Gay Cardiff: Gem of Wales

Photo by annodam

Located on the south coast of Wales, Cardiff is a popular summer vacation destination. It's a small, compact city of approximate 300,000, and the gay scene reflects that small-town quality. Nightlife tends young and intimate, largely dominated by students from Cardiff's four universities. Though there is no gay ghetto per se, most of the gay pubs and clubs can be found on Charles Street or in nearby Bute Terrace. Cardiff's gay nightlife is on the campy side, but each venue is quite diverse. In a bar full of college age men, you might find a middle-age lesbian couple at the bar.

Cardiff has come along way from its coal port city origins to one of the youngest capitol cities in the world. (The Welsh Assembly Government has met there since 1955.) The city's transformation makes it a charmingly cosmopolitan place to explore, a mix of very old and very young in one grand jumble. Cardiff knows how to party, throwing the UK's biggest gay event of all: Cardiff Mardi Gras. Forty thousand people come to this summer event each year to see an eclectic array of live music and events centered around the city's oldest landmark, Cardiff Castle.

The revitalization of Cardiff Bay is primarily responsible for the city's upsurge as a tourist destination. Home to fascinatingly constructed building like the Cardiff Bay Visitors Centre and the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay is the place for upscale dining, art galleries and fashionable shopping. The bay is also an excellent place to explore the Bristol Channel by bird watching along the Wetland Reserve, walking along one of the many docks or taking a cruise down the Channel.

Cardiff is a great destination for outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs. The Centenary Walk combines these two hobbies gracefully with a 2.2 mile walkway around the town. Starting at the Cardiff Visitor's Centre, and passing by 41 historical landmarks, it's a great way to see the sights. Cardiff is a highly walkable city even without this path, as most attractions are close to each other and signs for popular sights make navigation simple. Cardiff and its surrounding areas feature lovely rivers and parks, just waiting to be explored--that is if you can pull yourself away from the friendly, fun gay & lesbian scene for a short while.

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