The WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre is a hidden gem in South Wales. I didn’t know it existed until a couple of years back, and when I talk to parents at the school gates etc about it – they’ve either never heard of it, or have ‘meant to go, but hadn’t got around to it’. And it’s such a shame – it’s a great place for bird enthusiasts, fans of the outdoors and kids.
I wasn’t expecting too much when we visited with my toddler for the first time, but couldn’t get over how good it was. You can tell a lot of money is spent there to keep the facilities in such a lovely condition. However – I’m not a writer who can give you a proper run-down on whether it is a great place to spot birds (though by the amount of bird watchers with very expensive looking cameras and binoculars there, I’m suspecting it is!), but I can’t give you my thoughts, as just someone who enjoys days out in the countryside and has a couple of kids.
Where is the Llanelli Wetland Centre?
On the lush Loughour Estuary, just a bit up from North Gower is where you’ll find the Llanelli Wetland Centre.
If you’re driving up from Swansea, as soon as you hit Fforestfach, you’ll see brown tourism signs with a duck on them – follow that duck! It’s just past Gateway caravan park.
It has a big car park, with disabled parking at the front, which is free with your ticket.
WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre tickets and prices
Visiting the Llanelli Wetland Centre isn’t cheap, but as I go into below, there are ways to go about bagging a discount.
The current 2024 cost to enter the Llanelli Wetland Centre is:
- Adult – £11.23 (Gift Aid Price), £10.22 (Standard Price)
- Concession (£10.11 (Gift Aid Price), £9.19 (Standard Price)
- Junior, 2 -17 years, £7.25 (Gift Aid PRice), £6.59 (Standard Price)
- Family – £28.45 (Gift Aid Price), £28.45 (Standard Price)
- Under 4 – FREE
You can also become a member, which means you can go as much as you like, whenever you like. The prices are below in the image.
WWT Llanelli cheap tickets trick
First off if you’re a Blue Peter Badge holder (they’re not that hard to get if you’re between 5 – 15, and they get you into over 200 places over the UK free), you can use it to enter here free of charge. Here’s more information on getting into Llanelli Wetlands for free with a Blue Peter Badge.
If you currently work, or have worked in the past for the public sector, or the Civil Service, you can get a Boundless card for £40. It gets you entry for a year to Kew Gardens, as well as all the WWT Wetlands, including Llanelli. There are other benefits, like a free Tastecard etc. You don’t need a special email or anything to apply. Read more here about it.
Llanelli Wetlands opening times
The Llanelli Wetlands Centre – WWT is open every single day from 9:30 am – 5 pm. The last admission is 4 pm.
Llanelli Wetland Centre map
The Llanelli Wetland Centre is massive (456 acres to be specific!) – you’ll want to pick up a map when you go inside. If you have kids with you, the centre often has interactive maps where children can tick off things they see etc.
I think it’s worth taking five minutes before you get going to plan a route that will work for you. There are playgrounds, look-outs, muddy walks, accessible paths etc – just wandering around blindly might get you into trouble (or covered in mud!).
If you are someone with a wheelchair, mobility scooter or electric scooter (or even a pram), you may want to check out Euan’s Guide, a great source on accessibility in the Llanelli Wetlands Centre.
Llanelli Wetland Centre soft play
The Llanelli Wetland Centre has a brilliant little soft play area which is the perfect place to hang out if the weather is a bit miserable. When you enter the centre, there’s an area set up for kids, including an art table, soft play, train set and bookshelf.
It’s a lovely venue, with big windows looking over the wetlands with comfy chairs and tables, so you can sit and watch the wildlife while your child runs havoc in the soft play.
If you live close by, it’s 100% worth the cost of an annual pass just for the rainy day activities – you’ll certainly get your money’s worth over the year.
Llanelli Wetlands cafe
Ok, it can’t all be good, right? I hate the Llanelli Wetlands Cafe. I’ve been to it a good few times now, and each time it’s been disappointing.
Firstly, it’s so expensive and what’s on offer is pretty limited. A kids-packed lunch is nearly £6 and is not worth the money. Do yourself a favour and bring your own food. During my last visit, the person I was with ordered a cheese and ham toastie which was still frozen in the middle! The staff are lovely and sorted it out, of course, but it’s not great, is it?
And service is so slow. So, so slow – every single time. I don’t think it’s the staff – who are again, great. I’m assuming it’s the set-up.
Get yourself a cup of coffee if you must (the cakes are pretty good – but very expensive) – but take your own food – trust me.
Wetlands Llanelli Events
The Llanelli Wetlands Centre always has events and activities going on. The other week there was a craft market for example, and then there are themed events such as the Bing Nature Explorers.
Your best bet is to follow its Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up to date with what’s going on.
WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre reviews
Over a whopping 1000 reviews on Google with a great score of 4.6.
Great wetland reserve, with open wild wetlands and exotic birds in aviaries. There’s quite a variety of birds, much more than we had expected on a cold March day.
There’s a nice café, gift shop, viewing areas and a lookout tower in the main building, with hides situated around the open wetlands.
Good pathways around most of the reserve mean that good footwear will be ok rather than wellies and boots.
All good.Lots of activities for families. We spent about 6 hours there between the birds, the climbing frames and the adventurer trails. We were late in the season to hire canoes to explore the wild wetlands which are available through the summer holidays provided your child is over 5 years old. What we really enjoyed was the afternoon pond fishing which allowed us to find fish, snails and larvae with an instructor who explained all about the bugs and how they fit into the bird diet.
A great place for photography. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here taking photos of the wildlife and managed to get some lovely shots. It’s clear a lot of care has gone into shaping this place and making it accessible to all. I’ll definitely be returning. Thank you!
Want to know what to do next? Check out my page on Mumbles for some ideas.
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