St Athan is situated between Llantwit Major and Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. The area is renowned for its Heritage Countryside Walks, fishing and places of historical interest. Although it is mostly known as an RAF training school and station, there is still much to be seen in the village and surrounding area. The new landmarks of Cardiff such as the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff International Arena, Wales Millennium Centre and Cardiff Bay are just 20 minutes drive away.

Several walks radiate out from the village. The Valeways Millennium Heritage Trail passes close by as it threads its way from Llantwit Major and Boverton en-route to Llanmihangel and Cowbridge. The village sits on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast which runs from Aberthaw to Porthcawl and offers great opportunities for exploring the beautiful coastline.

There are two beaches nearby. Limpert Bay is the perfect place for exploring, rock pooling, hunting for fossils and fishing.

Llantwit Major beach is mostly pebbles and rock, with a few stretches of sand. Several fossils have been found and caves act as interestingly places to explore. It is a popular place with anglers, surfers and swimmers, but beginners to surfing should take care as the waters can be dangerous depending on weather conditions.

There are two pubs in St Athan, the King's Cup and the Four Bells.

Both the village and parish church are dedicated to St Tathan. The church is of 12th Century Norman origin, but its main features date back to the 14th and 15th Century. The Font is presumably Norman, and the porch, which is carved with the arms of the de Berkerolle family, shows signs of being either 13th or 14th century. The embattled tower was built at the same time as the transcepts, nave and chancel, and contains six bells. The colourful 14th Century stone tombs in the Lady Chapel represent the two penultimate generations of the Berkerolles family, Sir William (d. 1327) and Sir Roger (d. 1351) and their ladies.