A capital city and, half an hour west of it, a limestone coast that has nothing to do with capital cities. The Vale is the farmland in between, running down to Llantwit Major and the cliffs at Nash Point.
60 places to stay · showing 11–20
Cardiff, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A 4-star hotel in the absolute heart of Cardiff — steps from the shops, arcades and the Principality Stadium.
Llangeinor, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A dog-friendly cottage at Llangeinor near Bridgend, South Wales, sleeping 6 with countryside views, a Juliet balcony and two acres of shared gardens.
Cardiff, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A stylish, modern 4-star hotel right next to Cardiff Central station — perfect for travellers, shopping and events.
Cowbridge, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A luxurious 16th-century manor near Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, sleeping 12, with a shared heated outdoor pool, wood burners and six elegant bedrooms.
Llantwit Major, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A self-contained two-bedroom apartment beside the bar and restaurant at the White Hart, in the centre of Llantwit Major and close to the Heritage Coast.
Cardiff, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A luxurious 4-star hotel with an award-winning spa and spectacular panoramic views across Cardiff.
Bridgend, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A magnificent Grade II listed 15th-century country house hotel in Laleston, just west of Bridgend — meticulously restored and full of history.
Bridgend, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A modern detached home in Bridgend, South Wales, sleeping 8 across four bedrooms, with a brand-new cinema room, a home gym and an enclosed garden near…
Cardiff, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
Cardiff’s landmark 5-star hotel and spa, with a striking glass-fronted design and a spectacular position on the edge of Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan
A welcoming, family-run B&B in a Victorian house in Penarth, near Cardiff, with free parking, a garden and rooms with free WiFi — minutes from Dingle…
Cardiff only became a city because of what came down the valleys behind it. The docks that shipped it are the Bay now. The castle in the middle of town has a Roman wall at the bottom, a Norman keep on the mound and a Victorian fantasy on the side. There are seven Victorian arcades as well, the densest run left in Britain.
Then it stops. Fifteen miles west the Vale is farmland and market towns, and the Glamorgan Heritage Coast is flat grey limestone laid in shelves with fossils in it. Cowbridge is the town in the middle. Penarth sits on the edge of the city with its pier, and Barry has the island and the sands.
There is a building in Mount Stuart Square, down in the old docks, where the price of the world's coal was decided.
The Coal Exchange went up between 1884 and 1888 to a design by Edwin Seward. For a stretch of years, what was agreed on its trading floor set what coal cost, and not just in Cardiff. That is the part worth holding on to. Cardiff was not simply a place that shipped a lot of coal; it was the place that priced it.
The story usually told about the building is that the world's first million-pound cheque was signed in it. It may well be true, but the date moves about: 1901 in some tellings, 1904 in others. Enjoy it as a story rather than a fact.
The trade itself is not in any doubt, and neither is the ending. The Exchange closed in 1958. Cardiff's coal exports stopped completely in 1964.
The building came through it. It is a hotel now, reopened in 2017 after a forty-million-pound restoration. The room where the world's coal was priced is still standing and still in use, a short walk from the Senedd.
Half an hour west of all that, the Vale of Glamorgan carries on as though none of it ever happened. It is farmland, a market town at Cowbridge, and a limestone coast laid down in flat grey shelves.
Which is the useful thing about this corner of Wales: the capital and the quiet bit are close enough together that you do not have to pick one.
Where to stay: hotels in Cardiff & the Vale of Glamorgan · B&Bs and guest houses
You can have a city break and a coast walk on the same day here. Cardiff has the castle, the stadium and the bay. Cowbridge, Barry and Porthcawl are all a short drive west, with the Glamorgan Heritage Coast below them. Barry is on the train from Cardiff Central; Porthcawl has a station at Pyle a few minutes inland, and Llantwit Major is on the Vale line. You can also search across Wales.
Browse Cardiff & the Vale of Glamorgan by type: B&Bs & Guest Houses · Hotels & Inns · Cottages & Self-Catering
Towns in Cardiff & the Vale of Glamorgan: Barry · Llantwit Major · Bridgend · Cardiff · Cowbridge · Porthcawl
Nearby areas: Swansea & Gower · South Wales
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