Swansea, on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, is a great family friendly holiday destination. With miles of beaches covered in golden sands, medieval castles, craft shops, rolling hills and world-class museums, there is plenty to do in the area. The city itself is great for kids as the centre is small enough that it is easy to walk around, and quite pedestrian friendly.

There is so much to do in the area - from exploring the fishing village of Mumbles, to visiting museums such as the National Waterfront Museum (a look at the Industrial Revolution) and the Dylan Thomas Centre. TV fans can have fun spotting filming locations for series such as Doctor Who (Swansea doubled for Victorian Cardiff in 2005 episode The Unquiet Dead). For the more outdoors types, as well as exploring the coastline and countryside on foot, there are also several companies offering boat trips around the coast. The Gower Peninsula was one of the first areas to be designated as a site of outstanding natural beauty in the UK, and as such its woodlands and valleys are well worth exploring, and the area is also home to several parks and nature reserves, including Swansea Vale Nature Reserve - an exciting scarce wetland area which comes complete with bike trails and board walks. Sports fans might not often be excited to see Championship team Swansea City AFC play football at the Liberty Stadium, but Glamorgan County Cricket Club play at St Helen's Stadium. Keen shoppers can also head straight to The Quadrant Centre and Oxford Street for a mixture of chain stores and more independent outlets. Swansea Market, which lies between the two areas, is also the largest market in Wales.

Pembrokeshire, tucked away in South West Wales, is a remote but beautiful corner of the UK, with spectacular coastlines on three sides and gorgeous countryside alongside highly picturesque towns such as Tenby, Fishguard and Haverfordwest. And as if that wasn't enough for a family holiday, it's recently been a filming location for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!

Pembrokeshire is a county made for explorers. You can explore the coastline over the traditional paths, or indulge in a little coasteering - the seaside equivalent of free running, only with more swimming - around St David's. St David's is the UK's smallest city, and the cathedral is also well worth a visit while you're drying your socks after the coasteering, and elsewhere there are sights such as the Preseli Hills (where the stones used to build Stonehenge were quarried) and more universally appealing attractions like Oakwood Theme Park, which has rollercoasters and rides and occasional appearances from bands like Girls Aloud. Also, young historians will love the huge number of castles that litter the county in various states of repair, particularly the imposing Pembroke Castle, whose walls sit on top of a site which has been occupied since Roman times.

Nestling on the Jurassic Coast of West Dorset, Lyme Regis is a town where you can escape the pace of twenty-first-century life. Famous for geology and fossils, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that remains unspoiled.You are sure to visit the harbour at Lyme Regis, where there is a famous stone construction known as the Cobb that shelters the boats. Don't miss the aquarium on the Cobb in the summer, especially if you are interested in seeing gigantic lobsters. A Literary Lyme Walking Tour might be more your thing, as the Cobb features in John Fowles' novel “The French Lieutenant's Women” as well as in Jane Austen's “Persuasion”. Plan your holiday for July or August and go on a ghost tour; August also devotes one week to a regatta and carnival. On a rainy day, pay a visit to the Town Mill with its art gallery, craft centre, bakery and brasserie.