Wales - Travel Vixta

Free Things To Do at Bluestone Wales for Kids and Adults

Published on January 7, 2025May 13, 2026 by VictoriaLeave a comment

Bluestone Wales is renowned for its luxurious accommodations and family-friendly activities, but did you know there are plenty of free things to enjoy during your stay? As someone who has visited Bluestone three times, I’ve explored the resort in detail and discovered all the hidden gems it has to offer, including some fantastic free activities for the whole family.

Whether you’re on a short break or a longer holiday, Bluestone offers a wide range of free activities that kids will love. But what about adults? If you’re visiting without children, you’ll be pleased to know there are plenty of free options for you too. From scenic nature walks to peaceful outdoor adventures, Bluestone has something for everyone.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best free things to do at Bluestone, divided into activities for kids and adults.

So, if you’re travelling on a budget or simply want to explore the resort without spending extra, keep reading for some great ideas.

Continue reading →

Bluestone Twixmas Review 2024 with Preteens

Bluestone Twixmas Review 2024: Returning With Preteens After 5 Years

Published on December 30, 2024May 13, 2026 by VictoriaLeave a comment

As the festive season winds down, there’s no better way to recharge than with a Twixmas break at Bluestone. This year, we returned to the picturesque Pembrokeshire resort for the 2024 Twixmas celebrations, five years after our last visit.

Back in 2018 and 2019, our children were little, and the Bluestone resort in Wales felt like the ultimate family escape. Fast forward to today, and we couldn’t wait to see how the experience would measure up now that our kids are preteens (ages 9 years and 12 years for this trip). Would the magic still be there?

Here’s our honest review of Bluestone’s Twixmas break in 2024, exploring how it caters to families with older children.

Continue reading →

24 hours kid-free in Wales: Port Eynon, Swansea + Caerleon Amphitheatre

Published on May 4, 2021January 20, 2026 by Victoria1 Comment

We had a kid-free 24 hours over the bank holiday weekend and had planned to paint our block paving driveway, however the weather forecast had patches of rain and we needed a full 24 hours rain-free and warm for the paint to dry. So, not wanting to be stuck at home for a weekend when we had the opportunity to get away, we booked a last minute night away on Airbnb to Swansea to explore more of the wonderful Gower!

The Gower is around two and a half hours drive so it’s not too far for a quick one night stay. It’s also stunning and provides the perfect scenery for long walks, talks, ideas and clearing of the mind – much needed after the year we’ve had. It was great to get away from our home too where we have felt so trapped in recent times.

There were no stays left in Gower, but Swansea had a few choices and I decided to spoil us with one of the best looking. It was our ten year anniversary earlier in the year during lockdown and we couldn’t do anything to celebrate, so this was my excuse!

Continue reading →

Ystradfellte waterfalls: Brecon Beacons National Park four waterfalls walk

Published on August 4, 2020March 30, 2026 by Victoria3 Comments

On Sunday we did the iconic four waterfalls walk in Ystradfellte, Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. It was the farthest I’d been from my home since the whole coronavirus pandemic began in March!

The drive was two hours from our house and it was my birthday day out!

9 years ago, just before we had children, Ben had surprised me with a night away in the Brecon Beacons and we did the this very same Ystradfellte waterfalls walk.

It was great to return with the kids and show them this amazing place, make some memories and capture them too in the below photos.

Continue reading →

Whitmore Bay beach Barry Island Wales Climbing Wall

Is Barry Island worth a visit?

Published on March 19, 2020May 6, 2025 by Victoria1 Comment

At the start of March, Reuben celebrated his 5th birthday! When we asked him what he wanted to do, his first response was to go to the forest and have a campfire and sleep in a tent! It’s definitely out of season for camping, so we asked if there was anything else he wanted to do. “Go to the beach” was his next response! So on the Saturday after his birthday we decided to visit Barry Island in Wales.

Continue reading →

Oystermouth Castle Mumbles Swansea Wales

24 hours exploring Mumbles, Gower, kid-free!

Published on March 3, 2020January 20, 2026 by Victoria1 Comment

Earlier this year I asked my mum if she’d have Bella and Reuben overnight for the last weekend of February. It’s the month of mine and Ben’s anniversary and we’ve now been together nine years. I wanted to go away for one night and explore somewhere new together. I wasn’t sure where, but as we only had around 30 hours in total kid-free, it couldn’t be too far.

We’ve been to the Gower in Wales two times before kid-free and love it there. We’ve previously been to Rhossili Bay and Oxwich Bay. We decided to go again as it’s not too long a drive, around two hours. This time we decided to visit Mumbles!

Read on to discover what we got up to in Mumbles and where we found lots of yummy vegan food!

Continue reading →

Bluestone National Park Resort twixmas holiday review & Kingdom of the Elves

Published on December 30, 2019May 13, 2026 by Victoria1 Comment

For the second year running we stayed at Bluestone National Park Resort for a ‘twixmas’ break. That’s the days after Christmas and before New Year if you didn’t know. I didn’t!

In this blog post you’ll discover my honest Bluestone Christmas review and photos for our Twixmas visit in 2019.

Continue reading →

female hiker victoria sully next to Pen Y Fan summit peak 886m marker

Brecon Beacons National Park Wales: Pen y Fan and Cribyn mountain walk

Published on October 20, 2019May 1, 2026 by Victoria2 Comments

Yesterday we had a kid-free day and I wanted to climb a mountain so we drove to the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. We headed to the Central Beacons which took one hour 50 minutes to drive from our home in Gloucester. We climbed two peaks: Pen y Fan and Cribyn. Read on to learn the route we took and see the incredible views of Welsh Mountains.

Continue reading →