Under $100: Swansea, Wales

Swansea is a nice little city to drop into for a day on your way around Wales. Here is how you can see its top attractions on a budget.

Start off with breakfast at The Cariad Cafe, where you can get traditional Welsh meals such as Penclawdd cockles, Welsh seaweed and old favorites like bacon, eggs and sausages. The owners do their best to use local ingredients, and the quality is top-notch ($12).

If the weather is good, walk down to the Mumbles Pier and Oystermouth Castle, where you can look out over Swansea Bay to the town beyond. Stroll back along the beach and then go for lunch at Hoogah, where you can get a delicious bagel, sourdough pizza or grilled pretzel sandwich, as well as coffee, juices and smoothies ($12).

In the afternoon, visit the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery or drop in at Plantasia, a giant glass pyramid filled with tropical plants. Poetry fans may also want to visit the birthplace of poet Dylan Thomas, or take a tour of his former family home.

For dinner, try Belle Vue Bistro. A steak and dressed rocket salad costs around $25, and the whole menu is made with love by the family team. If you want a nightcap, there is no better place than the traditional surrounds of The Queen’s Hotel, a classic pub named the best in Swansea in 2017 (drinks $5).