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Group Travel

A great destination for groups

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Rest Bay

Bridgend County offers distinctive experiences for the group travel market. Its central position along the South Wales coast means it can easily be combined with other areas, from the rural Wye Valley to the bright lights of the capital city of Cardiff.

Tour operators, group travel organisers and the UK travel trade are invited along on a virtual road trip featuring Porthcawl and the surrounding coast and countryside of Bridgend County.

Follow host Steve Reed around the highways and byways of this attractive and often undiscovered part of the UK and explore numerous group venues, hotels and scenic sites.


Take in a variety of group attractions including Ewenny Pottery; Parc Slip Nature Reserve; Rest Bay Watersports Centre; Porthcawl Grand Pavilion; Porthcawl Museum; Finnegans Fish and Chip Restaurant and Pyle Garden Village.

You’ll also see some great hotels in the area showcased here, including the Best Western Heronston Hotel in Bridgend; the Seabank Hotel in Porthcawl and the Great House Hotel and Restaurant in the village of Laleston.

Well known Southern Wales coach and tour operator Cresta Coaches, seen here driving along Porthcawl’s stunning seafront, regularly bring groups to the area to enjoy all that’s on offer!

For Welsh subtitles click here: https://youtu.be/QLsztrnxFVw

Coastal attractions

Our stunning coast around the town of Porthcawl has been attracting tourists for generations. Enjoy the seafront cafés and restaurants, take a walking tour of the town’s shops, sights and attractions, or go on a guided bike ride along the promenade. For the adventurous, our new Watersports Centre offers surfing and stand-up paddle boarding sessions. Discover the rich history of the area with a visit to the wonderful Porthcawl Museum or the iconic 1930s Grand Pavilion.

Grand Pavilion Porthcawl
Parc Slip Nature reserve seen through reeds

Countryside

Drive inland and you’ll find historic pubs, thatched cottages in picturesque Merthyr Mawr, and stunning scenery in our three valleys: Ogmore Valley, Garw Valley and Llynfi Valley. Bryngarw Country Park, with walking trails and a tearoom, is the perfect starting point from which to explore this green area.

Get close to wildlife at Kenfig National Nature Reserve and Parc Slip Nature Reserve - a former opencast coal mine which now boasts wildflower meadows, dipping ponds, woodland and wetlands, in addition to a visitor centre and coffee shop.

Heritage and shopping

History buffs will enjoy exploring our secluded castles, and uncovering the stories of intriguing buildings like St John’s House and Hut 9 (a former German POW camp)

For year-round shopping, visit McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Bridgend at Junction 36 of the M4 - one of the UK’s top retail outlets, with over 90 stores, cafés and restaurants.

A busy day at Bridgend Designer Outlet
Sea Bank hotel

Accommodation

The group-friendly Seabank Hotel on Porthcawl’s seafront, and Best Western Heronston Hotel and Spa  just outside Bridgend town centre, are among the wide range of accommodation on offer in the county.

Suggested itineraries

1 day – Coast and  Countryside (PDF)1 day – Retail therapy (PDF)

For more group itinerary ideas, download Bridgend County’s Group Travel Guide or visit the regional GroupTravel website.

Bridgend county group travel guide (PDF)