Not much better for kids than a nice beach on holiday, and they don’t get much better than Morfa Nefyn. It’s a crescent of fine sand popular with surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers. Dig, swim, sunbathe then refresh in the Ty Coch, the pub at the top of the beach. Catch other sand and surf at iconic Porthmadog and Abersoch.
Book a day trip to Bardsey Island to spot seabirds, seals and porpoises against a backdrop of rugged scenery. Take a powerboat or jet-ski course, or charter a boat from Porthmadog for a marine safari, with Waterwise Marine. Or take a canoe across the aqueduct at Llangollen, 126 feet above the Dee.
Bring your wellies and explore 20 acres of stunning woodland at Gypsy Wood Park, home to the magic of fairies and the charm of animals. Ride Woody’s train and enjoy the adventure play areas. Or really ramp up the adrenaline at Zip World, featuring the fastest zip line in the world. Stick around for the mountain cart track.
Grab your torch and helmet and take a self-guided journey deep into the mountains at the Llanfair Slate Caverns. Feed the animals, refuel in the café, and guzzle the chocolate at Foel Farm. Take the easy route to the top of Wales on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Or ride the Ffestiniog line from Porthmadog to Tan-y-Bwlch.
There’s a photo opportunity at every hole on the wild, windy and wave-lashed Nefyn Golf Club. Unwind in the well-stocked bar and restaurant. Or head to Glasfryn Parc to do just about anything, including archery, go-karting, wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding, crazy golf and clay pigeons.
Get a taste of local life: head back through the history of slate in a historically significant quarry at Llechwedd Slate Mines. Then keep the theme going at Sygun Copper Mine, where you explore the old workings on foot through winding tunnels and large, colourful chambers, past magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations.
Love Welsh slate? Take it home, with jewellery, mirrors, clocks, coasters, and even cheeseboards from Inigo Jones Slate Crafts. Learn about sustainable energy at the Centre for Alternative Technology. Or enjoy a day out with a difference at Italianate village Portmeirion, with its pottery, sub-tropical gardens, spa, restaurants and gelateria.
Fond of pottering around castles? You’re spoilt for choice in North Wales. Choose from Conway, Caernarfon, Castell Dinas, Penrhyn, Beaumaris and more, or step into the shoes of celebs at Gwyrch, with its 240 acres of glorious gardens. Or just escape to mountains such as Snowdon, Glyder Fawr and Y Garn to walk, bike and stargaze.
