Places to visit in Wales

One of the finest destinations in South Wales and a Haven favourite, The Brecon Beacons National Park is packed with potential for extraordinary adventures. It’s been dubbed ‘waterfall country’ due to the abundance of magnificent falls scattered around the park. However, other stunning scenery comprised of charming towns, castles and canals, is no less beautiful.

Experience quad biking, gorge walking and magical hiking trails such as the Four Falls Trail and Pen y Fan, a National Trust walking trail which lies a massive 886m above sea level and is home to a Bronze Age burial site. After all that adventure, make sure to grab a bite to eat and drink in Brecon which is host to several rustic pubs. We promise you won’t regret it.

This castle town is home to a royal fortress-come-palace that was built on legends and bitter medieval conflict. While several other Welsh castles are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, none quite stir the imagination like Caernarfon does with its distinctive turrets and vast moat. Kids will enjoy the newest attraction ‘Legends of the Sky’, a captivating 3D experience that allows you to ride a virtual dragon around the castle grounds and breathe fire!

While the mighty Caernarfon Castle is always in the spotlight, the town's narrow, winding streets and stylishly redeveloped waterfront, which gives views out across the Menai Strait to Anglesey, are also well worth visiting. All the above-mentioned make this city a favourite among those who have visited it, including this writer.

The Welsh coastline is amongst the most spectacular in Britain and the rugged Pembrokeshire Peninsula, the most south-westerly tip is one of the best places to visit in Wales. Jutting out into the Irish Sea, Pembrokeshire is ripe for exploration, especially with some of Wales’s best caravan parks located within the county.

In addition to its natural wonders, Pembrokeshire boasts two of the finest buildings in the UK - St. David’s Cathedral, the pride and joy of Britain’s smallest city and Pembroke Castle, an impressive Norman coastal fortress. The latter is a magnificent privately-owned place that offers spectacular views of the surrounding area. For the adventurous among you, there are countless historic fishing harbours, quaint villages, classic lighthouses and cliffside locations to be discovered.

This one-of-a-kind village was built to mimic rustic Italian architecture in North Wales and is a perfect example of how a natural beauty spot can become even more attractive when built on. Lying at the foot of Snowdonia, Portmeirion was immortalised in popular culture thanks to its use as the filming location of the mind-bending, iconic sixties spy drama, The Prisoner. 

Two stylish hotels serve lunch and afternoon tea, while a selection of the village’s cafes and a gelateria provide that authentic Italian touch. Let your imagination wander along with your feet as you walk through the sub-tropical gardens and gaze at the pastel houses. The colours on display are truly mesmerising and quite surreal, so don’t forget to bring your camera or you might think it was all a dream! 

Snowdonia National Park is world-famous for its spectacular landscape, rich culture and of course Snowdon itself, the highest mountain in Wales. These incredible credentials make it one of the very best places to visit in Wales. Expansive as it is majestic, this region is home to some 26,000 people, over half of which speak Welsh as a first language. When it comes to natural beauty, the region really stands out, from the sweeping white beach at Harlech, to the lush greenery of the ancient Celtic rainforests. All of this is of course, best seen from the peak of Snowdon. For those with young children, or otherwise unable to make the ascent, The Snowdon Mountain Railway, a narrow-gauge rack and pinion railway, provides a charming ride to the summit.

Just a short drive from our great caravan parks in North Wales, Betws-y-Coed is often considered the gateway to Snowdonia and the neighbouring villages, so we recommend making this your starting point. This enchanting setting has a markedly Alpine feel that is gifted to it by the dense Gwydyr Forest surroundings.