around 20 minutes’ drive from Swansea and 40 minutes from Cardiff. Cardiff Airport is 45 minutes away and has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular trains connect to the Port Talbot Parkway railway station and buses travel through the town, connecting most of its attractions.