Wales
We've compiled a list of over 250 of the best pages
we could find, helping you to plan your perfect summer holiday (vacation) or short break
in Wales (Cymru), UK.
Here you'll find: information about places to stay in places such as Anglesey, Cardigan Bay, Pembrokeshire, and Cardiff.
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Introduction: Land of my fathers?
"I have never felt truly at ease or at home anywhere but in Wales. I fell in love with the land as I believe people are expected to fall in love with other people."
Alice Thomas Ellis
Land of dragons and castles and lush green river valleys? Land of dirty-faced miners and male-voice choirs? Land of Dylan Thomas, land of Neil Kinnock, land of my fathers? Land of damp sheep and constant rain? Wales arguably has a stronger sense of identity than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. You probably think you know a lot of things about the place already; you probably know nothing. So forget everything you think you know and consider this wonderful land afresh as the perfect destination for a holiday. There's over 8,000 square miles (almost 21,000 square kilometers) of Wales to explore and getting on for three million people dotted across it—and there's no time like the present to make a start!
Begin with the geography. What you have in Wales is a sort of extended peninsula—a semi-detached island, if you like, joined to the middle of England through lush counties like Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Shropshire. If you live in the English Midlands, you probably already know that Wales offers you some of the best (and closest) coastal scenery—much quicker to reach than the southwest of England. One of the best things about Wales is that it's still so wonderfully rural. It's essentially a huge, spread-out collection of mountain ranges, with rivers like the Usk, Wye, and Teifi cutting through in steep valleys down to the sea. In the geography, you have the perfect location for outdoor pursuits like walking, mountaineering, cycling, and mountain biking. On the coast, there are great surfing spots at places like the Gower (the peninsula near Swansea) and Aberystwyth, and most people have heard of the wonderful beaches you can find around Cardigan Bay. With such stunning countryside, Wales is a perfect place for nature lovers. The many mountain ranges in Wales make it a superb place to find alpine flowers. And yes, there are sheep.
If you prefer to take the outdoors more gently, exploring the history of Wales might appeal. Cornwall is better for gardens, but nowhere can beat Wales for its amazing collection of castles in some quite incredible settings. There's fascinating industrial history and archaeology to explore in Wales too, if that's your thing. While you're here, why not top up your cultural intake with a visit to the Eisteddfod (the annual poetry, music, and folk festival). Or make a trip to the new opera house in Cardiff Bay?
It's true that Wales can sometimes be wet. It's right in the firing line for prevailing westerly winds blowing in off the Atlantic and the mountains don't help. But don't let that put you off. You have an umbrella, don't you? You have a coat? You have a sense of adventure? So what are you waiting for? Wales is ready to welcome you!
Links for further information
General sites—covering all of Wales
Visit Wales: Official Welsh tourism website.
Cadw: Places to visit: Official guardians of Welsh heritage. Full details of historic places to visit throughout Wales, including opening times and prices.
Castles of Wales: If you like castles, you'll love the photos and historical descriptions on this site.
Anglesey (Ynys Môn): North-west Wales
A romantic island on the North Wales coast
Explore Anglesey from a
Google map.
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
North Wales tourism: Covers Anglesey, Snowdonia, the North Wales Coast, and the Borderlands.
Visit Anglesey: Official site from the Anglesey Tourism Association.
- Island of Choice: An atmospheric guide to Anglesey, including accommodation ideas, things to see, how to get there, and more
- Anglesey: A guide from Trip Advisor.com, which promises: "The best hotels based on millions of reviews from travelers like you."
- Go Anglesey: A commercial guide to visiting Anglesey: "GoAnglesey.com specialises in guiding you through the planning of your visit using our local knowledge of contacts including accommodation, activities, restaurants, towns, beaches, etc."
- Anglesey: Wikipedia encyclopedia page, offers information about history, geography, places of interest, and a list of famous people from Anglesey.
- Anglesey History: A historically flavoured guide to Anglesey, covering history, nature, and notable places. Includes wonderful antique/historic maps and atmospheric photos.
- BBC North Wales in Pictures: Anglesey: A photo tour of Anglesey's sights, from the BBC.
- Plas Newydd: A National Trust property. Home of the Marquess of Anglesey, with spectacular views of Snowdonia.
- BBC Guide: Places to go in North West Wales: Things to see in Anglesey and North-west Wales.
Snowdonia (Gwynedd): North-west Wales
Explore Snowdonia from a
Google map (centered on Snowdon).
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
General
Gwynedd County Council Tourism Site: Includes details of tourist information centres, accommodation, heritage and history, and tells you all about visiting the mountains of Snowdonia.
Snowdonia National Park: The huge, official guide to Snowdonia, available in both English and Welsh. Includes information about transport and travel, places to stay, cycling, mountain and hill walking, local communities, and much more. Also includes lots of educational information.
Tourist Information Centres in North Wales: A very handy page of contact details from Britain Express website.
- Snowdonia: Wales.Net: An official guide, with a useful online accommodation search, and details of activities, events, places to visit, and some photos.
- Secret Snowdonia: The official guide for visitors from the Harlech & District Tourism Association.
Bala
A busy market town in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park.
Bangor
Historic university and cathedral city in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park.
- Bangor: The official lowdown, from Gwynedd County Council. Includes a downloadable brochure in PDF format.
- Bangor: Wikipedia page.
Bangor Travel Guide: A collaborative page from Wiki Travel, tells you how to get to Bangor and what to see and do. Also lots of contact details for transport and accommodation.
- Penrhyn Castle: A 19th-century National Trust fantasy castle with spectacular contents and grounds.
Carnarvon (Caernarfon)
A historic, royal walled town dominated by a world-famous castle.
Pwllheli
An old seaside market town and gateway to the beautiful Llyn Peninsula.
- Pen Llyn: All about visiting the Llyn Peninsula. Offers information about businesses, tourism, and community organizations for the Llyn villages in four different languages.
- Pwllheli: A short guide to the Llyn peninsula from the BBC: "The principal town on the Ll?n Peninsula, Pwllheli is increasingly popular with sailors.".
- Pwllheli: A short introduction from the Gwynedd County Council tourism website.
- Welcome to Pwllheli: "...an ideal base to explore... nearby Snowdonia, Anglesey and the western coast of Wales." Details of where to stay, photos of the area, and some history.
- Plas yn Rhiw: A small National Trust manor house and garden.
Harlech
Historic town, ancient castle, and seaside resort in the Snowdonia National Park.
Secret Snowdonia: The official guide for visitors from the Harlech & District Tourism Association.
- Harlech: A short introduction to Harlech and its castle, with details of upcoming events in the area.
- BBC North west Wales: Harlech: A short guide to the town and its attractions.
- Harlech: Wikipedia page.
Clwyd (North Wales)
Explore Clwyd from a
Google map (centered on Wrexham).
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
Abergele
Historic Roman trading town between the resorts of Rhyl and Colwyn Bay.
- Abergele: General tourist information from AboutBritain website, includes details of attractions and hotels.
- Abergele: BBC Guide: Places to go in North West Wales.
- Abergele: Wikipedia encyclopedia page.
- Gwrych Castle: Official website. The castle is "currently in a very poor condition, and is closed to the public".
Llandudno and Colwyn Bay
Seaside resort in North Wales.
Conwy (Cyngor)
A medieval walled town in North Wales with a famous castle.
Conwy Borough Council: Contains a detailed section on things to see and do, links to footpaths and trails, and programmes of local events you can download.
- Conwy: Wikipedia page
- Welcome to Conwy: Information and opening times for Conwy Castle.
- Welcome to Conwy: A short tourist website. Includes quite a detailed list of accommodation in Conwy and Llandudno
- RSPB Conwy: A nature reserve offering: "Coastal lagoons and grassland alongside the Conwy estuary with spectacular views of Snowdonia."
- Aberconwy House: A National Trust medieval merchant house in Conwy.
Denbigh
A picturesque, historic market town in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd.
- Denbighshire County Council: Tourism: Official, but rather dull tourism website with lists of accommodation and contact details for tourist information centres.
- Visit Denbigh: A general, commercial tourist site, covers where to visit, where to stay, and what to do.
- Welcome to Denbigh: Visitor information sponsored by Denbigh businesses. Includes a webcam.
- Denbigh Castle: Huge, wonderful photos from the excellent Castles fo Wales website.
Llangollen
A picturesque, historic market town in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd.
Ruthin
Historic town in Denbighshire.
Welcome to Ruthin: Official tourist guide.
- Welcome to Ruthin: Unofficial tourist guide with photos and details of where to stay.
- Ruthin: BBC Guide: Places to go in North-east Wales.
- Ruthin Festival: A music festival in late June and early July.
- Ruthin Castle: Photos and illustrations of the ruins from the excellent Castles fo Wales website.
- Ruthin: Wikipedia page. Covers the history of Ruthin.
Rhyl and Prestatyn
Popular seaside resorts on the North-east coast of Wales.
Rhyl and Prestatyn: Official tourist guide to beaches, attractions, activities, eating out, what's on, shopping, nightlife, history, accommodation, travel, and more. Includes a Rhyl webcam.
- Welcome to Rhyl and Prestatin: Unofficial tourist guide, with details of where to stay and visit, what to do, etc.
- Rhyl Online: Local community website.
- Rhyl: BBC Guide: Places to go in North-east Wales. Includes historic photos.
- Virtual Prestatyn: Official guide from the local business assocation.
- Rhyl: Wikipedia article.
- Prestatyn: Wikipedia article.
Wrexham
Large town near Chester, on the English-Welsh border.
- Real Wrexham: The official tourist guide is available as a booklet, or you can download it in PDF format here.
- Leisure and tourism: Official information from Wrexham County Borough Council.
- Wrexham: Wikipedia article.
- Virtual Wrexham: Tracking the changing face of Wrexham.
- Chirk Castle: 14th-century National Trust castle near Wrexham.
- Erdigg: Atmospheric National Trust house and estate.
Cardigan/Ceredigion (West Wales)
Explore Cardigan from a
Google map, centered on Aberystwyth.
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
General sites
Cardiganshire |Coast and Country: Unofficial tourist site covers all the main towns in Cardiganshire, including where to stay, what to do, walking guides, art, and antiques.
Aberystwyth
Seaside university town on the west coast of Wales.
Aberinfo: A comprehensive guide to the sights of Aberystwyth, including food and drink, entertainment, sports, transport, and accommodation.
- Aberystwyth: A short guide to the town and its attractions, including the university, castle, and railway.
- Aberystwyth: Online Town Guide: Lots of useful local information.
- Aberystwyth web cam: Presented here by the BBC Wales surfing site.
- Aberystwyth: An introduction from Wikipedia.
- Aberystwyth Castle: Photos and history from the Castles of Wales website.
- Aberystwyth Arts Centre: Offers music, cinema, theatre, and exhibitions.
Aberaeron
Small harbour town, south of Aberystwyth, in the middle of Cardigan Bay.
Aberaeron: A comprehensive guide to the town and its history, local events, and a street map.
- Aberaeron: A brief guide to the Cardigan Bay town.
- Aberaeron: A guide from the BBC Wales site, with a strong focus on the local community.
- Aberaeron Craft Centre: A temperamental website that doesn't work properly.
- Llanerchaeron: A National Trust Welsh gentry estate you can visit.
Cardigan
Thriving market town on the River Teifi estuary, near the sea.
Lampeter
Historic university town, in the Teifi valley, a short distance from Cardigan Bay.
New Quay
A charming seaside town in the centre of Cardigan Bay.
New Quay: Detailed tourist information covering the usual things (where to stay, pubs, hotels, etc), plus lots of interesting, unusual pages (the invasion of the spider crabs, the red kite...)
- New Quay: An alternative guide for tourists Information about boat trips and dolphin spotting.
- New Quay Town Guide: A short introduction with photos. Briefly explores the Dylan Thomas "Under Milk Wood" connection.
- BBC Mid Wales: New Quay: A short guide to the town and the local community.
Tregaron
A small market town situated in the Teifi valley.
Powys (Mid/East Wales)
Explore Powys from a
Google map, centered on Builth Wells.
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
General sites
Brecon
A historic, market, cathedral town with excellent hill walks in the Brecon Beacons.
Builth Wells
A historic market town in Mid Wales.
Crickhowell
A small town near in the Usk valley, on the edge of the Black Mountains, in the Brecon Beacons national park.
Crickhowell: Comprehensive guide covers accommodation, local businesses, leisure facilities, community, and more.
Welcome to Crickhowell: Official guide from the Crickhowell Information and Resoures Centre.
- Crickhowell accommodation: Lots of ideas from the Stay in Wales website for hotels, guesthouses, hostels, B&Bs, farm cottages, caravan sites, campsites, and more.
- Crickhowell Castle: The remains explored and explained by the Castles of Wales website.
- Crickhowell: A short article in Wikipedia.
Hay on Wye
A charming town on the river Wye, perched on the Welsh-English border, famous for its 30-40 bookshops and annual festival.
Hay on Wye: Official website includes tourist information, maps, and lots of information about the local community (covering schools, hospitals, fire station, and so on).
- The Hay Festival: A world-famous literary festival held each year in Hay.
- Hay on Wye: A guide from Wikipedia.
- Hay on Wye: The BBC mid-Wales guide includes lots of information about the local community, including old photos, oral history, and more.
- Hay on Wye accommodation: First-hand reviews of local places from the Trip Advisor.
Llangurig
A village on the River Wye in the centre of Wales. Reputedly the highest village in Wales, at over 300 m (1000 ft) above sea level.
- Llangurig: Official website includes tourist information, maps, and lots of information about the local community (covering schools, hospitals, fire station, and so on).
- Llangurig: Wikipedia page.
Llandrindod Wells
A small spa town in Mid-Wales, easily accessible from the English Midlands.
Llanwrtyd Wells
"The smallest town in Britain", not far from Lampeter, with 12 popular festivals each year.
Machynlleth
Ancient capital of Wales, near the north end of Cardigan Bay and the south end of Snowdonia.
Montgomery (Trefaldwyn)
A small town in the Welsh Marches, the border country between Wales and England.
Newtown (Drenewydd)
A large town to the north of Powys, not far from the English-Welsh border.
Newtown: Official town council website.
Newtown: Includes things to do, what to see, eating out, where to stay, and details of the summer festival.
- Newtown: Wikipedia page has a short introduction to the town and a few links.
- Newtown: BBC community guide, includes local history and panoramic photos.
- Theatre Hafren: The local theatre in Newtown.
Presteigne
County town of Radnorshire, mid-Wales, and home to an annual music festival.
Talgarth
A small mid-Wales market town between the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains.
Welshpool (Trallwng)
A small mid-Wales market town between the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains, not far from Shrewsbury.
Pembrokeshire/Dyfed (South-west Wales)
Explore Pembrokeshire from a
Google map centered on Haverfordwest.
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
General sites
Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin)
A small market town on the River Tywi in South-west Wales.
Carmarthenshire: A guide to the county and its towns. Includes descriptions and photos. Information for tourists and local people.
- Carmarthen: The Wikipedia page covers the town's history.
- Carmarthen: A very brief travel guide from the Wikitravel website.
- Carmarthen: Guide from the BBC South Wales website.
- Carmarthen Castle: The ruins explored on the Castle of Wales website.
- Dinefwr: 18th century house, landscape and deer park owned by the National Trust.
Cenarth
A historic village in South-west Wales, on the River Teifi, and just south of Cardigan.
Visit Cenarth: A comprehensive guide to Cenarth and nearby attractions. Includes accommodation, places to eat and drink, places to worship, and much more.
- Cenarth: The Wikipedia page is currently just a stub.
- The Coracle Centre: Learn all about historic coracles at this national museum and workshop.
- Cenarth Falls: Peaceful riverside walks by the glorious River Teifi.
Fishguard (Abergwaun)
A small coastal town in Pembrokeshire with ferries to Ireland.
Fishguard Ferries: "All the information you need to organise your trip to Fishguard ferry port by car, coach or train."
- Fishguard: Guide from the BBC South Wales website. Includes information about local events, community attractions, coastal walks, and ferries to Ireland.
- Fishguard: A guide from the Tourist Net UK website.
- Fishguard: A short introduction from Wikipedia.
- Fishguard Folk Festival: "An annual celebration of folk music, song and dance."
Pembroke (Penfro)
The county town of Pembrokeshire.
St David's
A cathedral city on the west coast of Wales surrounded by breathtaking coastal countryside.
Haverfordwest (Hwlffordd)
The county town of Pembrokeshire.
Llanelli
The county town of Pembrokeshire.
Milford Haven (Aberdaugleddau)
Harbour and dock town in Pembrokeshire.
Welcome to Milford Haven: Official town council website with information about accommodation, arts and culture, local businesses, events, and much more.
- Milford Haven: A guide from BBC South-west Wales.
- Milford Haven: An introduction from Wikipedia, with lots of information about the local community.
- Milford Haven: An introduction for visitors from Tourist Net UK.
Tenby
Harbour and dock town in Pembrokeshire.
Swansea, Cardiff, Glamorgan, and Gwent (South Wales)
Explore Glamorgan from a
Google map centered on Swansea.
On the Google page, click on the "Find businesses" tab and type in hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, or whatever you want to find.
General sites
Barry
Harbour town and coastal resort on the southern tip of Wales.
Barry: A comprehensive commercial tourist guide, with guides to accommodation, shops, businesses, clubs, heritage, and maps.
- Barry: A guide from Wikipedia.
- Barry: BBC South-east Wales guide.
- Barry: Local history: From the Axis Historical Society.
Cardiff (Caerdydd)
The administrative and cultural capital city of Wales.
Visit Cardiff: Official tourist guide includes what to do, what's on, where to eat, where to stay, etc.
Visiting Cardiff: Information from Cardiff Council.
- Cardiff: Information from the World Guides tourism website.
- Cardiff: A guide from Tourist Net UK website.
- Cardiff: Tips from the Trip Advisor, includes user-submitted reviews of local hotels.
- Cardiff: Quite a comprehensive Wikipedia page.
- Cardiff: Wikitravel page has transport information and ideas for places to eat and stay.
Porthcawl
A south-Wales seaside resort between Swansea and Cardiff.
Swansea (Abertawe): The Mumbles and the Gower Peninsula
The second city of Wales, its coast and countryside.
Monmouth (Trefynwy)
Historic border town countryside.
Neath (Castell-Nedd) and Port Talbot
Traditional river towns in the heart of Glamorgan.
Neath and Port Talbot: Official tourist information, includes accommodation, activities, events, conference planning, and more.
- Neath: Wikipedia guide.
- Neath: BBC South Wales guide.
- Neath Castle: The ruins explored on the Castles of Wales website.
- Aberdulais Falls: A National Trust waterfall and industrial site.
Newport
The third largest city in Wales, on the banks of the River Usk.
Newport: Comprehensive tourist guide, plus information for the local community and businesses.
- Newport: Tourist information from the About Britain website.
- Neath: Wikipedia guide.
Penarth
A small seaside town near Cardiff in South-east Wales.
A handy tip
If you're looking for accommodation, it really helps to spell it correctly. Lots of people come to this page looking for things like acomodation and accomodation.
At least no-one searches for accomadashun!