Best Places to Visit in Wales (A Guide to Snowdonia & Beyond)
Wales is one of Britain's best kept secrets. A small country with a landscape that punches far above its weight — wild mountains, ancient castles, hidden beaches and valleys so green they almost glow. Once you've seen it, you never quite get it out of your system.
Here are the best places to visit in Wales, from the peaks of Snowdonia to the golden sands of the Pembrokeshire coast.
1. Snowdon
The highest mountain in Wales — and in England and Wales combined — Snowdon is a place of extraordinary drama. Rocky ridges, glacial lakes, views that stretch on a clear day from Ireland to the Isle of Man, and a summit that has been drawing walkers and climbers for centuries. The Snowdon Horseshoe is one of the great mountain walks in Britain.
2. Portmeirion
Unlike anything else in Britain, Portmeirion is an Italianate fantasy village designed by architect Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925 onwards. Pastel buildings, ornamental gardens, a piazza, towers and domes overlooking a tidal estuary — it's a genuine work of art and one of Wales's most magical places.
3. Tenby
The most beautiful coastal town in Wales, Tenby has a harbour surrounded by medieval town walls, colourful Georgian houses in pink, yellow and cream tumbling down to golden beaches, and the blue waters of Carmarthen Bay beyond. From the castle headland the view in every direction is extraordinary.
4. Brecon Beacons
South Wales's wild upland landscape is a place of open moorland, ancient glacial valleys, waterfalls and reservoirs that gleam like mirrors under big Welsh skies. The Beacons are one of the finest stargazing destinations in Europe — a Dark Sky Reserve — and on a clear winter night, unforgettable.
5. Hay-on-Wye
The "Town of Books" sits on the border between Wales and England, surrounded by the Black Mountains and the River Wye. Dozens of second-hand bookshops, a wonderful literary festival each spring, ancient streets and views of the surrounding hills. Completely unique.
6. The Llyn Peninsula
Jutting out into Cardigan Bay, the Llyn Peninsula is one of the most unspoiled coastlines in Wales. Ancient pilgrimage routes, tiny fishing villages, clifftop walks with views to Bardsey Island, and beaches of such beauty that they'd be famous if they were in Cornwall.
7. Conwy
Conwy Castle is one of the most impressive medieval fortifications in Europe — a huge ring of towers rising above the estuary, still almost perfectly intact. The walled town below is equally beautiful, with narrow medieval streets, a tiny harbour and the mountains of Snowdonia as a backdrop.
8. The Gower Peninsula
Britain's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Gower has some of the finest beaches in Britain. Rhossili Bay — with its three miles of golden sand and dramatic headland — is regularly voted one of the best beaches in Europe.
9. Beddgelert
A small village at the confluence of two rivers in the heart of Snowdonia, Beddgelert is one of Wales's most romantic spots. Stone bridges over rushing streams, the legendary grave of Gelert the faithful hound, and the Aberglaslyn Pass winding dramatically through the mountains above.
10. St Davids
The smallest city in Britain, St Davids sits at the tip of the Pembrokeshire peninsula with the sea on three sides. The Cathedral — hidden in a hollow so that enemies couldn't spot it from the sea — is one of the finest in Britain. The surrounding coastline is simply spectacular.
Bring Wales Home
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