Wales is not the first place that many people think about when considering a summer holiday. Indeed, unless you live in Manchester or the Wirral, travelling across to enjoy the best of the Welsh countryside might not come naturally. However, this makes Wales one of the UK’s best-kept secrets concerning domestic holidaying. As holiday budgets are necessarily tightened due to rising costs, more of us are looking locally for our next summer destination; North Wales is easily one of the best candidates, and here is why.
Getting There
One of the great ancillary factors to holidaying in Wales is the ease with which it can be travelled to. Its unique placement in the ‘crook’ of the UK’s ‘arm’ makes it somewhat central, as far as travel times are concerned. This makes driving much easier than attempting a journey to the far southwest, or to the Scottish Highlands.
Not only this, but North Wales’ public transport links remain somewhat strong today, following a rich seam of industrial activity and tradition. Rail travel is particularly easy, with strong links to the likes of Llandudno and Conwy.
Where to Go?
Speaking of specific places, North Wales is an incredibly rich and diverse region to visit. There are hundreds of coastal and inland destinations to consider making a base of operations, from the aforementioned Llandudno Beach to the Welsh gateway town of Llangollen.
Wales is a dream to explore widely as part of a longer holiday, particularly if you can drive. Where such visits might become a regular and scheduled part of your holiday plans, it might make sense to invest long-term by looking at holiday homes to buy in North Wales. With a permanent base of operations, each journey you take can explore a different aspect of Wales’ vast landscape.
If such an investment isn’t quite on the cards for you, there are many great camping and caravanning destinations spread across the region that you can use to your benefit. One particularly strong area for exploring in this way is Snowdonia National Park, the gargantuan national park containing Wales’ loftiest peak – which neatly brings us to some of Wales’ major attractions.
Key Attractions
Mount Snowdon is naturally one of Wales’ biggest draws, at least with regard to natural phenomena. The forests and glacier lakes that surround it are beautiful enough to visit the region for alone, but the mountain itself is an edificial wonder that has to be seen to be believed. It is also eminently climbable, even for those less inclined to major physical exertion.
There are many historical and man-made reasons to visit North Wales, too, including its wide array of castles that date as far back as the 13th century. One stand-out example is Harlech Castle, which stands proud by the Welsh coast and played vital strategic roles at various points in Wales’ history of regal conflict. On the more recent end of the scale, there is Portmeirion – the pseudo-Italian village that famously provided the backdrop to the cult 1960s TV show The Prisoner.