WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre

The WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre is a 200-hectare wetland nature reserve near Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, south Wales. It lies just one mile east of Llanelli and five miles north of Swansea, on the eastern edge of Carmarthen Bay. Part of the Burry Inlet estuary, the site holds special protection status as an SSSI, SPA and Ramsar wetland. Managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, it is one of ten such reserves across the UK. The reserve is a vital refuge for endangered migratory birds, many of which travel thousands of miles to reach its habitats. In autumn and winter over 60,000 birds arrive to spend the colder months here. Among the threatened species protected are the little egret, lapwing, water vole and black-tailed godwit. The centre also runs nature-based activities and events during school holidays. Visitors find an accessible visitor centre with a coffee shop and retail area. The reserve offers wide, flat paths that wind through reedbeds, lagoons and saltmarsh. Views stretch across the estuary and Carmarthen Bay, with distant hills framing the scene. The changing seasons bring different birdlife and plant colours, from winter flocks to summer wildflowers.