Gower Peninsula, peninsula in south Wales. About 22.5 km (14 mi) long, it is located west of Swansea, between the estuaries of the Tawe and the Loughor. Pwlldu Head (98 m/322 ft) is its highest coastline point. The peninsula was the first part of Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) by the National Trust, in 1956.

Sheltered from the north by the Carmarthen Fans and, further afield, by the Brecon Beacons, the area has a mild and wet climate, with oceanic influences. Temperatures range from 7.7^o C (45.9^o F) in January to 20.3^o C (68.5^o F) in August; sea temperatures vary from 9^o C (48^o F) in February to 17^o C (63^o F) in July. The peninsula receives variable rainfall, from 68 mm (2.7 in) in April to 140 mm (5.5 in) in November.

The economy of the area is based on farming, tourism, fishing, and some industry (mainly in Swansea). Numerous places of historical interest, good quality beaches, as well as walking, surfing, and gliding opportunities attract increasing numbers of tourists to the region.

Traces of human habitation in the area date from over 30,000 years ago. Cefn Bryn (also called Reynoldston) is a bracken ridge well known as a site of prehistoric burial mounds, including Arthur’s Stone (2,500 bc). Other noteworthy archaeological sites include the village of Penmaen and the island of Burry Holms. Ruins and remains of medieval castles and strongholds—notably, the Oxwich, Oystermouth, Pennard, and Weobley castles—testify to the area’s rich history.

The Gower Peninsula has over 20 registered beaches and coves, as well as numerous resorts, including Caswell Bay, Langland Bay, Llangenith, Oxwich, Port Eynon, and Rhossili. The Three Cliff Bay is famous for its rock formations. The eroded carboniferous limestone of the coastline has produced numerous caves, popular with speleologists.

The Glamorgan Wildlife Trust oversees more than 20 natural reserves on the peninsula. There is also a similar number of properties and areas administered by the National Trust. These include Pavilland Cliffs with the Goat Hole Cave; Pennard Cliffs; Rhossili Down above the village of Rhossili; and Worm’s Head, a promontory at the southernmost point of the peninsula, joined to the mainland by a narrow causeway.