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You may view the information for ALL the locations in this area
by clicking HERE (the page may be very large) or you can view your
preferred location from the list on the left.
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Dovey Estuary - Photo:
Nick Leverton
CCL |
Aberdovey is a
small harbour
resort situated
at the mouth of
the Dyfi estuary
and within the
Snowdonia
National Park.
The shelter of
the estuary
provides an
ideal location
for a wide range
of water sports
including windsurfing,
sailing and a
number of
available boat
trips and
excursions.
During the
summer,
Aberdovey also
hosts a sailing
regatta. The
long, award
winning, golden
sand-dune backed
coastal beaches
are popular with
swimmers,
sunbathers,
surfers and
fishermen.
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Away from the
water, the
village also
boasts an 18
hole
championship
golf course.
You don't have
to go far from
Aberdovey to
explore the
picturesque
valleys and
stunning
mountain scenery
of the Snowdonia
National Park,
an ideal area
for walkers,
climbers and
wildlife
watchers.
Aberdovey is
also an ideal
base for
visiting many of
the major
attractions in
North Wales and
Mid Wales.
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A
picturesque,
white-washed
village on the
beautiful Llyn
Peninsula, this
is the kind of
Welsh resort
by-the-sea, set
inside a bay
with a sweeping
beach, you will
never forget. A
haven for
surfers and
other water
sports
enthusiasts, it
is also a
sailing centre
and, oddly, a
Mecca for fans
of jazz who
flock in great
numbers to the
town’s annual
jazz festival.
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Looking towards Snowdonia from Abersoch Beach
- Photo:
Peter Messum
CCL |
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Amlwch Harbour - Photo:
John Tomlinson
CCL |
Once the most populated part
of Anglesey with more than 1,000 ale houses, the
fortunes of Amlwch rose and fell with the copper
industry of nearby Parys Mountain. Although the
Neolithic Ordovices tribe and the Romans extracted
copper ore from the mountain, it wasn’t until the
18th century that extraction reached an industrial
scale and Amlwch became a key trading port. Later
faced with strong international competition,
though, Amlwch returned to its role as a fishing
port. Our Lady Star of the Sea is an unusual 1930s
church built from reinforced concrete. Its ribs
represent an upturned boat complete with round
portholes. |
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Bala is a
picturesque and
historic little
market town
consisting of
little more than
a main street,
lying on the
edge of the
Snowdonia
National Park in
a designated
area of
outstanding
natural beauty.
Bala was founded
by Royal Charter
around 1310 by
Roger de
Mortimer in
order to tame
the rebellious
Penllyn District
populace. Today,
Bala is possibly
one of the best
places in Wales
to hear the
spoken Welsh
language (one of
the oldest
languages in
Europe), with it
being the first
language of
around 80% of
the 2000 or so
population.
Bala is within a
scenic hours
drive of many of
the coastal
resorts of north
and mid Wales,
though many
people find all
they need in and
around Bala
itself. Though
small, the town
has all the
shops and
amenities you
could need.
Surrounded by
the high peaks
of Aran Benllyn,
Arenig Fawr and
the spectacular
Berwyn
mountains, Bala
boasts the
largest natural
lake in Wales,
Bala Lake or
Llyn Tegid,
which offers
excellent water
sports and
fishing
facilities.
Indeed, Bala
lake is home to
a unique species
of fish called
the Gwyniad, a
kind of
land-locked
herring which is
said to date
back to the
Ice-Age.
Running along
the south shore
of the lake is
the Bala lake
narrow-gauge
Steam Railway
which is an
ideal way to
take in the
breathtaking
scenery, or if
you are feeling
more energetic,
why not take to
the many walking
and cycling
routes in the
area.
In a nearby
valley to the
north is another
lake, Llyn Celyn,
which is
entirely
artificial.
Canoeing
competitions are
held on the
white water
downstream from
its dam.
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Situated to the
North of the
Snowdonia
National Park
and home to the
university of
Wales, Bangor is
one of Wales'
oldest cities
which grew up
around a
monastery in the
6th century.
Indeed, its name
comes from the
protective fence
or "bangor" that
encircled the
monastery. The
present day
cathedral was
designed by Sir
George Gilbert
Scott, famed for
London's Albert
Memorial, and
stands on the
site of the
early church.
A popular
attraction with
visitors is
Penrhyn Castle -
a Neo Norman
building dating
from the early
19th century,
which today is
run by the
National Trust.
There is also
the Bangor
Museum and Art
Gallery.
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Barmouth - Photo:
Janine Forbes
CCL |
Barmouth is one of those
pretty, traditional Welsh seaside resorts, with
miles of golden sands overseen by the peaks of
Snowdonia. As well as amusement arcades and donkey
rides, it offers a "land train" running the length
of the promenade, while visitors are free to go
off the beaten track to find drovers' trails,
forests walks, wild moorland and mountain treks.
The poet Shelly visited Barmouth with his wife in
1812 and later talked of its "sands and terraced
rocks". The half-mile long Barmouth Viaduct spans
the swirling waters of the Mawddach Estuary,
providing an exciting walkway that links the town
with Morfa Mawddach Station. It was built in the
mid-19th century for Cambrian Railways. |
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A small family-oriented
resort, Benllech benefits from a sandy beach which
merges with the great sweep of Red Wharf Bay, an
ideal spot for bird-watching. Benllech has
fascinating coastal walks – along the cliff to the
neighbouring village of Moelfre or through
woodland to Pentraeth.
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Benllech Sands - Photo:
Keith Williamson
CCL |
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A town whose rugged slopes
bear the scars of the world’s largest opencast
slate quarry, Bethesda nestles beside the
beautiful River Ogwen. It leads to the spectacular
Nant Ffrancon Pass, offering a route from which to
explore Snowdonia National Park whose mountains
link arms above the rooftops. The town took its
title from a nonconformist chapel built here in
the early part of the 19th century which, in turn,
derived its name from a healing pool in Jerusalem.
The Ogwen Valley itself is a focus for thousands
of walkers and contains the Rhaeadr Ogwen
waterfall. The Joys of Life Visitor Centre has,
among other things, railway memorabilia and a
quarryman’s kitchen.
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Betws-y-Coed winter scene - Photo:
Alan Fairweather
CCL |
Betws-y-Coed is
the most popular
inland resort in
North Wales and
is situated in
the heart of
more than 800
square miles of
the Snowdonia
National Park.
Largely dating
back to
Victorian times,
Betws-y-Coed was
built up around
where the River
Conwy meets its
three
tributaries
flowing from the
West. (The
Llungwy, the
Lledr and the
Machno). |
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Surrounded by
deep forest
covered valleys,
still glacial
lakes, cascading
rivers and water
falls, ancient
bridges and
dramatic rocky
mountains, the
village is an
outdoor
enthusiast's
paradise.
Holyhead Road,
the main street,
is where you
will find most
of the
accommodation,
along with a
host of outdoor
clothing
specialists and
tourist
information. The
surrounding area
is steeped in
history and you
can find well
preserved sites
such as the
Neolithic stone
circles, Bronze
Age chambers,
Celtic Iron Age
fortifications,
Roman forts and
monuments of the
great Welsh
princes.
Betws-y-Coed is
an ideal base to
explore this
spectacular
region either on
foot, by car, or
on one of the
many mountain
railway routes. |
River through the centre of Betws-y-Coed -
Photo:
Dot Potter
CCL |
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Caernarfon is a busy
market town, inhabited without a break since
pre-Roman times and famed for its castle, one
of the best preserved in the world. Caernarvon
Castle was built by order of Edward I in 1283,
not only as a military stronghold but also as
a seat of government and royal palace. It was
the birth place of the first Prince of Wales
and centuries later the castle was also the
setting for the investiture of Prince Charles
as the present Prince of Wales, in 1969. Most
of the buildings in the walled town date back
to the early 19th century when Caernarfon
became a major port, and its slate industry
grew. |
Caernarvon Castle -
© Wales
Tourist Board |
Today, the
castle houses
the Museum of
the Royal Welsh
Fusiliers,
Wales' oldest
regiment, and
there are a
number of
exhibitions
housed within
its towers. You
can also take a
walk around the
well preserved
town walls.
Aside from the
castle there is
also a Roman
fort, the Welsh
Highland
Railway, a
floating
restaurant, the
Performing Arts
Centre, craft
shops,
restaurants, the
area's largest
"Fun Centre", a
golf course and
indoor swimming
pool and sports
facilities at
the Leisure
centre. Whatever
your interests,
you'll be able
to find
something to do,
even if the
British weather
lets you down.
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Middle Mouse Rock - Photo:
Stephen Elwyn Roddick
CCL |
Cemaes has one of the
prettiest harbours along the northern coast of
Anglesey. It was once an important centre for
shipbuilding but the arrival of the railway in the
mid-19th century sparked its decline. The small
church of Llanbadrig on the eastern headland of
Cemaes Bay is said to have been founded by St
Patrick who had been stranded on Middle Mouse Rock
on a journey to Ireland.
The church was restored in the 19th century by
Lord Stanley, a Muslim who insisted on using
Islamic imagery in the stained glass and tiles. |
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View across to Rhos-on-Sea, from Colwyn Bay -
Photo:
Dot Potter
CCL |
Colwyn bay is a
pretty seaside
resort with a
long promenade
running along
the beautiful
beaches from Old
Colwyn round to
Penrhyn Bay,
giving access to
slipways for
fishing, sailing
and jet skiing,
and also to the
pier and harbour
at Rhos-on-Sea.
There are a
number of
award-winning
beaches on this
stretch of the
coast, ideal for
sunbathing and
beach games.
The shopping
area of Colwyn
Bay is close to
the renowned
Welsh Mountain
Zoo and a number
of golf courses,
not to mention a
leisure centre,
tennis courts
and an athletics
stadium. It is
also a stone's
throw from
Snowdonia and
the Isle of
Anglesey, ideal
for cycling and
walking.
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As if the
backdrop of distant mountains were insufficient,
Edward 1 gave the quaint, strategic fishing town
of Conwy, (Conway) a vast castle which even
today, more than seven centuries later,
dominates the Welsh skyline. Its walls were
designed to keep the Welsh at bay and are still
intact, despite the castle falling into the
hands of both Owain Glyndwr and Oliver Cromwell.
They act as a magnet for thousands of awe-struck
visitors and from its history-packed turrets are
panoramic views overlooking the town, the ocean
and old road bridges built by Thomas Telford and
Robert Stephenson.
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Conwy Castle -
© Wales Tourist Board |
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Conwy Mountain - Photo:
Chris Shaw
CCL |
The smallest house in Britain is here, measuring
just 3 metres tall by less than two metres wide!
In contrast, Conwy’s most imposing property is
Plas Mawr, renowned for its plasterwork and
arguably the best preserved town house in
Britain. Aberconwy House, cared for by the
National Trust, is a 14th Century merchant's
house. Strangely, Conwy is also home to ‘Teapot
World’, which proudly displays hundreds of
novelty teapots dating back to the 18th century. |
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Known as the
"Crossroads of
North Wales",
Corwen is
located on a
flood plain, at
the junction of
five river
valleys. It was
once the base of
the Welsh leader
Owain Glyndwr
whose troops
harassed the
English troops
of Henry II into
retreating back
to England in
the fifteenth
century. The
town had its
heyday during
the Victorian
period when it
was the main hub
for road and
rail transport
to the North and
West Coasts of
Wales. The heavy
development of
Corwen stopped
towards the end
of the Victorian
period as
improved
transport links
meant fewer and
fewer people
were stopping at
the town. |
Corwen Town Centre - Photo:
Dot Potter
CCL |
Today, Corwen is
a small market
town, and the
town centre is a
conservation
area and an area
of special
architectural
and historical
interest.
However, because
it is one of the
last sizable
towns on the A5
from London the
Holyhead, it
maintains a
large number of
hotels which
were used in the
past as staging
hotels for the
stage coaches.
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Known as "The
Pearl of Wales
on the Shores of
Snowdonia",
Criccieth is
situated on the
Llyn Peninsula
in North Wales.
The scenery in
and around this
town is truly
breathtaking,
located as it is
in the Snowdonia
National Park.
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Cricceith, Llyn Peninsula - © Wales Tourist Board |
Criccieth Castle dominates
the town's skyline, towering above on its
green felsite rock outcrop. Once a ruin, it
was restored some years ago and now houses an
exhibition. From the castle there are
fantastic views of the town, the sea, the
mountains of Snowdonia, and the coastline as
it sweeps south past Cader Idris and the
mountains of Mid Wales. |
There are two
excellent
beaches with
promenades,
popular with sun
bathers and
swimmers, but
also frequented
by groups of
porpoises who
come to play in
the surf.
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An ancient market town,
Denbigh lies on a hillside overlooking the Vale of
Clwyd. Above it is the ruin of the town’s
limestone castle, created as a border stronghold
after Llywelyn The Last was defeated in battle in
1282 by Edward l. The remains include an
impressive gatehouse with no less than three
towers. So sturdy was this fortress that it later
took Cromwell’s troops four months to bring about
its fall during the English Civil War in 1646. The
layout of the town itself has hardly changed since
the Middle Ages.
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Denbigh Town Centre - Photo:
Dot Potter
CCL |
It once enjoyed fame as a glove-making centre and
was the birthplace of a certain John Rowlands who
changed his surname to Stanley and eventually
located the explorer David Livingstone in darkest
Africa, uttering those immortal words: "Dr
Livingstone, I presume".
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Eldon Square, Dolgellau - Photo:
Martin Bodman
CCL |
Dollgellau is a
market town
lying on the
River Mawddach.
It was
originally a
Roman site, and
was also the
location of the
last Welsh
Parliament held
in 1404, under
Owen Glendower.
The town later
became known for
Gold
Prospecting, and
indeed today has
one of the only
sources of Welsh
Gold at "Gwynfynydd
Gold Mines".
The town is
popular for
activities such
as walking,
hiking, horse
riding and white
water rafting,
and the wild and
beautiful
surrounding
countryside
provides a
perfect setting
for this. |
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Dolwyddelan is
located on the
A470 between
Blaenau
Ffestiniog and
Betws-y-Coed
deep in the
Snowdonia
National Park.
It is the site
of Dolwyddelan
Castle, built in
the early 13th
century by
Llywelyn the
Great, ruler of
Snowdonia. The
castle was built
to control a
strategic pass
though the vast
mountain range.
Restored in
victorian times,
the castle now
provides an
excellent
vantage point to
take in the
spectacular
mountain vistas
all around the
site.
As well as by
road, this small
town can be
reached by train
on the Conwy
Valley Line.
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This small village lies in the
Vale of Ffestiniog just south of the more famous
Blaenau Ffestiniog. Perhaps this is the ‘real’
Wales because here you will find a blend of beauty
and industry in the shape of woodland - and
mountains of slate. You will also encounter trains
run by the Ffestiniog Railway, the oldest
independent railway company in the world, as they
steam through the special scenery of Snowdonia
between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Passenger services on this line started in 1865,
carrying over 100,000 passengers per year together
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