Llanelli is the largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire, South West Wales. It sits at the mouth of the river Loughor, which travels down from its source in an underground lake in the Black Mountain. The town name derives from Saint Elli, who was born to a queen who was thought to be past the age of having children, and she dedicated Elli to the service of God.

Llanelli became known as “Tinopolis” during the 20th century because of its many iron and tinplate works. These factories, however, have long since closed and today the town is more renowned for its sporting prowess.

Llanelli has made its name in the world of rugby, with two Union clubs, Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets, and a League club, the West Wales Sharks. In 1999, several Rugby World Cup games were held at nearby Stradey Park, including the Argentina v Western Samoa game.

The Millennium Coastal Path passes close to Llanelli, with opportunities to explore the Gower Peninsula, as well as nearby Pembrey and Loughor. Indeed Llanelli is now being developed as a leisure and tourism destination in its own right, with many ongoing developments such as the new Llanelli Scarlets rugby stadium, the Old Castle Works leisure village and the magnificent new National Hunt racecourse at Ffos Las near Trimsaran.

Nature lovers will appreciate the WWT National Wetlands Centre that lies 1.6k east of the town and offers a chance to see an array of wildlife in their natural habitat.

There are regular train services from Llanelli to Swansea and Cardiff Central, as well as London Paddington and Manchester Piccadilly.