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Coastal North Wales

The drive-on beach at Talacre is another. Home to Point of Ayr lighthouse, the oldest one in Wales. And at Llandudno you can ride the UK’s only cable-hauled tramway to the top of the Great Orme. Then ski down the other side.

Another good reason is our sailing. Each August we throw a week-long celebration in its honour, called the Conwy River Festival. And further along the coast the award-winning beaches at Rhyl and Prestatyn are consistently warmer and sunnier than anywhere else in the UK. Good excuse for a break.

We’ve other great excuses, too. Like our history and culture. Plas Mawr is the best surviving Elizabethan town house in Britain. Bodelwyddan Castle has collections from the National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Royal Academy of Arts. Venue Cymru shows world-class performances from Welsh National Opera, Moscow State Circus and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. We’re a cultured sort, we Welsh.

Other things are cultured here. Like the landscaped gardens at Bodnant. Our wilder landscapes include watersport venues like Conwy and Prestatyn, where you can sail, jet ski, dive and fish. And, as you’d expect, we’ve a bounty of seafood, too. Including our famous Conwy mussels. And some of the best coastal accommodation around. Seafront suites in Llandudno. Cosy fisherman’s cottages in Conwy.

Isle of Anglesey

Award-winning beaches, like the shingle cove at Moelfre, and the big sandy one at Newborough. The foundations of Llys Rhosyr, court of the medieval Welsh Princes and really ancient earthworks like Bryn Celli Ddu. More recent historic sites, like 18th century Plas Newydd on the banks of the Menai Strait. Plus the unfinished medieval castle at Beaumaris. And the only working windmill in Wales, quietly turning at the village of Llanddeusant since 1335.

And that’s before we’ve even started on the views. We have 22,000 hectares of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 60 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and 4 National Nature Reserves. Which could explain why artist Charles Tunnicliffe spent nearly 30 years illustrating the wildlife here.

We’ve over 650 miles of public footpaths, too. So it’s great for walking. And the golfing, horse riding and fishing aren’t bad either. And if you’re into sports of the water variety, there’s diving at Trearddur Bay, surfing at Silver Bay and kite surfing at Rhosneigr. Plus a 500-berth Marina at Holyhead. So it’s a great place to set sail. Or drop anchor. And 125 miles of coast means a whole lot of sea food. So every year we throw an Oyster and Shellfish Festival to celebrate.

North Wales Borderlands

It takes no time at all to get here, but you’ll soon notice a big difference. Take a look at our landscape. Diverse doesn’t come close.

Countryside doesn’t get much greener, or more pleasant. Heather-clad Clwydian hills. The Ceiriog’s valley floors. Fast flowing, trout-filled rivers, like the River Dee, the best view of which is from Poncysyllte Aqueduct – a terrifying 126 feet up. And there are views over nine counties from Chirk Castle, the only one of Edward I’s Welsh castles still lived in today.

Six of the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’ are right here. Including Pistyll Rhaeadr, the tallest waterfall in Wales. We’ve other wonders, too. Every year, around 5,000 competitors from all over the world flock to Llangollen’s famous international music festival. And that’s not the only thing we’re famous for. We’re widely acknowledged as having some of the best rambling routes in Wales. Even the grounds at Erddig have 13 miles of footpaths. And we’re fast becoming known as one of the best mountain biking venues in the UK. Not so long ago we were voted ‘Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year’. Golfers have been discovering us ever since.

Snowdonia Mountains & Coast

We’ve mountains. Really big ones like Snowdon and Tryfan. Where you can climb, scramble, hike and abseil. And deep inside Elidir, Europe’s biggest man-made cavern houses some of the world’s most powerful hydro-generators.

There are stalactites and stalagmites at Beddgelert’s ancient copper mine. And above ground we’ve magical landscapes in every direction. No wonder Clough Williams-Ellis chose to build the fantasy Italianate village of Portmeirion on the Snowdonia coast. Or that 19th century architect Thomas Hopper built Penrhyn Castle in a fairy-tale style. We’ve the real thing, too. Like the famous medieval fortress at Caernarfon built by Edward I in 1283.
And if you’re into golf, the castles at Criccieth and Harlech can both be seen when teeing off from the 13th at Porthmadog Golf Club. And it’s more of the same wherever you go in Snowdonia. The Lleyn Peninsula has just celebrated its 50th anniversary as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. So whatever you’re doing here, chances are it’s got a good view. Perfect, some might say. And who are we to argue?

Discover Gwynedd’s wealth of wildlife, culture, heritage and local produce. There is a programme of events, activities throughout the year. Visit the brand new Discover Gwynedd website, which celebrates the beauty and diversity of Gwynedd.

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