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The western parts of Wales are like a fairy tale illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. It's a landscape of dense fogs, rolling hills, mossy dark forests and crenelated castles. The Welsh flag bears the image of a dragon and that seems entirely appropriate because few visitors who've spent any time in Dyfed of Gwynedd would be surprised to encounter one of the mythical beasts coiled in a castle's moat or winging around the craggy coast.

About a four-hour drive west of London, the Gower Peninsula is where the story begins. The Gower is a small foot of land that spans about 15 miles from Swansea to Worm's Head, yet the narrow, knotted roads that run between the hedgerows like rabbit trails make speedy travel impossible.

South of Swansea is a strip of bars and restaurants called The Mumbles. It's a great place for a pub crawl, but surfers might want to continue a little further south to Langland Bay. Langland Bay is the cradle of Welsh surfing with every kind of break from sand-bottom tubes to peeling pointbreaks. On a good summer swell it also has every kind of surfer from competent locals to pasty-faced punters down from London for the weekend.

Boardriders looking for a little more room to move would do better to head west to Port Eynon. There's a hostel overlooking the point at Port Eynon, which offers a nice righthander on a good swell, as well as several campgrounds and B&Bs. There's also a trail that runs from the hostel westward beneath spectacular cliffs to some of the best reefs in Wales. Further west is Rhossili Bay -- worth a check if the reefs are blown out.

Pembrokeshire is less than 30 miles west of The Gower, but driving in Wales is never a Point A to Point B experience. Set aside a couple of hours for the drive to Tenby and mind the herd of wild horses when you're leaving The Gower -- they have the right of way.

Tenby is an ancient trading port with a good harbor that drains dry at low tide. Most of the town is encircled by a high stone wall and it has been a popular bathing resort since the mid-1800s. Tenby is a touristy place with lots of shops selling useless items and one over-priced cybersalon. The beach at Tenby faces east, so it is sheltered from most swells. However when the waves are big and all the other spots are mauled by the west wind, Tenby is the place to go.

Just a few miles west of Tenby is the tiny hamlet of Manorbier. Below the cluster of shops and houses is a 12th century Norman castle overlooking a narrow bay. The break at Manorbier works on all tides and most winds. At low tide there's a sand-bottom peak breaking right and left. At high tide there's a sharply wedging right hard by the cliffs. Park in the castle lot by the beach, or in a smaller pullout above the bay. Drop by the castle too, at £2 it's worth a look. Just south of Manorbier, on the other side of the British Army artillery range, is the Skrinkle hostel, a clean well-run establishment that charges £11 per night.

South Pembrokeshire's premier break is the wild and beautiful Freshwater West. It's a long beach broken up by a few rock reefs and some great sandbars. It faces due west and works through most tides. There's water and bathrooms at the south parking lot (with a thatched hut built on a nearby bluff providing funky accommodation) and a parking lot tucked into the dunes on the north end of the bay that's cool for camping.

Separated from Freshwater West by several farms and a dense forest is the hamlet of Angle. No surf there, but a good pub and the kind of character Welsh poet Dylan Thomas might have had in mind when he wrote, "moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the shoeblack, slow, black, crowblack fishingboat-bobbing sea." From Angle it's a only short drive to the town of Pembroke, which is has good grocery stores, banks with ATMs, some fine pubs and a very well-preserved castle.

North Pembrokeshire's two top spots are Abereiddy and Whitesands Bay. The cafe, ice-cream stand and consistent, sandy breaks makes Whitesands Bay a magnet for groms and everybody else. The locals are friendly, however, so it's worth a shot. Abereiddy is much harder to get to, but can reward the intrepid with secluded waves in a lovely natural setting. There's a youth hostel between the two breaks and several campgrounds on that section of coast.

From Abereiddy north to Aberysthwyth isn't much good for surfing, although the university town of Aberysthwyth is certainly worth a look. It's an old seaside resort for the working folks of Birmingham and it still retains a greasy charm all its own. With its pubs and chip shops, Chinese takeaways, kebab emporiums and esplanade all pressing up against the sea, Aberysthwyth is a cheery place to stop for lunch.

There is a break north of there called Borth and many others beyond the mountains of Snowdonia on up to Anglesey, but that's another story.

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surf shops

Gower Surf Co.,
667 Gower Rd., Upper Killay, Swansea, SA2 7HE
01792 297276

West Coast Surf Shop,
Abersoch North Wales
01758 713067
www.westcoastsurf.demon.co.uk

PJ's Surfline, Llangennith, Gower
Fee-based surf report from The Gower
09001 445445