The following photographs show some of the best North Wales beaches from around the Llŷn coast, starting from Caernarfon in the north and heading anti-clockwise around the peninsula to Porthmadog and Portmeirion.

Dias Dinlle

This west-facing sand and shingle sweep a few miles south of Caernarfon has a wild Welsh feel to it, backed by the nearby three peaks of Yr Eifl (often anglicised to ‘The Rivals’), the three peaks that dominate the coastline.

Aberdesach

Aberdesach is almost the continuation of Dinas Dinlle, to its south and closer to Yr Eifl. A mixture of pebbles and sand, this stunning quiet beach nestles near the foot of the mountains, and the medieval pilgrims’ church at Clynnog Fawr.

Porth Dinllaen

Porth Dinllaen is a tiny beachside hamlet that was once considered as a location for a ferry port. It’s now only accessible via a footpath across a golf course, and you can reward yourself with a drink at the Ty Coch Inn, the pub that sits right next to the sand. The harbour is popular with sailors, and the view back up the coast to Yr Eifl is magnificent.

Traeth Penllech

Penllech beach is a fairly remote mile-long strip of some of the whitest sand we’ve seen in Wales. We once stayed in the cottage at Porth Colmon, just beyond its southern end, for a week, and had the beach to ourselves most of the time.

Porth Iago

This is one of the Llŷn’s real hidden gems, reached down a track through a farm. It’s a narrow cove sheltered cove with cliffs either side, opening out to amazing views down towards the end of the north coast of the Llŷn.

Whistling Sands (Porth Oer)

Named after the sound made by the sand underfoot, there are actually two beaches here, separated by a narrow rocky headland. It’s only a mile south of Porth Iago, and the two could be combined in a short but spectacular coast path walk.

Aberdaron

This small village has been called the ‘Land’s End of North Wales’, and it does have a remote, isolated feel. It was also the departure point for pilgrims to Bardsey Island, three miles away. It enjoys a glorious setting right next to the village, overlooked by the medieval St Hywyn’s Church, and the terrace of the Tŷ Newydd Hotel a few doors down is a great place to enjoy a drink and breathe in that sea air.

Porth Ysgo

Another beautiful quiet secluded beach, tucked away at the bottom of cliffs two miles from Aberdaron. There’s a small car park at the top of the hill, with stepped access down from there. It’s very popular spot for climbing and bouldering.

Porth Neigwl

Also known as Hell’s Mouth, this long south-west-facing beach draws surfers from afar, drawn to big waves propelled in by the prevailing south-westerlies. It’s hidden down a labyrinth of lanes behind a vast warren of sand dunes. It also looks amazing from the coast path on the hills at either end.

Abersoch

It’s only a short drive up and down winding lanes from the eastern end of Porth Neigwl, but sheltered Abersoch seems a world away. The main beach to the south of the village is easily accessible, with outstanding views to Snowdonia and a row of higgledy-piggledy brightly painted beach huts completes a lovely scene. By summer day it’s a very popular family beach with many people taking their boats out for a ride in the bay. There is also a wealth of Abersoch accommodation to choose from.

Llanbedrog

One of our favourite beaches anywhere, I fell in love with this place as a child but every time I go back it seems to get better. It’s owned and operated by the National Trust, at the foot of a narrow lane, its waters normally calm in the lee of a large headland, a stream trickling down to the beach, below a lovely café and bar right next to the sands. A row of brightly painted beach huts adds to the idyll, as do the views to the mountains. Those in need of a break from all this lying around on the sand can enjoy the short invigorating climb to the top of the headland, Mynydd Tir-y-cwmwd, to share the view with the Tin Man sculpture.

Criccieth

There are actually two beaches at Criccieth (spelt Cricieth in Welsh), one either side of its spectacularly sited castle. If you want to relax on a beach in Wales soaking in the view of a castle, this pretty resort is the place to do it. Both East and west beaches are a mixture of sand and pebbles – the lower the tide, the more the sand you’ll find. The ice cream from Cadwalader’s, just below the castle, tops it off perfectly. We also recommend a visit to the castle for the tremendous views back to the mountains of Snowdonia.

Glaslyn Estuary

After the vast expanse of Black Rock Sands (Morfa Bychan), we approach Porthmadog and the end (or beginning) of the Llŷn Peninsula. The village of Borth-y-Gest, less than a mile from the centre of Porthmadog, makes for a wonderful discovery, with its tiny but beautiful little harbour, views to the mountains and walks along the Glaslyn estuary, past this gorgeous little beach.

Traeth Bach, Portmeirion

Traeth Bach means ‘little beach’, and at low tide, this is not what it says on the tin. The Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion enjoys a fantastic setting on the Dwyryd estuary. At high tide the water laps against the shore beneath the renowned hotel, but when the tide goes out, you can enjoy a long walk along the open sands.

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The fall colours are wonderful, but there’s more to autumn in Wales than this. It’s a great time of year to rise early to catch the amazing mists in the lakes and mountainous valleys around the country, or to watch moments of drama, with shafts of late sunlight breaking through the brooding clouds, flickering along mountain ridges.

Here’s our guide to the best places to catch Wales’ autumn colours around the country.

When to visit – best time for colours is usually the last week of October and first two weeks of November – if there have been no storms in the preceding weeks the leaves often stay around into the third week of November.

North East Wales

The Dee Valley around Llangollen is a wonderful introduction.  Instead of following the obvious A5 or A539, take the minor road off the A539 to join the Offa’s Dyke national trail, where views gradually open out over the valley, Llangollen town and the ruins of Dinas Bran Castle sitting on top of a conical hill surveying the scene.

The tributary valley beyond Dinas Bran is also great for leaf-hunting. The ruined Valley Crucis Abbey is worth a visit, and is the starting point for a straight-up-and-down walk up the steep hill across the A542 road, Coed Hyrddyn (Velvet Hill). At the top the view opens out over the vale below and Llantysilio Mountain.

Snowdonia and North West Wales

After Llangollen, the A5 is the main approach to Snowdonia, giving tantalising glimpses of the main Snowdon range before descending into the Conwy Valley and Betws-y-Coed, the gateway to the National Park at the foot of the Gwydyr Forest.

Betws-y-Coed is a great place to base yourself for an autumn-spotting tour of the region. It’s only a few miles up the A470 from one of the most famous autumn shots in Wales, the red-Virginia-Creeper-clad teahouse next to the stone bridge over the Conwy at Llanrwst, which looks at its best in late September and early October.

However, there are many lesser-known spots to explore in the area. Before you reach the town, the large lay-by on the A5 gives you a great view up the Lledr valley to the jagged hulk of Moel Siabod, the mountain which dominates this part of Snowdonia.

The road also passes close to Fairy Glen (Ffos Noddyn in Welsh), a dramatic ravine carved out by the waters of the Conwy river two miles south of the village which is ablaze with colour during autumn.

Continue past Betws-y-Coed on the A5 for two miles (3km) and pause for a while at Swallow Falls, which is usually full of water in autumn, the river Llugwy crashing down a series of falls on its way to meet the Conwy downstream.

There are plenty more places to see in their autumn finery if you head off the main roads. The B5106 leads from Betws to Trefriw, where you take a very steep left up the mountain, continuing through forest and farmland until you reach Llyn Crafnant, a remote lake surrounded by a ring of mountains with a beautiful autumn display.

It’s also worth a journey high up above the other – eastern – side of the Conwy valley, taking the B5113 for a wonderful roof-of-the-world panorama of Snowdonia’s peaks, with autumn colour from the Gwydyr forest and foreground trees.

The Snowdonia range itself has some autumn colour, mostly along the scenic A498 road that runs down from the Llanberis Pass to Beddgelert. The first lake you reach, Llyn Gwynant, nestles deep at the bottom of a dramatic valley, at the foot of Y Lliwedd, one of Snowdon’s immediate neighbours.  Three miles further on, Llyn Dinas is also spectacular, and both lakes seem to attract their fair share of early morning autumn mists to make a glorious start to the day.

Snowdonia’s coast and southern section – all the way down to Cadair Idris and the Dovey estuary – also have beautiful pockets of autumn colour. Portmeirion, the Italianate fantasy village on the Dwyryd estuary, is particularly striking on a clear autumn day, surrounded by some outstanding colours.

Powys and the Cambrian Mountains

The Cambrian Mountains – the remote series of mountains and upland areas running from Plynlimon in the north to Llyn Brianne lake in the south – also offer some wonderful rewards for autumn hunters.

A paradox of this mostly unpopulated area is that although it is largely empty, unexplored and remote, much of the landscape has been shaped by humankind, with a series of reservoirs created along the length of the range.

The first place to head to is the Elan Valley, a series of reservoirs and dams built to supply the city of Birmingham – across the English border in the West Midlands – with water. The dams were built in the 1890s and 1900, with the nearby Claerwen dam being added by 1952.

The Elan Valley is a wonderful place to drive, cycle, walk or go off-road. The B4518 road loops out of the nearby town of Rhayader, joining and following the lakes before returning to the town after a magnificent scenic 20 mile journey. The first spot for autumn watchers is the picturesque long stone arched bridge that sits on top of the submerged Garreg-ddu dam, which is surrounded by trees which go golden by the end of October.

From here, a side road leads up towards the Claerwen dam, following the small river of the same name as it winds its way to where it joins the Elan reservoirs.

Otherwise, continue along the ‘main’ road past Garreg-ddu and Pen-y-garreg reservoirs, climbing into more open country, with what we think is the highlight of the drive, Craig-goch dam, in an amazing setting with its lake just behind and the rusty bracken-covered mountains behind glowing in the late afternoon light.

The area around Llyn Clywedog, another reservoir surrounded by mountains fifteen miles or so north of the Elan Valley, is also a great area to catch autumn colours in Wales.   The lake is a few miles north west of the town of Llanidloes, and the best way to see it is by rejoining the B4518 road as it leaves Llanidloes, climbing steeply up the ‘big dipper’ road which runs along the northern shore of the lake. It’s a scene which can look amazing on a still morning, the water like mirror glass reflecting the hills above, and mists collecting in the valley.

Alternatively, there is another minor road which climbs around the west end of the lake, passing close to an exhilarating section of the Glyndwr’s Way National Trail, with views over the dam.

Brecon Beacons and around

The Brecon Beacons National Park extends from Carmarthenshire in the west to the English border in the east, and is made up of several distinct sections.

Starting in the west, the area around Carreg Cennen Castle, remote countryside between the market town of Llandeilo and the bare Black Mountain escarpment has some wonderful pockets of autumn colour. Just to the west of Llandeilo, the verdant rich Tywi (Towy) valley also produces some fine autumn hues, and has been known to deliver some wonderful morning mists with castles on hilltops (Dryslwyn and Dinefwr) peeking through to catch the first rays of light of the day.

Around twenty miles east, between the villages of Ystradfellte and Pontneddfechan, several small rivers have carved gorges through the wooded limestone hills to create a series of steep valleys and waterfalls. A network of paths follow the rivers, so nearly all the falls are accessible to walkers. The forest is flooded with autumn colour for a few weeks, and photographers head back there year after year. The Angel Inn in Pontneddfechan is a well-known starting point for the easiest of the walks, a half hour stroll through the woods to Sgwd Gwladys (Gwladys Falls, also known as Lady Falls). If the river is low, follow a goat’s path above this waterfall, ford the river a few times and you reach Sgwd Einion Gam, a much higher, more dramatic fall.

The central range of the Brecon Beacons, centring on the two highest peaks, Pen y Fan and Corn Du, are largely treeless, but the surrounding valleys are full of colour during autumn.  One of my favourite drives through the Brecon Beacons in autumn is along the A40 and Honddu (later the Usk) valley between Brecon and Crickhowell, passing the main peaks  near the start of the drive, then reaching the Black Mountains – the easternmost part of the National Park – around the village of Bwlch.

Beyond Crickhowell, the road continues to the north of the river, eventually reaching Abergavenny. From there it’s a few miles up the A465 road towards Hereford before the turn for the remote Llanthony valley, whose trees and bracken give the steep valley sides plenty of dashes of warm autumn colour.

Wye Valley

One of the birthplaces of modern tourism in the late 18^th century, the Wye Valley is shared between Wales and England.  Its source (like that of the Severn) is on the slopes of Plynlimon in Mid Wales, and it begins its journey south eastwards, through Rhayader and Builth Wells towards the border at Hay. It then returns to Wales near Monmouth, winding its way through a steep wooded valley en route to the sea, where it enjoys a brief reunion with its old neighbour the Severn.

The upper Wye receives far less visitors but has some outstanding autumn scenery – the view from a hill above the village of Erwood is magnificent early in the day, when some mist may still linger in the valley.

The lower Wye, between Monmouth and Chepstow, is a great hour-long drive, but with detours and walks, you could easily spend two or three days exploring.  The most obvious attraction is Tintern Abbey, its great 13^th century church left open to the elements for almost five centuries. The valley is heavily wooded either side, with the rich autumn colours forming a beautiful backdrop for a few short weeks.

There are plenty of forest walks along the lower valley. The river forms the border with England for the final part of its journey, and there are paths both sides. The walk across the bridge at Tintern and up into the forest to the dramatic Devils Pulpit (1 hour each way) is very rewarding. Back on the Welsh side, one of our favourites is Bargain Wood, high above the village of Llandogo a few miles north of Tintern, taking in a series of viewpoints along a ridge overlooking the valley.

No trip to the Welsh side of the Wye Valley would be complete without a walk up to the Eagles Nest viewpoint, which overlooks one of the final meanders in the Wye’s journey to the sea.  It is the culmination and high point of a grand walk from the Piercefield Estate below, part of which now borders Chepstow racecourse. The viewpoint is accessible via the 365 Steps walk from the Lower Wyndcliff car park below, or the much easier stroll through the woods from the Upper Wyndcliff car park. Both are a short drive from the village of St Arvans, just outside Chepstow.

Cardiff and Around

Cardiff has some magnificent parkland, and some of this comes into its own in the array of autumn colours.  one of the greenest cities in Europe becomes one of its most golden for two or three weeks each year.

The place to start is Bute Park, next door to Cardiff Castle, right in the middle of the city. It is a designated historic landscape, formerly the private garden of the Marquesses of Bute who resided at the Castle. Coopers Field, at the city end of the park, is the place to see the trees at their best, with walks along a canal, past the Castle or just around the corner, to the River Taff.

After around 400 metres, a bridge connects the Park with Sophia Gardens and the Swalec Stadium, one of England’s Test cricket venues.  The parkland continues both sides of the river, finishing on the western side at Llandaff Fields, over two miles away from the other end of Bute Park.

Roath Park, two miles to the north-east of the city centre, is another wonderful autumn spot, Here, the parkland is divided into three sections, culminating in the botanical garden and lake with its iconic tower.

Some years ago, Castell Coch, a remodelled castle on a wooded hill on the outskirts of Cardiff, was voted the people of Wales’ favourite building. It is also one of the best autumn locations in the country, the beech forest around providing a spectacular backdrop for the fairytale castle. The views from the car park are amazing, and for keen photographers a wander around the parks and paths of the adjacent village, Tongwynlais, will reveal plenty more autumn views.

Autumn is also a great time to catch a sunrise at nearby Caerphilly Castle. The castle is surrounded by lakes, and on a still autumn morning mists often rise from the water, creating a real sense of mystique around the silhouette of the castle.

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Barmouth deserves a better reputation than it has – slightly tacky seaside resort, bash, cheap traditional British seaside town, kiss me quick hats, amusement arcades, candy floss

Caravan parks along the coast to the north – something of a blight

One of most dramatic coastal settings you will ever see, on the northern side of the Mawddach estuary, looking across to the highest peak in southern Snowdonia, Cadair Idris, legendary Welsh mountain

A stop on the Cambrian Coast Railway, which runs along the Cardigan Bay coast from Machynlleth to Pwllheli, the best mainline railway journey in wales by a long way – the crossing of the wooden Barmouth Bridge the highlight

Charming old town hidden behind the high street, up improbably steep cobbled streets, houses commanding amazing views of the estuary and coastline

Continue the walk to Dinas Oleu, the Fortress of Light, the hillside with a view that was the first piece of land donated to the National Trust charity in 1895 – now a major landowner responsible for conservation of large scenic areas of the UK

Spectcular beach

GAteway to the Rhinog range, the most remote, least explored and mysterious of the small ranges of mountains that make up the Snowdonia National Park

Great base for exploration of the area

By public transport, a lot is accessible despite relatively infrequent services – coast train down to Tywyn and Aberdovey one way, and to north UNESCO World Heritage Site Harlech Castle barely 20 minutes up the coast

Beyond that the Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion, reached by a 20 minute walk from the station at Minffordd

Llynnau Cregennen lakes only a couple of hours’ walk away via the village of Arthog on the southern side of the estuary

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It runs coast to coast, from a roundabout outside the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay over 180 miles, through the heart of nation, starting at its capital, its most populous and diverse city and political nexus, through the former industrial heartland, through two of its three National Parks and some of the most dramatic countryside in the UK, to a prosaic, anti-climactic ending at a give way sign at a T-junction on Llandudno seafront.

The A470 is the only road that runs from the South East to North Wales, but it’s not even the quickest way to get from one end of the country to the other. Many prefer the route into England, taking the M5 and M6 via the West Midlands, but that’s outside our remit, and far less interesting.

The A470 is a great way to get an introduction overview of the country. You could drive it in four to five hours for a brief glimpse of the diversity of the land, but it deserves much more time than that.  or do it over a couple of days, giving yourself time to explore the route and the many detours along the way.

1) Cardiff to Brecon

First it’s time to negotiate the capital – Cardiff Castle, the City Hall and Edwardian Civic Centre, then the Gabalfa flyover and a dual carriageway out into the ‘burbs. Within five miles you’re out of the city, six and you’re past the junction with the M4, seven and you’re passing through the steep wooded Taff Gorge, with the fairytale Castell Coch peeking out of the forest to the right.

Hidden in the trees two miles on, just past the Caerphilly exit, is the last remaining kiln of the Nantgarw China works and its adjacent museum (a couple of sentences here?). The dual carriageway continues north into what was the industrial heartland of the Valleys, passing Pontypridd, Abercynon and Aberfan, the site of the 1966 disaster, before revealing Pen y Fan and Corn Du, the twin peaks at the top of the Brecon Beacons, on the horizon to the north of Merthyr Tydfil.

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For us, spring is the best time of year to visit Wales. The blooming of daffodils everywhere is a sign of warmer, better weather ahead, a sign of renewal and rebirth as leaf buds reappear on trees and everything suddenly seems to glow with life.

The daffodil came to be a national symbol of Wales partly through linguistic accident. The leek had for centuries been the Welsh national symbol. The Welsh for leek is cennin, and the Welsh for daffodil is very similar – cennin Pedr.  The idea of the daffodil as a national emblem began to take hold in the 19^th century, and was championed by, among others, the only Welshman to become British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.

It’s not hard to see why the daffodil became popular, although many still prefer the leek.  The daffodil looks better, and has a more appealing, fragrant smell: if you walk around wearing a vegetable for a few hours, the aroma tends to linger.

Here’s a brisk nationwide tour of some of the best places to see daffodils Wales has, starting north and heading west and south.

Portmeirion

The first flicker of spring in Portmeirion, the Italianate fantasy village close to the Snowdonia National Park, is when the daffodils bloom near the Gate House.

Beddgelert

Daffodils line the bank of the river Glaslyn as it passes through the gorgeous village of Beddgelert.

Rug Chapel, near Corwen

The daffodils managed to last into April when we visited the stunning Rug Chapel, just outside the town of Corwen in the Dee Valley.

Llangollen

The first time we took our baby son to North Wales, we stayed at the Bryn Howel Hotel a short drive from Llangollen. This is a scene from the hotel grounds.

Powis Castle and Gardens

Powis Castle has some of the most outstanding formal gardens in Wales, and they look especially wonderful in spring when the daffodils make their appearance.

Strata Florida

This remote churchyard in Ceredigion, next door to the ruin of a medieval abbey, is a real daffodil haven. In this image, some have been planted next to the memorial to the 14^th century poet Dafydd ap Gwilym.

St Davids Cathedral

Springtime is very popular with photographers who head to the far west of Wales to St David’s Cathedral, built on a site where the nation’s patron saint founded a church. It’s the Welsh equivalent of Rome or Canterbury, the country’s spiritual centre albeit on its very edge. Daffodils bloom all over the cathedral precincts, in the churchyard, in fields and gardens, and make a wonderful sight.

National Botanic Garden of Wales

The Great Glasshouse, designed by Lord Norman Foster, is one of the main attractions of the National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire, and it looks at its best in spring surrounded by daffodils.

Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil

The gardens at Cyfarthfa look at their best in summer, but the park below the castle is beautiful in spring when the daffodils and celandines flower for a few weeks.

Caerphilly Castle

Caerphilly Castle, the largest in Wales, looks amazing in springtime when daffodils carpet the grass verge outside the main gatehouse, and parts of the park behind.

St Fagans National History Museum

The brilliant National History Museum occupies the grounds of St Fagans Castle, and surrounding woodland, where this beautiful dovecote sits, surrounded by spring flowers.

There are also carpets of daffodils in the woods.

Cardiff Castle

Cardiff Castle has always been a prime daffodil site. This shot is from outside, in Bute Park, but the grounds inside are also a very happy hunting ground for daffodil lovers, especially on the verges below the perimeter walls.

St John’s Church, Cardiff

The city centre parish church of St John’s is just across the road from Cardiff Castle, and well worth a visit. The graceful 15^th century Perpendicular tower, with its golden pinnacles, is one of the city’s finest landmarks. In springtime, clusters of daffodils grow in the churchyard, making it look even better.

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Swansea Bay Beach

Swansea Bay Beach stretches the four miles from the Marina and Maritime Quarter of Swansea to the landmark islets and lighthouse of Mumbles Head. It is an enormous expanse of sand, and at low tide the sea retreats a long way out, revealing a lot of wet sand, rockpools and, eventually, mud.

The beach is at its most attractive at the city end, although there is still good quality sand as far west as the suburb of Blackpill.

Mumbles – also known as Oystermouth – is considered Swansea’s seaside suburb, but it doesn’t have the best of the beach. It either consists of large stones and pebbles interspersed with rockpools, or wet sand and pools of water. It’s fine for a wander out to the fishing boats for a while, and our three-year-old would love finding what lurks in the many rockpools, as he would the ice cream kiosk next to Verdi’s. As you head down towards the Pier,

Mumbles is well-known for the ‘Mumbles Mile’ pub crawl, but we’ve tended to spend more time along the seafront and exploring beyond. After Verdi’s you reach Mumbles Pier, with its red dragon beckoning visitors to explore. The Pier and amusement arcade has a real yesteryear feel about it, all very traditional old British seaside fare. It has been renovated in the last few years, and the lifeboat station at the end has been rebuilt.   It’s well worth the small fee to enter to get a better view of Mumbles lighthouse, which is just around the corner.

Bracelet Bay

It’s a short climb up a flight of stone steps from the Pier to Mumbles Road, and from here you can either climb the hill immediately on your left for a closer look at the lighthouse, or continue along the road until you reach the car park for Bracelet Bay.

Bracelet Bay is a great beach, with something for many: some fine stretches of sand, plenty of rockpools for the curious to explore, and a brilliant backdrop, in the form of Mumbles lighthouse. There’s also a kiosk at one end of the beach and an Italian restaurant at the other.

Limeslade Bay

Limeslade Bay is a tiny beach just beyond Bracelet Bay, probably only twenty or so metres wide at its narrowest point. It’s mainly rocky and pebbly, with a few sandy patches.

Langland Bay

If you approach by the coast path, a huge open beach opens out before you, mostly sand with a few rockpools exposed at low tide, and a row of bright green and white beach huts along the promenade. Most of the beach is Langland Bay, but the first corner you reach is known as Rotherslade Bay, overlooked by a cluster of beach huts and a takeaway kiosk. At high tide, the two beaches are separated by rocks.

Langland is a short walk over the hill from Mumbles, so is very much a city beach, and my favourite among them. It has been popular since the 19^th century, when the Crawshay family who owned the Merthyr Tydfil Ironworks, built themselves a grand holiday home behind the beach huts – it has been converted into luxury apartments.

Langland always draws plenty of visitors in the spring and summer months – mainly to relax on the beach, at the cafes or takeaway, but also to surf.

Caswell Bay

Like Langland, Caswell is a real family favourite, with all the facilities you need for a great day out with the kids, with two beachside cafes and a shop for food and supplies. You’ll often find it packed with holidaymakers in the summer holidays, but it’s also a great place to come in the off season – it’s a great place to come for a bracing winter walk and to breathe in that cool, fresh sea air.

It’s the last of the Swansea suburban beaches – after Caswell, the coast path takes you to two quiet beaches, and out into open countryside.

Brandy Cove

Brandy Cove is only a few minutes’ walk from Caswell Bay, but seems a world away, a tiny rocky cove with a small patch of sand, far removed from the bustle of its much bigger, better-known neighbour.

Pwlldu Bay

The second secluded beach in a mile, Pwlldu (meaning ‘black pool’, but don’t expect towers or illuminations here) is a lovely discovery, reached either along the coast path from Bishopston village, or by a walk through the lush green Bishopston Valley, which follows almost the entire course of a stream through peaceful woodland before emerging into a field just behind the beach.

The beach is a bank of pebbles at high tide, the sand gradually revealed as the tide ebbs away.

Three Cliffs Bay

Three Cliffs Bay is one of those places that blows me away, no matter how many times I have been there – and there have been many.

As with some other Gower beaches, a combination of its geography, natural seclusion and lack of development have managed to preserve it as it has always been – a hidden coastal Arcadia, tucked away in a secret valley. A stream, Pennard Pill, has over millennia carved a deep valley between two banks of sand dune, meandering its last mile or so to the sea across a broad, beautiful stretch of sand, with a romantic, crumbling castle ruin overlooking the serene scene. A long finger of land points down into the sand, culminating in the picturesque three small cliffs that give the bay and beach its name. The beach stretches away in both directions from the estuary of the Pill, to neighbouring Pobbles Bay to the east and towards Tor Bay and Oxwich to the west.

There are four ways to get to Three Cliffs Bay, and all of them involve a walk. The quickest is from Penmaen, to the west of the Bay, a short downhill route. There’s a flatter path through the woods from the village of Parkmill, on the main A4118 road, which climbs up towards Pennard Castle before descending the dunes to the beach. There’s also the coast path route from the east, beginning at the village of Southgate. The number 14 bus runs there (the listed destination is Pennard Cliffs) from Swansea. This walk takes longer than the other options – 20 to 25 minutes – ending in an epic descent of the dunes.

The other option is if you stay in the one place you can next to the beach, Three Cliffs Bay Caravan Park. It’s only a short walk down from there to the west side of the beach, and at low tide you can cross to the other side of the stream on stepping stones. The other Three Cliffs Bay accommodation is further afield. Parc Le Breos House is the closest, a Victorian hunting lodge in the grounds of a medieval deer park, about two miles away from the beach, while Oxwich Bay Hotel is about four miles to the west.

Tor Bay

Tor Bay is essentially a continuation of Three Cliffs, and it’s the section beyond Great Tor headland, which is prominent as you look west from the dunes above Three Cliffs.

It’s most easily reached from the small car park in the village of Penmaen, which you reach by climbing the hill from the bottom of the valley at Parkmill, and turning left near the top. You then follow the coastal path – it’s worth taking the detour around Penmaen Burrows, at the top of the headland. Tor Bay is only a short walk down from there. Bring everything you need with you and enjoy the outstanding scenery.

Oxwich Bay

Beyond Three Cliffs and Tor Bay, the sand arcs away for miles towards the horizon, culminating in a wooded headland. This is the wondrous Oxwich Bay.

The eastern part of the beach is also often referred to as Nicholaston Burrows, but this is really the area behind it, a wild warren of sand dunes that is home to pyramidal orchids and rare lichens. The car park is around a twenty-minute walk from the beach, so when you reach the sand you’ll be rewarded with acres of it to yourself. The whole bay also regularly appears in ‘top beaches’ lists, which, when you see it for yourself, is no surprise at all.

The western end of Oxwich beach, close to Oxwich village, is much busier. The car park is only a short walk from the end of the beach, and after passing some dunes you walk out onto the glorious sand, with a sublime view stretching back to Three Cliffs and the east Gower coast. The Oxwich Bay Hotel also surveys the scene from this end of the beach.

It’s also worth taking the time to explore the village and area around, including the grand Tudor-period manor house that goes by the name of Oxwich Castle, and the tiny lime-washed church of St Illtyd hidden on the wooded headland at the west end of the beach.

Port Eynon Beach

The first Gower beach I was ever taken to as a child was Port Eynon, and I have many fond memories of the place.  It’s a long, seemingly endless sweep of sand that begins close to Port Eynon Point headland and continues all the way around to the nearby village of Horton, which is the name some give to the eastern end of the beach.

After some of the journeys involved to reach some Gower beaches, Port Eynon is positively user-friendly, and nearly always wins Blue Flag accreditation partly because of its ease of access. After all the windswept wilderness and worthy walking along miles of coastal paths, sometimes it’s nice to sit down and have a bag of chips. And an ice cream.

Port Eynon is special because it has those things very close to the beach, and everything you could want for a great family day out, but you’re also only a few minutes away from the starting point of what we think is one of the best coastal walks in the UK – the Port Eynon to Rhossili walk.

And if you’re on a budget, the Port Eynon youth hostel is a fantastic place to stay with great views over the beach.

Mewslade Bay

From above, at high tide, there is no trace of Mewslade Bay’s beach, just an imposing line of cliffs, with jagged rock pinnacles and aretes jutting out of the frothing sea. But once the tide retreats, one of the most wonderful beaches in Wales reveals itself.

Reaching Mewslade Bay involves a bit of a walk – the closest car park is almost a mile away on the B4247 road down to Rhossili and you soon reach the narrow valley leading to the beach.  At the end of the path, you have to walk between some rocks before emerging onto the sand.

One of the joys of visiting Mewslade Bay is that you feel like you’re one of the first people to discover the beach. In all the times I’ve stopped by there, even in glorious summer weather, you always have acres of empty beach to explore for yourself. You’ll always see a few sun worshippers, beachcombers and dog walkers along the way, but its relatively remote location means that relatively few make the journey there. Mewslade is an outstanding beach, and one I can’t wait to revisit.

Fall Bay

You can understand why Mewslade has remained a hidden gem for so long, but Fall Bay is a more puzzling one. It’s still a bit of a hike from Rhossili – about 15-20 minutes if you follow the path through the fields from the main car park, or 25-30 minutes if you follow the track and path along the coast as far as the Tears Point headland. But it’s much closer to Rhossili than Mewslade. And yet….

The approach along the coast path from Rhossili is more rewarding than the short cut across the fields. You follow the path along the large drystone walls enclosing Rhossili’s medieval strip-field system, known locally as the Vile, and a long sweep of cliffs and coves reveals itself. Three or four boats are tied to rocks just above the rocky shoreline to the south, and a series of wave-cut rock platforms leads the eye to this exquisite little beach, backed by two high cliffs.

It’s always quiet here. A few inquisitive souls will have made their way there, and together you can savour this awe-inspiring spot.

Rhossili Bay

Rhossili beach has had many an accolade in its time. Best beach in Britain. Best beach in Europe. Third best beach in the world. One of the top ten places in the world to see a sunset. This is the reason why so few make it to the lesser-known beaches along the coast. If you have limited time, this is where you’ll want to spend it: gazing out over, walking along or lying back and sun-snoozing on one of the best beaches on the planet.

I vividly remember the first time I visited Rhossili beach, when I was nine years old, staggered that we had never been there before, and insisting afterwards that we never need visit another beach again.

On one of our most recent visits, we took the 118 bus from Swansea to Rhossili, along with a group of about 12 Chinese students. As you approach the village, you catch fleeting, tantalising glimpses of the coast above the hedgerows. The students were craning their necks, eager to see every detail. Soon after the bus enters the village, you see the beach for the first time. I’ll never forget the collective “Aaahhhhh!” from the students as they saw it. I felt the same inside, as I had done many times before. They began asking us how to get down to the beach and we showed them, also telling them where to shoot their photos.

Rhossili village sits on top of 250-foot-high cliffs, and the only way down to the beach is via a steep, partly-stepped footpath that winds down the hill.  At low tide, Rhossili beach is a vast expanse of sand, stretching over 3 miles (5 km) north to the tidal islet of Burry Holms. As you arrive on the beach, you may notice a few timbers sticking out of the sand a couple of hundred metres away – this is what’s left of the wreck of the Helvetia, a Norwegian ship carrying a cargo of wood which ran aground in 1887.

The tidal island a couple of miles out to sea from the beach is Worm’s Head (Pen Pyrod in Welsh), an amazing place to walk and see wildlife provided that you do so safely two and a half hours either side of low tide.

The lone white house about halfway along the beach is the Old Rectory, which is now one of the most sought-after holiday homes in the UK. It’s owned and operated by the National Trust, and it has been known to be booked out up to three years in advance – hardly surprising if you scroll through the incomparable views.

Llangennith Beach

Llangennith Beach is simply the northern part of Rhossili beach, which is accessible via paths through the dunes at Hillend and near the island of Burry Holms.

The Llangennith end of the beach has always attracted a different crowd who come for the surf, which is better at this end than at the southern end as it’s more exposed to the Atlantic westerlies while the Rhossili end is partly sheltered by the headland there.

The island of Burry Holms is well worth exploration at low tide – it enjoys fine views of Rhossili beach and around the corner to the north-west corner of Gower. It is the site of an Iron Age hillfort, and there are also scant remains of what is believed to be a church on the island.

Blue Pool Bay

Beyond Burry Holms, a path continues north-eastwards through marram grasses and dunes, towards Broughton Bay. At high tide, you’d probably miss it altogether with the sand submerged, and there’s no clearly defined path, just a steep slope down.  But there is a beach here, and in the north corner, is the perfect rockpool.

This is the handiwork of Mother Nature, a roughly rectangular hole has been eroded in the rock, and it’s nearly always full of seawater. It’s a very secluded spot, and this natural rockpool an amazing place for a dip. It also gives the small beach its name.

Broughton Bay

Broughton Bay, the next beach on our journey, is a vast swathe of sand which links to both Blue Pool Bay and its other neighbour, Whiteford Sands, at low tide.

Broughton Bay has always had a wild, faraway feel. If you’re not staying at one of the two caravan parks near the beach, parking is very limited, and the swirling currents (the beach is close to the Loughor estuary) rule out swimming – these factors combine to deter many visitors, but it’s an inspiring place for a walk, whether in summer or on a sunny winter afternoon.

Whiteford Sands

The last, most northerly beach on Gower is Whiteford Sands (pronounced ‘Witford’). There’s no car park here either – you have to walk down from the nearby village of Llanmadoc to reach it.

Yet it still attracts a faithful few.

The beach itself is around two miles long, backed by dunes and a plantation of pine trees. If you want peace and quiet, this is the place to come. But don’t think you’re seeing things if you think you spot a few figures approaching from the Loughor estuary – they’ll almost certainly have made the long journey across the shifting tidal sands to Whiteford Lighthouse, a disused, cast-iron remnant that still stands sentinel out on its own, where the estuary meets the sea. We haven’t been out there, but know it makes a dramatic photograph subject.

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Betws-y-Coed now has the biggest concentration of accommodation in the whole of the National Park, with seemingly every other house a B&B. The most popular mountains – the Snowdon massif and the nearby Glyder range – are a ten mile ride west up the A5. The village is also an ideal base for exploration of the Conwy Valley – the coast is only fifteen miles away. Many visitors will tend to eat and sleep in Betws, and spend a most of their time away in the mountains. And although Betws doesn’t have any of the best mountain walks on its doorstep, there are many rewards and surprises to discover in the surrounding forests and valleys.

Betws-y-Coed Village

Most of Betws-y-Coed is clustered along the A5, or Holyhead Road, with a few side roads. The first of these on the right (Old Church Road) leads to the 14^th century St Michael’s Church, the ‘bede house’ or ‘prayer house’ (betws) in the woods (coed) that gave the village its name. The second turn on the right – Station Road – leads to, you guessed it, the adjacent Conwy Valley Railway Museum, and the Snowdonia National Park Visitor Centre around the corner.

By the time you pass the Royal Oak Hotel on the left you’ll have seen what makes Betws tick: B&Bs, outdoor stores and Welsh craft shops. The Royal Oak and the Stables bar next door are the busiest places in town most nights, with the outdoor tables often full on summer evenings, and the Cotswold Outdoor shop in the same complex has a huge section of gear: the mountain boots I bought there twelve years ago are still going strong.

Betws y Coed has hardly changed in the 35 years since I first visited it in the early 1980s, and I’ve always had a soft spot for it. The clientele is split between senior visitors on coach tours who stop for a cream tea and a look around a few of the craft shops, and the hiking, biking and activity fraternity who bed down here for the night.

After a few more shops and restaurants, turn right and cross the narrow stone bridge, Pont y Pair, the Bridge of the Cauldron, with a thundering waterfall one side and much calmer water the other. This is the Afon (river) Llugwy. The rocks above the river to the left are a great picnic spot, or to sit and enjoy a bag of fish and chips from the Hen Siop Pont Y Pair takeaway on the corner of the bridge.

Back on the A5, within 200 yards of Pont y Pair you’re down to one built-up side of the road, with more B&Bs and a Chinese restaurant, the Dragon, before you’re back out in the country.

Around Betws-y-Coed

There’s only one place to really appreciate the setting of Betws-y-Coed, and for this you need to cross to the other side of the Conwy Valley. Follow the steep mountain road off the A470 towards Capel Garmon, stopping at a terrace of houses about a mile up. From here, climb the steps to the right of the houses, then cross the metal stile and turn right. Follow the path for about 500 metres until you reach open moorland. You’ll soon be greeted by a fantastic panorama, with the verdant Conwy Valley and Llanrwst in front of you and, to your left, Betws-y-Coed nestling at the foot of the Gwydyr Forest and the eastern edge of Snowdonia, with the closest peak, Moel Siabod, dominating the view, and the distinctive jagged outline of Tryfan to the right.

Hidden high in the hills above the village is the best walk from it, up to Llyn Elsi, a remote lake in the middle of the Gwydyr Forest.

The other walks from Betws y Coed follow the course of two of the rivers that meet there.

Heading west from the village, it’s possible to follow a combination of minor road and forest paths to Swallow Falls, the Llugwy powering over a series of drops on its way down to Pont y Pair. You get several glimpses of the falls through the trees as you walk above the north bank of the river, and can walk very close to the top of the falls on the same side. Alternatively, most visitors arrive courtesy of the A5 out of Betws, and next to the road there is paid entry to the falls and viewing platforms.  Across the road from there is the Swallow Falls Hotel, a former coaching inn, and Betws-y-Coed’s youth hostel.

Just beyond Swallow Falls, the A5 crosses the much quieter Llugwy, and passes an unusual stone-built house on the right. This is the unflatteringly named Ugly House, Ty Hyll, a cottage whose walls are built from large boulders that is home to the Snowdonia Society, a wonderful tearoom and peaceful garden. You can also reach Ty Hyll by following the continuation of the path from the north side of Swallow Falls it’s a ten to fifteen-minute walk.

Betws’ other attractions are found along the course of the River Conwy.  The first, Fairy Glen (Ffos Noddyn in Welsh), is off the A470 as you head towards Blaenau Ffestiniog. Turn left off the main road at the Fairy Glen Hotel, pay the 50p fee and follow the path, which leads across fields to a dramatic narrow ravine, reachable down narrow, often wet steps. It’s particularly beautiful in spring or autumn when the foliage is its most colourful.

Its neighbour, Conwy Falls, is about a mile along the A5, with a visitor centre and café on the corner of the road to Penmachno. The building was designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, who was responsible for the Italianate village of Portmeirion an hour away on the coast.  Again, you pay a small fee to access the Falls, which are a short walk down the hill. The river divides at the top of the falls,  cascading down either side of an outcrop of rock before reuniting at the bottom.

If you’re driving back to Betws, pull over for a few minutes at the generously-sized lay-by, with the view up the Lledr valley to Moel Siabod, which was one of the inspirations for the artists’ colony in the village.

Betws y Coed Activities

Betws y Coed has always been a popular base for walkers and hikers heading for the main mountains and routes of Snowdonia, which we’ll be covering in other features soon.

It has also long been a favourite with mountain bikers who come to tackle the Gwydir Mawr (previously known as the Marin) Trail around the forests and lakes to the north of the village. http://www.go-below.co.uk

However, the options have become far greater for visitors to Betws over the last few years.

Ten miles down the Conwy Valley at Dolgarrog, you can now surf in an inland lagoon at Surf Snowdonia (https://surfsnowdonia.com) – they also offer lessons for beginners and courses.

Much closer to Betws, Zip World Fforest is one of several zip-wire attractions that have opened up around the fringes of Snowdonia in the last few years. The others offer the chance to ride at 50 miles (80 km) per hour from mountain tops over former slate quarries.

This one takes you 60 feet (20 metres) up into the treetops, and there are also rope walks and rides including a Plummet from the Summit which should tell you what you need to know.

Another side to North Wales – its underground – is slowly being opened up for exploration, and a disused slate mine has recently been opened at Conwy Falls by Go Below (http://www.go-below.co.uk). Here you can zip-line, abseil or boat across a lake on a series of challenges. We’ve explored another slate mine a few miles away and it is an incredible experience seeing such a starkly beautiful aplace abandoned and untouched for over a century.

Further Afield

The Conwy Valley is worth a couple of days’ leisurely exploration, starting with the nearby town of Llanrwst, its chocolate-box riverside tea shop Tu Hwnt I’r Bont and the nearby Gwydir Castle (http://www.gwydircastle.co.uk), one of the best-preserved Tudor houses in the country, where you can also stay.

One of the finest gardens in the country, Bodnant Garden (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/bodnant-garden), is a few miles further down the valley at Tal-y-Cafn, with spectacular views across the valley to the remote Carneddau range of Snowdonia.

A few miles further along, Conwy Castle and walled town are a short drive across the river, with the biggest seaside resort on the North Wales coast, Llandudno a short drive beyond.

The A5 road west out of Betws-y-Coed becomes one of the best drives in the country. After passing Swallow Falls and Ugly House it runs through the straggling long village of Capel Curig before climbing into the Ogwen Valley, where the road passes between the mighty Tryfan on one side and the Carneddau mountains on the other, eventually revealing glimpses of Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach before turning down Nant Ffrancon towards the coast.

You can leave the A5 back at Capel Curig, taking the A4086 towards Llanberis. Immediately after Plas y Brenin, the National Outdoor Centre, if it’s a clear sunny day you’re greeted by one of the most iconic sights in Wales – the Mymbyr lakes down in the valley, looking up to Mount Snowdon and its horseshoe of neighbouring peaks. From here it’s around 4 miles – 6 km – to the start of some of the paths to the summit.

Betws-y-Coed Hotels

Betws-y-Coed hotels have some great deals through the season, and you can get some fantastic last-minute bargains, especially if you opt to stay during the week when occupancy is normally lower. Hotels in Betws-y-Coed also tend to fill up on weekends during the off-season (autumn, winter and early spring).

Most Betws-y-Coed hotels were built in the Victorian era, and are fine traditional characterful old buildings, very much part of the heritage of the village. The Royal Oak Hotel in the heart of the village was an old coaching inn, expanded to cater for visitors attracted by the artists colony in the mid 19^th century and the scenery they depicted in their paintings. A short walk towards the station, the Glan Aber and Gwydyr are also grand 19^th century hotels.

Most Betws-y-Coed accommodation is along the main street, Holyhead Road, with some hotels and guest houses on the A470 main road towards Llandudno and in the side streets of the village. One or two hotels in Betws-y-Coed were built more recently, including the Edwardian (early 20^th century) Craig-y-Dderwen Riverside Hotel and the Best Western Waterloo, both a short walk from the centre of the village.

 Betws-y-Coed Bed and Breakfast

If you want bed and breakfast Betws-y-Coed is the place to visit. Many of the fine old Victorian houses in the village are used for bed and breakfast accommodation. They are also known as guest houses, or by their common abbreviation, B&Bs. They’re always popular, and usually work out less expensive than hotels. They’re smaller and more intimate, and a great place to make friends with fellow travellers.

Betws-y-Coed has a great choice of B&Bs, and we’ve stayed in most of them over many visits down the years.  There are a small number of budget options, with many in the three-star, mid-range bracket, so rooms often work out around the £60 a night mark.  The most luxurious B&Bs tend to charge closer to £90-100.

We’ve stayed at one B&B in Betws-y-Coed a great many times – with our lovely friend Ruth at Dolgethin – where we have many happy memories.

 Betws-y-Coed Restaurants

The busiest place in Betws of an evening is often The Stables, the pub attached to the Royal Oak which serves the whole range of British pub fare. The Royal Oak’s restaurant, The Grill Room, has a different menu, and more of a bistro feel.

Talking of bistros, Bistro Betws-y-Coed is a short walk up the hill from the Royal Oak, and one of our favourites in the whole region. I’ll always remember it for serving up one of the best lamb shanks I’ve ever had a couple of years ago.

It’s great to see the eating options in Betws diversifying, and one of the most recent arrivals is Olif (pronounced ‘olive’), a tapas bar using Welsh ingredients (except for the olives, that is).

Getting There

 By Car

Two of Wales’ main roads – the A5 and A470 – meet on the edge of Betws-y-Coed, so getting there by car is fairly simple.

The A470 is the route you will take if coming from South or Mid Wales, following the road up past Dolgellau and Blaenau Ffestiniog, then turning left onto the A5 into the village.

The A470 is also the route of choice if you’re setting out from the north of England. Join and follow the A55 North Wales Expressway, turning left onto the A470 at the Glan Conwy roundabout and following it up the Conwy Valley, turning right onto the A5 at the same junction you would use if approaching from the south.

The A5 is the best route if you’re setting out from the English Midlands, or anywhere to the south or east of there.  Some friends from north-east Wales and the Liverpool area also use the A5 to get to Betws-y-Coed, either joining it from the A494 from Ruthin or the A543 which runs through Denbigh, the latter joining the A5 only a few miles from Betws-y-Coed.

By train

The Conwy Valley railway line between Llandudno and Betws-y-Coed is a lovely short scenic run. You should get a glimpse of Conwy Castle across the river before you reach the countryside, which is green and glorious much of the year, with the mountains of Snowdonia to your right. For much of the journey, the train passes close to the river Conwy

Most people travelling this route are more likely to travel down from Llandudno Junction station, which is on the North Wales mainline, and two stops down the track from Llandudno.

Trains are relatively infrequent – there are six a day, running every three hours.

It’s also worth checking in advance whether or not the line is open, as it is one of the more flood-prone lines in the UK.

By bus

If you’re travelling to Betws-y-Coed by bus, the Conwy valley from Llandudno has regular buses (roughly hourly) until late in the evening.

Beyond this, buses do run to other Snowdonia destinations, and services are good in spring and summer but fairly infrequent in the off-season. Buses to the Snowdon paths and Llanberis run hourly in peak season but only every couple of hours in off-season, and if you want to get to the village of Beddgelert you can make the journey four times a day, changing once.

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This is our guide to the best islands to visit in Wales, covering the entire length of the country’s coast, from the far north-west in the Irish Sea to the Bristol Channel in the south, starting in the north and working our way anti-clockwise around the coast. We’ll tell you what there is to see on each island, how to get there, when you can get there, and whether or not it’s possible to stay on the island.

So starting with the largest, here’s our ultimate guide to Welsh islands.

Anglesey

The Isle of Anglesey – Ynys Mon in Welsh – has long been known as the Mother of Wales – Mam Cymru. At over 20 miles distance from east to west and north to south, it is far and away the biggest island in Wales, and the seventh largest in the whole of the UK. It is also one of the two islands on our list that you can drive onto in a standard two-wheel drive vehicle, or reach by train.

We’ll be publishing more in-depth features on Anglesey in the coming months, but this is a brief introduction.

Anglesey is mostly rural, with the exception of the port of Holyhead, North Wales’ gateway to Ireland. Much of the interior is given over to agriculture, gentle rolling green fields with distant views to the mountains of Snowdonia on the mainland. Anglesey’s 125 mile coastline has some of the best beaches and walks in Wales, indeed the UK, for that matter. It varies from the relatively sheltered Menai Strait, which separates the island from the mainland, to the sandy surf beaches on the west of the island, to the dramatic cliff walks of the far north coast.

Beyond the beaches and coast, there is a huge amount to see. Anglesey is rich in history, with a huge number of standing stones and burial chambers around the island. It was also home to many Druids until the arrival of the Romans in the 1^st century AD. By far the best-known building from the medieval era on Anglesey is Beaumaris Castle, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the three mainland castles at Caernarfon, Conwy and Beaumaris.

The island is joined to the mainland by Thomas Telford’s early 19^th century Menai Suspension Bridge, which links the small town of Menai Bridge to Bangor by road and footpath, and the Britannia Bridge, which is the less scenic but more practical route in for many, carrying the A55 North Wales Expressway and the railway to Holyhead.

Several of our other islands are located off the shores of Anglesey, including the following, Puffin Island.

Puffin Island

Puffin Island – also known as Priestholm, or Ynys Seiriol in Welsh is a small uninhabited island off the eastern tip of Anglesey.

Even in the 21^st century its location feels quite remote. It sits a short distance offshore from Trwyn Du (also known as Penmon Point), which is accessible via a private road from the village and Priory at Penmon. At this exposed spot, there is an isolated row of cottages, a small pebbly beach, a black and white lighthouse and the view to Puffin Island and, beyond it the Great Orme headland which looms above the resort of Llandudno. It’s a very atmospheric place, with the sound of the sea and a warning bell tolling from a rock offshore.

Puffin Island was once home to St Seiriol, who lived there as a hermit in the 6^th century. According to tradition, he would often meet with another future local saint, Cybi, who founded a monastery on Holy Island. They would meet somewhere on Anglesey, and because Seiriol had to travel there and back from the east, the sun was always at his back, so he was known as Seiriol Wyn, or Seiriol the Fair, while Cybi faced the sun both ways and was called Cybi Felyn, the Tanned.

There are scant remains of a 12^th century monastery on the island, but the main reason for visiting is to see the seabird population. Despite its name, puffins are scarce there, having previously been wiped out by rats. There are hundreds of breeding pairs of kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and cormorants, to name a few. There is also a resident colony of Atlantic grey seals.

Most boat trips depart from nearby Beaumaris Pier, lasting around 90 minutes, and some also leave from Menai Bridge or Conwy area. The boats don’t usually land on Puffin Island as it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Visitors can only land in rare cases with permission from the landowner.

The Skerries Anglesey

The Skerries – Ynysoedd y Moelrhoniaid, the islands of the bare-headed grey seals in Welsh – are a series of remote uninhabited rocky islets off the north-western corner of the Anglesey coast, and they are the northernmost and north-westernmost place in Wales.

There has been a lighthouse on the site since the early 1700s, and it’s one of the most important in the Irish Sea. It has been automated since 1987.

As well as being home to the aforementioned seals, the islands are also home to a large seabird population, including Arctic terns, common terns, puffins and gulls.

The best way to visit the Skerries is by Ribride which run trips from Holyhead Marina, which also take in North Stack and South Stack on the north side of Holy Island.

Holy Island

Holy Island – Ynys Gybi in Welsh – is a large island off the north-west of Anglesey that is usually referred to as part of Anglesey. It is, and it isn’t. It’s part of the county of Anglesey, but has a distinct character of its own.

Ynys Gybi gets its Welsh name from St Cybi, the friend of St Seiriol who founded a monastery at what is now Holyhead, whose Welsh name is Caergybi, the Fort of Cybi.  Holyhead is now a major industrial port with ferry connections to Ireland, so it’s always busy with traffic and people in transit. The church of St Cybi and the small Roman fort across the road from the ferry terminal are well worth a look, but it’s fair to say that most of Holy Island’s attractions are outside the town.

Holyhead Mountain is a fascinating place to explore for a couple of hours or so, especially the Roman remains of Caer y Twr (Fort of the Tower) at the top of the mountain and earlier remnants including the prehistoric hut circles near the road up to South Stack.

Holy Island’s coast is full of contrasts, from the sheer precipices at the Ellin’s Tower RSPB Reserve to the family-friendly beach at Trearddur Bay to the spectacular white sea arch of Bwa Gwyn, a short walk from the village of Rhoscolyn, in the south of the island. At one end of the village lies the White Eagle pub and restaurant which serves excellent food and, royal fans may be interested, was one of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s haunts during their time living on Anglesey.

The island is easily reached by road and rail. The A5 and A55 take you into Holyhead, and a network of B- and minor roads take you to the places we’ve described. Stena Line ferries from Dublin also run every day (weather permitting) to Holyhead.

South Stack

We’ve left one part of Holy Island out as it deserves its own mini-section – South Stack, which is home to one of the most dramatically-sited lighthouses in the country.

South Stack is actually an island – albeit a small one – known in Welsh as Ynys Lawd.  It’s a long walk down from the summit of the cliffs above – around 400 steps – to South Stack lighthouse, which you can tour and climb.

It’s also worth making the short walk along the clifftops to the white castellated Ellin’s Tower, home to the RSPB South Stack Cliffs Reserve. Our most regular sightings there have been of choughs, distinctive black birds with curved red bills which are part of the crow family, but other seabirds including puffins, guillemots and razorbills also stop by in spring and early summer for nesting season.

Cribinau

Cribinau is a small tidal island better known as the Church in the Sea, or Llangwyfan in Welsh, a short drive along a narrow lane from the coastal village of Aberffraw, in the south-west of Anglesey.

The sight that greets you at the end of the lane is one of the most evocative in Wales – across a curving rocky beach (Porth Cwyfan) lies a small church perched on a tiny, seemingly walled island.

The church dates from the 12^th or 13^th century, and is dedicated to the Irish saint Kevin. It was originally built near the end of a peninsula, which became an island as a result of coastal erosion. The church has been restored in the last decade or so, and the island walls were added in the late 19^th century to keep the island intact.

You just need to check tide times before venturing to Porth Cwyfan and Cribinau island, which is sometimes cut off at high tide. Otherwise it’s a few minutes’ drive along Church Street and over the hill to the beach, which has limited parking, and a ten-minute walk from there to the island and church.

Llanddwyn Island

Llanddwyn Island is one of the most stunning coastal locations I have ever seen. Anywhere. And that’s after visiting over 40 countries and living on the east coast of Australia. There are very few places I have ever seen that begin to compare with Llanddwyn.

You approach Llanddwyn by turning left out of the village of Newborough, in the south-west corner of Anglesey, and pass through a pine forest, eventually paying for a parking ticket at a machine before proceeding to the car park, which lies just beyond the beach. Close to here, a wooden viewing platform has recently been built, and from here you can look along Newborough beach in both directions, and across Caernarfon Bay to the jagged outlines of the peaks of western Snowdonia and the Llŷn Peninsula.

Llanddwyn Island is a 25-minute walk from here along the beautiful shoreline: for much of the way, it looks like a long, low-lying line of rocks, giving little idea of what lies ahead. It is a tidal island, only inaccessible at very high tides.

The island is named after Santes Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers. She lived in the 5^th century AD, and her story is one of thwarted love. She fell in love with one man but her father wanted her to marry another.  She prayed to be released from the unwanted relationship, only for the man she loved, Maelon, to be turned to ice. She then prayed that Maelon be thawed out and revived, that true lovers everywhere should be happy and that she should never again entertain thoughts of being married. One of the first things you see on the island is the ruined chapel dedicated to her.

A path continues through the dunes, eventually revealing incredible views with two lighthouses and beaches at the end of the island. This is simply one of the most amazing places I have ever visited.

Bardsey Island

During the Middle Ages, this small island off the south-west tip of the Llŷn Peninsula was the object of many pilgrimages, and its importance was recognised as far away as Rome, where a Pope decreed that three pilgrimages to Bardsey would bring a soul the equivalent spiritual benefits of a single pilgrimage to Rome. Little did he know that, nearly 1,000 years later, Rome would be extremely easy to reach, and that getting to Bardsey is a journey that requires great persistence, enormous flexibility and an immense helping of luck to get there. I would go so far as to suggest that this decree should be amended, so that three pilgrimages to Rome are now worth one to Bardsey.

Bardsey – Ynys Enlli, the Island of the Currents in Welsh – is a four-mile (7 km) boat trip from Porth Meudwy, a cove near the village of Aberdaron. The often treacherous state of the waters of Bardsey Sound, which separates the island from the mainland, is what makes access – and sometimes getting off the island – so difficult.

Bardsey is also known as the Isle of 20,000 Saints. Its significance originates from the monastery that the Breton saint Cadfan founded there in the 6^th century. It is also one of many places said to be the burial place of King Arthur. During its first few centuries of activity, the abbey became the resting place for many Welsh saints and holy figures, and this led to its growth as a pilgrimage destination. Ruins of the Abbey remain, and a prominent Celtic cross commemorates the 20,000 Saints.

Nowadays Bardsey is as well-known for its wildlife. Seabirds including the chough and the Manx shearwater have made it their home, and a colony of Atlantic grey seals also resides on the island. Its isolation has allowed other species and many rare plants to thrive.

We’ll be writing more about Bardsey Island in another feature to be published soon.

St Tudwal’s Islands

The horizon from the sheltered bay at the popular resort of Abersoch is dominated by two islands: St Tudwal’s Island East (Ynys Tudwal Fach) and St Tudwal’s Island West (Ynys Tudwal Fawr). They are named after a Breton monk and saint, Tudwal in Welsh or Tugdual in Breton, who was one of the seven founding saints of Brittany and later bishop of Treguier, in the north of the region.

Both islands are privately owned, so it’s not possible to land on them, but boat trips do run from Abersoch out around the islands to view the wildlife, which includes Atlantic grey seals.

Ynys Lochtyn

It’s a long journey across and down Cardigan Bay to our next island, the tiny Ynys Lochtyn, a mile or so north of the village of Llangrannog, on the Ceredigion coast.

We’ve included Ynys Lochtyn because you pass it on what we think is one of the best coastal walks in Wales, the steep, undulating walk north from Llangrannog, past hidden sandy coves and wind-lashed rocks. Ynys Lochtyn lies at the end of a dramatic peninsula with steep cliffs falling away to the sea on both sides. It is possible to reach Ynys Lochtyn on foot, with care, at low tide.

Ynys Lochtyn is also in prime Welsh dolphin-watching territory. Regular boats from New Quay Wales explore along the Cardigan Bay coastline, and sometimes travel down past Ynys Lochtyn and Llangrannog in search of these amazing creatures.

Cardigan Island

Cardigan Island – Ynys Aberteifi – is a small island barely 20 metres offshore, near the village of Gwbert, which looks across the Teifi estuary to Pembrokeshire. It’s a prominent ;landmark on this stretch of coast, and if you happen to be close to the lovely beach at Mwnt at the right time of year, it makes for a great sunset spot from the beach or headland.

Access to Cardigan Island is restricted – some chartered boats from Cardigan and Gwbert run to the island, and permission to land is required from the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales.

The island is home to a flock of rare Soay sheep, a colony of Atlantic grey seals, and a variety of seabirds including gulls, puffins, razorbills and guillemots also stop by to nest there.  The famous Cardigan Bay dolphins have been known to put in an appearance as well.

The headland close to the island is home to the Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park, which has great views across to the island. It’s a great place to take the kids to meet the many farm animals, something that always enthrals our little fellow.

Strumble Head

Strumble Head – Pen Caer – is a remote island and lighthouse warning shipping of the presence of dangerous cliffs and headlands on the approach to the nearby ferry port of Fishguard.

There isn’t any access to the island itself, as the lighthouse is fully automated, but that shouldn’t deter you from venturing to this stretch of coast, which has some of the most rewarding walking in the country.  Strumble Head is a convenient place to park and explore, either southwards towards the magnificently-sited youth hostel at Pwll Deri and the Iron Age hillfort at Garn Fawr, or eastwards to Carregwastad Point, the site of the comically inept last attempted land invasion of Britain in 1797, when a French invading force (I’m not sure this is quite the correct word) were unceremoniously seen off by a combination of hastily-assembled reservists and ladies wielding pitchforks.

The old coast guard lookout near Strumble Head has been converted into a popular wildlife lookout, and because of the local geography with the peninsula protruding a few miles out into the sea many seabirds pass very close to the coastline. It’s also a great spot to spot the Cardigan Bay dolphins and harbour porpoises.

Strumble Head can be reached by several minor roads off the main A487 road that runs from St David’s to Fishguard and beyond, and in season by the wonderful Strumble Shuttle minibus that runs a convoluted but incredibly convenient service along the coastal backroads between Fishguard and St Davids three times a day each way in season, and twice a day on Thursdays and Saturdays in winter.

Ramsey Island

The St Davids peninsula is one of the most special places in Wales, and Ramsey Island, a short distance offshore, is one of the highlights of a visit to the area.

Ramsey Island – Ynys Dewi, or St David’s Island in Welsh – is a wonderfully romantic place, a short distance from St David’s Cathedral and surrounded by eccentrically-named islets called the Bishops and the Clerks.

It is reachable by boat trips that run from St Justinian’s, a gorgeous cove with old and new lifeboat stations. Some land on the island, while others circle it without landing, showing you the breathtaking coastline and magnificent wildlife.  It is a nature reserve run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). There are also white water speedboat runs through the Bitches, a series of rocks in Ramsey Sound. The local boat operators are based in St David’s city centre, and include  Thousand Islands Expeditions and Voyages of Discovery.

The wildlife you can see on or off Ramsey Island include grey seals, porpoises, choughs and gannets.

Skomer Island

Skomer is the largest island in Pembrokeshire and one of the most popular islands in Wales for wildlife enthusiasts. It’s not uncommon in the seabird nesting season of May to July to rock up to tiny Martin’s Haven before 7 am to find well over a hundred other vehicles have beaten you to it. Limited numbers of visitors are allowed each day, and demand undoubtedly outstrips supply on some days. Unfortunately there is no advance booking facility, you simply have to turn up very early and hope you’ve risen a bit earlier than your fellow visitors.

It is possible to book Skomer Island accommodation well in advance as one way to beat the queues, alternatively the best advice we can give is to look for accommodation near Skomer Island, possibly around the villages of Dale and Marloes, and to pack a fully-functioning alarm clock.

One of the reasons Skomer is so popular is that it’s such a great place to get close to and view seabirds. The iconic puffins can often be seen waddling along clifftop paths towards their burrows, their colourful beaks clutching their precious catch of sand eels. Kittiwakes, razorbills and guillemots are also a regular presence on Skomer.  If you stay overnight on  Skomer at the right time of year you should also get to hear and see the Manx shearwaters – with over 160,000 breeding pairs, Skomer is believed to be the largest breeding colony for this bird in the world. It is also home to a large Atlantic grey seal colony, and dolphins and porpoises are regularly sighted close to the island. It is also home to a unique subspecies of vole, the Skomer vole, which lives in outcrops of bracken on the island.

By a quirk of natural serendipity, the breeding season and the glorious spring flowers contrive to coincide, so in May and early June the island is carpeted with bluebells and red campion.

Skokholm

Skokholm Island (Ynys Sgogwm in Welsh) is a near-neighbour of Skomer, a few miles to the south and further offshore. It isn’t anywhere near as well-known as Skomer, partly because day-trippers can’t land on it, but you can stay on it, for three or four nights. Skokholm accommodation includes an 18^th century farmhouse and some renovated former cow barns. Everything is off-grid, and solar power and bottled gas are the main energy sources on the island.

As with Skomer, the main draw for visitors is its wildlife. It was the first functioning bird observatory in the UK, founded in 1933, and there are plenty to see, including the Manx shearwater, puffin, guillemot and razorbill. There is also a storm petrel colony on the island, and visitors are privileged to accompany the wardens on their walks to weigh the gorgeous fluffy chicks. Seals, harbour porpoises and dolphins are also regularly sighted around the island.

Although there are no day visitors to the island, it is still possible to see Skokholm up close on boat trips. Dale Sailing, who run the Dale Princess boat from Martin’s Haven to Skomer,  also operate a sea safari around the coasts of Skomer and Skokholm.

Grassholm

Grassholm Island – Ynys Gwales in Welsh – is the most isolated island in Wales, seven miles to the west of Skomer. Visiting it is also one of the most amazing experiences in Wales, and indeed the UK.

It’s not possible to land on this uninhabited island, but a number of operators run trips out to this remote outcrop of rock in the ocean. From afar, you see a distinct white speck on the horizon, which grows ever larger – and louder – as you approach. Sometimes you’re greeted by the cacophonous racket of around 80,000 gannets – the third largest colony in the world – squawking in surround sound. Thousands of birds fill the sky, some pivoting mid-air and dive-bombing vertically into the water with astounding precision to catch fish.

Some operators run a sunset trip out to Grassholm, when in the golden hour of low sunlight the experience becomes even more magical.

Thorne Island

Thorne Island is one of a number of fortifications built to guard the Milford Haven waterway from the perceived danger of a French attack in the 19^th century.

It’s an intriguing location, about half a mile offshore from the fine beach at West Angle Bay, on the south side of the Haven.

The Napoleonic fortifications are largely intact. It had been run as a hotel in the mid-20^th century, but had been unoccupied since 2001. A hotel chain had bought the island with the intention of reopening the hotel and adding cable car access from the mainland, but this never came to fruition.

It has recently been bought again, and throughout 2017 has been undergoing restoration.  It has recently been advertised on Airbnb and would make a fascinating place for an island adventure.

Caldey Island

Caldey Island is one of the best-known islands in Wales, a popular day-trip destination from the nearby seaside town of Tenby.

Caldey – Ynys Bŷr in Welsh – is home to a small community of Cistercian monks who live in a striking white Italianate monastery a short walk from the landing jetty at Priory Bay beach.  The island has a rich ecclesiastical heritage, with two much older churches – St Illtud’s and St David’s – close by. Access has recently been restored to parts of the island that had long been off-limits, including beautiful Sandtop Bay on the west of the island. A full day is needed to get around the whole of the island and visit the monastery.

The island is also well-known for its wondrous coastal scenery and its wildlife. In order to experience both the history and wildlife, you really need to take two boat trips – one landing on Caldey, and another circumnavigating the island and its immediate neighbour, St Margaret’s Island.

The monks on the island have been making a living for many years from making chocolates, perfumes and fragrances which are for sale at the island’s shop, which also sells online.

Worm’s Head, Rhossili

On a clear day you can see our next island, Worm’s Head, from Caldey, over twenty miles to the east on the western tip of the Gower Peninsula.

Worm’s Head – which is often written Worms Head without the apostrophe, is a long, narrow tidal island around 2 km from Rhossili Bay’s incredible beach.  Rhossili has been in many a ‘top 10 in the world’ poll, from best beach to best place to view a sunset, and for now it’s best simply to let democracy speak for itself.  When you look at Worm’s Head from the beach or up on the summit of Rhossili Down, it resembles a basking dragon, luxuriating in the sea.

Worm’s Head is accessible on foot two and a half hours either side of high tide. The easiest access is from Rhossili village – tide times are usually posted in the doorway of the National Trust shop – the footpath runs along the clifftops, giving some of the most awe-inspiring coastal views along the way, running out at a cottage with a small exhibition. From here it’s a short walk down the slope to the shoreline, and then you pick your way across the rocky tidal causeway to the island. A sunny day is best for this walk, simply because the rocks dry more quickly and are less slippery.

It’s a surprisingly long walk from one end of the Worm to the other. You can climb the small flat hill that is the middle section of the Worm, or walk along the bottom of it. After a rocky section, you gradually climb to the precarious-looking Devil’s Bridge before continuing past a spectacular blowhole to the Outer Head.

Many people have been stranded on Worm’s Head after being caught out by the rising tide, including the famous poet and writer Dylan Thomas, who was from nearby Swansea. So keep a close eye on the time and also allow for the causeway to be submerged faster than forecast.

Boat trips also run from Oxwich along the coast, including Worm’s Head, between April and September, and this is something not to be missed. On my last trip we encountered harbour porpoise, seals, and hundreds of swooping seabirds in the late evening light.

Mumbles Head

Mumbles Head and lighthouse lie at the opposite, eastern end of the Gower Peninsula, on a headland looking back along Gower one way, and across to the city of Swansea in the other direction.

Mumbles Swansea is one of South Wales’ favourite seaside spots, with a fine promenade, traditional pier and beaches either side of the headland. It owes its name to the French word, mamelles, meaning breasts, with which some French sailors may or may not have compared the two islands off the headland. Both islands are tidal, and the lighthouse island is accessible on foot at low tide.

Mumbles is easily reached by car or bus – the number 2 service stops in Mumbles village, leaving roughly a 1 km walk down to the pier.

Sully Island

Sully Island – Ynys Sili – is a tidal island near the village of Sully, which is close to the seaside town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The eastern Bristol Channel has the second highest tidal range in the world, and the wide rocky causeway connecting the island to the mainland can quickly disappear in a fast-rising tide. I personally know several people who have been stranded there, some overnight.  A warning system now operates from the mainland, indicating when it is or isn’t safe to attempt to cross to the island.

It’s a very popular spot with locals, just seven miles from the capital Cardiff, and just a short walk from the Captain’s Wife pub in Sully.

It has a rich history of piracy, smuggling and shipwrecks, and was once the base of the notorious pirate Alfred de Marisco, who ransacked and pillaged all over the Bristol Channel.

There’s not a great deal to see on the island other than the coastal scenery, but if you’re in the area, it’s a great place to while away an hour or two before a little refreshment at the pub.

Flat Holm

Flat Holm island – Ynys Echni in Welsh – is one of two islands in the eastern Bristol Channel, between Cardiff and the English seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. It includes the southernmost point in Wales, while its neighbour to the south, Steep Holm (Ynys Rhonech) belongs to England.

Flat Holm is an intriguing place reachable by regular boat trips and cruises from Cardiff and Weston in season (usually April to October).

It has a long and rich history, and was home to the local saint Cadoc in the 6^th century. The name ‘holm’ also indicates Viking association, or possibly occupation. During the 19^th century a cholera hospital was built there, and the island was also armed with several gun batteries to protect the area from invasion. The most prominent building on the island is the lighthouse, which was built in 1737.

However, it is best known for being the place from which Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless signal across open water, to Lavernock Point on the mainland on 13^th May 1897. The message ‘Are you ready’ was in Morse code, and the original paper slip can be seen in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.

When growing up in the area, Flat Holm was also well-known as the nesting site for many of Cardiff’s herring gull population, but there are actually far more lesser black-backed gulls on the island. Some rare plants, including rock sea-lavender and wild leek, also grow on the island, much of which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Local Nature Reserve.

There’s one more reason to make the effort to visit Flat Holm – to enjoy a pint at the Gull and Leek, the southernmost pub in Wales.

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If you’re looking for a beautiful seaside resort with a huge range of things to do Tenby is just the place.  There are so many sides to Tenby – the gorgeous harbour with its pastel-painted Georgian townhouses, the warren of medieval lanes and alleyways, a complete stretch of 16th century town walls and the three glorious beaches just around the town centre. It’s also a great base to explore the Pembrokeshire coast, whether on land or by one of the many Tenby boat trips that depart from the harbour. There are also a host of Pembrokeshire family attractions within a short drive from Tenby, from Folly Farm’s farmyard animals to the prehistoric beasts of Dinosaur World, and from quad-biking at Ritec Valley to Heatherton World of Activities. So here’s your ultimate guide to things to do Tenby.

Tenby Harbour

Tenby Harbour is just beautiful, and every time we return and see it again the sight of it gives us a lovely rush of endorphins, happiness flooding through us. I’ve loved it since first seeing it when I was nine years old, and it’s one of those places I always yearn to go back to. The harbour is huddled between the south end of North Beach and Castle Hill headland, with the stately Georgian houses of Bridge Street overlooking the scene. As with everywhere along the South Wales Bristol Channel coast high and low tides vary significantly, so at low tide the harbour becomes a boat-filled beach.  The harbour is the departure point for boat trips from Tenby, and the various kiosks selling tickets are located here.

We’ve spent many an hour walking around the harbour and its narrow lanes. The Simply Seafoods kiosk serves fantastic crab sandwiches, and the harbour is a great place to sit and enjoy one, even if some of the local seagulls might want to share it with you.

Tenby North Beach

Tenby North Beach is adjacent to Tenby harbour, a lovely sweep of sand passing beneath the brightly painted hotels along the clifftop. This is the place to go if you want that amazing view to the harbour, and you also get to see the Carmarthen Bay coast to the east.

Tenby Castle Beach

Tenby Castle Beach lies in the shadow of Castle Hill, where a tower, gateway and some walls remain from Tenby’s medieval castle. It’s a very short walk over the rise from the harbour and down the hill to Castle Beach, whose view is dominated by St Catherine’s Island, home to a 19^th century fort built to repel a French invasion that never transpired. The fort has been closed for many years, and a number of schemes have been mooted for it, though none have yet come to fruition. It’s a lovely view across to the island and, to the right, the much bigger island of Caldey, 4 km (2.5 miles) offshore.

Tenby South Beach

If you walk along the sand to the right from Castle Beach, you’ll soon come to Tenby South Beach. This stretches for miles, past a long series of dunes and the golf course to the village of Penally and a rocky headland. In summer it’s very popular, and the ice cream van does a roaring trade. The hotels along Paragon and Esplanade and their cliff gardens make a fine backdrop, and the view across the water to Caldey is sublime.

Castle Hill and Museum

Above the approach to Castle Beach, a pathway passes through an ancient fortified gate,  soon reaching Tenby Museum on the left, housed in a building that was part of the castle. It’s a wonderful place to while away a couple of hours, especially if the weather is a little inclement. It’s Wales’ oldest independent museum, and has a very-much-loved feel about it. The Tenby Story section tells the fascinating story of this lovely town, from Henry Tudor – later Henry VII’s – escape through a Tenby tunnel to its growth as a tourist destination from the 19^th century onwards.

The other remains of the castle are scattered around the top hill, the small pepper-pot tower and a statue of Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria) surveying the scene, with a fine 360° view over the town, beaches and St Catherine’s Island.

St Mary’s Church

The slender tall spire of St Mary’s Church still dominates the Tenby skyline, as it has done for the last six centuries.  The church is one of the most beautiful in Pembrokeshire, and packed with historical interest. One curiosity is the wall memorial to Robert Recorde, a 16^th century mathematician from Tenby who introduced the equals (=) sign to mathematics.

Tudor Merchant’s House

Tenby’s Tudor Merchant’s House, run by the National Trust, offers an intriguing glimpse back to the late 15^th century, when it was built. It’s on a narrow partly stepped side street leading from High Street down towards the Harbour, a three-storey house whose ground floor served as a shop, while the upper floors were the merchant and his family’s living and sleeping space. It’s furnished and decorated to look much as it was in 1500. It’s the oldest surviving house in the town.

Caldey Island Boat Trips

Caldey Island – Ynys Byr in Welsh – lies 4 km (2.5 miles) offshore from Tenby, and feels a world away from the 21^st century. It is one of several Welsh holy islands, and is home to a Cistercian monastery with a small permanent population of monks who make a living by making and selling perfumes and chocolate in the small island shop.  Many come to visit the monastery and two small medieval churches on the island, but it’s also worth the trip to explore some of the magnificent coastline, especially around Sandtop Bay in the west of the island. Check at the ticket kiosks in Tenby harbour which boats actually land on Caldey – some do not (see below).

Wildlife-Watching Boat Trips

Some Tenby boat trips take you out for a full circuit of Caldey Island, but do not land. These take visitors out solely to see the island’s wildlife and coastal scenery. The trips tend to follow an anti-clockwise route around, starting at St Margaret’s Island, Caldey’s uninhabited near-neighbour, and home to one of the largest cormorant colonies in Britain. The boats give you a great view, taking you very close to the foot of some imposing sheer cliffs and within sight of the birds. The cliffs of St Margaret’s and Caldey also host nesting razorbills, puffins and gannets between May and July. Atlantic grey seals live on the Welsh coast throughout the year, and outside of seabird nesting season, these are the main attraction for visitors.

Tenby Fishing Trips

Several operators also run fishing trips out of Tenby. Trips usually last an hour and a half, and anglers of all (including no) abilities are welcome.  Mackerel is the usual catch.

Tenby Coastal Walks

Tenby is in a prime position on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and, since 2012, the Wales Coast Path. The section to the north takes you past tiny Waterwynch Bay and on to Monkstone Point and the popular seaside resort of Saundersfoot. The section to the south of the town takes you along South Beach to Penally. Further to the west, there’s more cliff scenery, with a lovely stretch either side of Manorbier beach and on beyond Swanlake Bay.

Tenby Guided Walks and Tenby Ghost Walks

We haven’t been on one of Marion Davies’ guided walks around Tenby and Caldey, but know several friends who have, and are fulsome in their praise of her.  Tenby has a rich, fascinating history, and her Story of Tenby walk shows you where Henry Tudor – who went on to become King Henry VII of England – managed to escape. Many other famous names have visited, from Lord Nelson to painter JMW Turner, author George Eliot and writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter, and her Poets and Painters walk tells the stories of their connections with the town.

Tenby Restaurants and Eating Out

Tenby has a great range of dining options spread throughout the town, and there’s an emphasis on seafood in many places. We have dined several times at Plantagenet House, which is next door to the Tudor Merchant’s House, a couple of minutes from the harbour. It’s housed in a medieval building with a lovely Flemish chimney, but the reason we’ve always gone back to the Plantagenet Tenby is the food, which has been stellar every time. We’ve also enjoyed The Mooring and the Salt Cellar – the latter is downstairs in the Atlantic Hotel, on the Esplanade. We can also recommend long-time local chippy Fecci’s for takeaway fish and chips overlooking the beach.

Tenby Nightlife

For many years Tenby has had something of a reputation as a stag and hen party destination, to the consternation of some who prefer to keep Tenby genteel and elegant. We have stayed over in Tenby many times over the years, and also visited on day trips. On weekdays and Sundays, you won’t find a trace of a stag and hen do. It’s possible you will come across one on a Friday or Saturday night. Yes, they can sometimes border on the rambunctious, but if that sort of thing’s not for you, you’re only a few yards’ walk from peace and serenity. Watching an international rugby match on TV in a crowded pub is a more raucous affair, as is the long return train journey we used to make to Cardiff on a Saturday night.

Things to do around Tenby with kids

There are also several big Tenby attractions geared towards families and kids within a short drive from the town, and we’ll be writing much more about these on our family travel site in the near future. Here’s a brief overview of things to do in Tenby for families.

Dinosaur Park

Dinosaurs are a great diversion for kids, and this park in nearby Gumfreston has a big dinosaur trail running through woodland with huge models to captivate them. There are also plenty of activities on site, from wheely bug rides for toddlers to trampolines to rides and tractors and a triceratops.

Manor Wildlife Park

This zoo in St Florence has species from all over the planet, from Cameroon sheep to rhinos to lemurs to wallabies, and kids are fascinated by their encounters with new animals. Some of the enclosures have walk through areas where you can get close to the animals – including the African village for farm animals, and wallabies.

Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo

This is another big family day out, where kids can pat farm animals, see the only giraffes in Wales, go for a few rides at a vintage fairground and run off energy in themed play areas, both indoors and out.

Oakwood Theme Park

Oakwood Theme Park is the biggest in Wales, and has all kinds of rides, from a wooden rollercoaster, sky swing or getting soaked in a 45 foot tidal wave.  For toddlers there are the carousel and revolving teacups, which are probably the closest I’d get to an adrenaline fix.

Heatherton World of Adventures

Heatherton has several activities geared towards families, mainly for older kids. These include tree-top rope walks, zip wire rides, paintballing, archery, golf and zorbing.

Ritec Valley Quad Biking

This is the place to go if you want to try quad biking in Wales, with both track and trail rides available. Kids aged 6 and above can try out track riding, while more experienced riders can tackle the trails.

The post 18 amazing things to do in Tenby – the beautiful Welsh seaside town appeared first on delveintowales.

Cardiff Castle

The first many visitors see, right in the middle of Cardiff city centre. It has grown from a Roman fort, with additions all the way through to the 19th century when under the endowment of the 3rd Marquess of Bute, the clock tower and western side were remodelled by William Burges. The standard self-guided tour takes you to highlights such as the Arab Room and Banqueting Hall. The House and Connoisseur Tours take you further behind the scenes.

http://www.cardiffcastle.com

Caerphilly Castle

Seven miles over the mountain from Cardiff, this vast 13th century castle – the first built in Britain to a concentric design, and the second largest in the country – dominates the small Valleys town that has grown up around it. It enjoys one of the most picturesque settings of castles in Wales, almost surrounded by lakes.

http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/caerphilly-castle/?lang=en

Beaumaris Castle

This unfinished castle close to the shore of the Menai Strait has castle experts enthusing over its concentric design, with one circuit of walls within another. It was the last of Edward I’s Iron Ring of Castles in North Wales, left incomplete because of his overstretched finances. The view from behind the castle to the mountains of Snowdonia on a clear day is magnificent.

http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/beaumaris-castle/?lang=en

Caernarfon Castle

This is possibly the best known Welsh castle to those outside the country, partly on account of Prince Charles’ investiture as Prince of `Wales there in 1969. It guards the estuary of the river Seiont, at the southern, opposite end of the Menai Strait to Beaumaris. This highly impressive, sturdy castle was also augmented by a circuit of Town Walls, part of which run along the seafront to the north.

http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/caernarfon-castle/?lang=en

Harlech Castle

This evocative castle was built on top of a sea cliff in the late 13th century, but now lies over a mile inland. From the ‘Graig” (Rocks) viewpoint at the southern end of the town, you can appreciate its dramatic setting above the coastal plain with the whole Snowdon range visible behind in good weather. The visitor centre and new bridge to the elevated entrance are a welcome addition, making it more accessible. ‘Men of Harlech’, one of the canon of Welsh rugby songs, describes a siege here during the Wars of the Roses.

http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/harlechcastle/?lang=en

Conwy Castle

This great castle was built by the master military architect, James of St George, to consolidate Edward I’s hold on an area he had already fought over twice. Like Caernarfon, an adjacent walled town (bastide) was constructed at the same time. The Castle now presides over the nearby Quay and possibly the finest historic town in Wales.

Dolwyddelan Castle

This is one of the less obvious castles, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in its dramatic location. It sits on an outcrop of rock high above the main A470 road, and consists of a lonely battlemented tower overlooking the mountainous Lledr valley. It was originally a castle of the native Welsh princes, and eventually captured by Edward I. As well as visiting the castle itself, take a few hours to walk the surrounding area (especially across the river and above the nearby village of the same name) to really appreciate its magnificent mountain setting.

http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/dolwyddelan-castle/?lang=en

Dolbadarn Castle

Another castle founded by the Welsh princes in a dramatic mountain setting, Dolbadarn sits on a hill overlooking Llyn Padarn lake at the foot of the Llanberis Pass, the mountain road that takes between the sheer rock walls of the Glyderau and Snowdon ranges. It looks like a tiny pepper pot from further down the lake, but make the effort to climb the short, steep hill to see it up close where you can appreciate it as a brooding, impressive sentinel guarding the Welsh mountains.

Powis Castle

A very different proposition to the others in our list, Powis started out as a Welsh prince’s fortress in border country, evolving over the centuries into one of the grandest stately homes in the country with one of the finest art collections and formal gardens in Wales. Powis has been continuously occupied and in use since medieval times, and never suffered a period of decay and disrepair like many other Welsh castles. The Castle also houses the Clive Museum, a fascinating collection of artefacts from India.

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