Wales holiday

[subseastu]

Evening all

Well off the back of the wales grand slam and due to the families welsh background I've decided to go to wales in June for a week or so. Thinking about renting a cottage but where is the question. I'm thinking of Colwyn Bay, Conway area as its just a short hop to Anglesey and Snowdonia etc and there should be plenty to do for a week.

Has anyone any experience of this area and any recommendations?

Ta

[stevewool]

fantastic, what a great place you will be in, try to go a little further into the llyn peninsula, had some great holidays there a great choice of beaches and walking too, nyfen and pen-y-craig are beautiful beaches, whistling sands it is called, aberdaren, abersoch, just a beautiful place to unwind, we use to rent cottages from farmers, just look on the internet you wont be disappointed:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[subseastu]

Cheers Steve, never been to that area before so I want to get it right. I have been told to be a bit careful of the llyn peninsula as it can become overriden with scousers!! You experience that?

[subseastu]

Also its quite hard to figure out where these places are because of the mental spelling!!

[Dedworth]

Anglesey is nice a years ago a friends parents owned a lovely cottage bang on the coast near RAF Valley, had a few pints in the mess there.

[subseastu]

Want to try to stay on the mainland if I can.

[lastlid]

The west coast is very nice. I just cant remember the names of the places Aber this that and the other.....so many years since I was there.

[stevewool]

just stay in the llyn area a choice of so many beaches, from nyfen to aberdaron, then from ther to portmadog so many great places you will not be disapointed, even take the dog. but miss out pwilheli,

[Dedworth]

Want to try to stay on the mainland if I can.

On the island you'd be putting a bit of water between you and the Scousers :D

[stevewool]

all the scousers stay in rhyle,beleive me there are no finer beaches in england then where i am saying go

[shalona]

Have known the area previously for many years & yes defo Llyn penisula is GREAT ...so is Anglesey too (like Bodorgan area) ....stunning beauty of Snowdonia as the backdrop to blue seas and forests and beaches .... Aberdaron is great..has nice campsites, brill cottages and really is 'from it all' ...make sure you go to Anglesey or anywhere a few miles south of Caernarfon (dont stay in Caernarfon! but has amazing castle)

[lastlid]

Anglesey is an island but its only a short bridge that I remember. Not really an island at all......

[Ako Si Jamie]

Went up there for a holiday when I was about 15. Climbed Snowdon. Never been so knackered in all my life.

From what I can remember, Conwy is nice and I liked Anglesey too. Visited the Great Orme at Llandudno too.

[Iani]

I spent years there as a kid, we had a property, parents were going to retire there, but it didn't work out for various reasons.

Anyway, firstly about the scousers. North Wales has for a long time been unofficial "South Liverpool". Don't be worrying, it's not all bad, in fact it's really no big deal at all.

The thing about the area is, at one time, there was this romantic two lane road to get anywhere - the A55. Well granted it was gridlock all through summer, but you would come across old hotels, garages, eateries, it was almost like that reminisce bit in the movie Cars.
Then they built the bypass. Great to get to North Wales now, but also great for the dealers and other assorted criminals to move in en-mass from the conurbations.

This combined with the general decline of the British seaside resort (Something I could in itself write an essay on, I've done a study on it) led a couple of North Wales resorts to deteriorate alarmingly.
Do not.............I repeat..........DO NOT........stay in Rhyl or Colwyn Bay. Both these are no longer holiday resorts - Rhyl especially. The hotels in the main ended up derelict or as doss hostels, and there is a serious crime problem.
This is not an exaggeration, it's also been documented on a number of tv programmes. I am quite serious with this, Rhyl WAS a famous holiday resort, it now is nothing of the sort.

Go a little further west however, and the charm remains. Llandudno has lost nothing over the years.

Conwy is a good place to stay. Nothing in particular happens there, and there is talk of further improvements near the harbour - which if it ever happens will give the place a Med feel. An internet search will show some cottages you can rent. Ownersdirect is a good place to start. Conwy (Conway) is one of those funny places where if you get a dull day, then the whole place can seem strangely bleak, but this might just be me. It also reminds me of the sort of town that should be in the game "Oblivion", so maybe take some fake armour and pose for photos by the castle walls for your blog. Honest, I haven't ever done that.

Caernarfon isn't IMO what it used to be, but it's recovering. It's worth a trip around the Llanberis area (Where I lived), and of course, up one of the passes. There's a youth hostel half way up one I always wanted to stay as a teen. Never got around to it.
Check out the famous Petes Eats cafe in Llanberis. You won't find posh food, it's sort of the stuff you can throw together yourself, but it's got a great atmosphere and it's where many hikers seem to end up or start from.

Now if you drop down to a village called Beddgelert, this is certainly worth a trip to. It's strikingly pretty. This is especially to me worth visiting in the evening, because the shops stay open, and it's one of the few places in the UK which to me has the atmosphere of being abroad, or in somewhere special. There's a pub in the middle with a great atmosphere, if you get hikers visiting. There is also a brilliant restaurant there. I can't remember it's name - cross over the bridge and turn left by he pub called Prince Llewellyn I think, and it's there on the right. They do the most incredible Welsh lamb pie, or did. I haven't been there for a few years so it might have closed. The old stone fireplace had loads of coins stuck in the cracks by visitors if that's any help.

Somewhere else which feels really local is Porthmadog. If you travel up following the signs for Black Rock Sands, you will come to a little coastal village, and one of the best beaches going, it's huge.

Worth mentioning, back to the scousers. There are some caravan parks in North Wales, and many are best avoided in school holidays. Near Black Rock Sands is the Greenacres holiday park. It's nice enough out of season, in the school holidays, well, think average council estate, make of that what you will.

Lleyn? Well many parts are sleepy and Celtic. Don't be surprised to see "settlers out" graffiti.

Anglesey, plenty of places worth a visit. Beaumaris is a must. Interesting story I was told by a local last time I was there. Some Welsh nationalists wanted to rename it Biwmaris, because Beaumaris was too English presumably. The locals were up in arms about this, and especially so as its always been called Beaumaris, originally given this French name as it was built on a French design. Quite a few towns have been renamed in the general area, which is debatable if it's a good or bad or "don't care" thing

Worth a short trip to Penmon Point beyond Beaumaris. There's a rocky beach there, and good views of Puffin Island, along with an old monastery ruin.

I like the area beyond Trearddur Bay, but it's not everyone's taste.

So hope this helps

[Jamesey]

The Gower Peninsula is beautiful and makes a great holiday destination. The beaches are very nice and also good for surfing. 3 Cliffs Bay is one of the most amazing beaches I've ever seen!

Swansea is very close by and there's loads to do there too.

[Steve.r]

Caerphilly Castle is a nice place to visit Stu

[stevie c]

Caerphilly Castle is a nice place to visit Stu

Stu canaerfon castle also

[lastlid]

This combined with the general decline of the British seaside resort (Something I could in itself write an essay on, I've done a study on it) led a couple of North Wales resorts to deteriorate alarmingly.


Yes. Presumably applies to Douglas and the Isle of Man.

[subseastu]

Wow

Thanks for the info folks (especailly Steve and Ian) its all very interesting and a massive help in me trying to narrow down where to go.

Steve out of interest whats wrong with pwilheli?

The main problem I seem to be having is finding a place that is dog friendly and within walking distance of a pub!!! Everything seems to be on farms on country estates!

[sars_notd_virus]

Caerphilly Castle is a nice place to visit Stu

I agree with Steve, Caerphilly Castle is beautiful:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[lastlid]

Anglesey is an island but its only a short bridge that I remember. Not really an island at all......

"The island is separated from the Welsh mainland by the Menai Strait, which at its narrowest point is about 250 metres (270 yd) wide"

My ex wife rented a cottage there one year while I was away working. I dont know how far it was to the nearest pub.

[rusty]

We will be at a family wedding near Newtown in June and hope to be able to spend time around snowden over that weekend. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Many years ago I went on a lads golfing holiday to Wales and would recommend Harlech and the beaches at Morfa Nefyn.

[stevewool]

Wow

Thanks for the info folks (especailly Steve and Ian) its all very interesting and a massive help in me trying to narrow down where to go.

Steve out of interest whats wrong with pwilheli?

The main problem I seem to be having is finding a place that is dog friendly and within walking distance of a pub!!! Everything seems to be on farms on country estates!

just dont like pwilheli just my thoughts,try looking at dog friendley holiday cottages in wales, lots of them

[subseastu]

Right then, after much searching on the net and trolling various sites (that ownersdirect one is very good by the way) I've found a place I'm happy ish with. There were other places that I'd have gone for but the location wasn't quite right.

Anyway we're off to Borth Y Gest which is a village within walking distance (half a mile or so, so good for the pub!) to Porthmadog. I wanted to get a nice romantic cottage but they where all in locations that I didn't really fancy so we're staying in a place called "Sea captains Hse" in Borth Y Gest. I think this is a good central location for exploring the area and hopefully I can get the wife up Snowdonia!!

Thanks again everyone for all the help and advice, its been much appreciated. Roll on June

[stevie c]

Sounds a great choice stu im sure yoy & your good lady will have a fantastic time...I have visited snowdonia but sady i have not climbed it.

Yes Roll on June as im of on my hols as well im taking the wife back to the Phils :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[stevewool]

wonderfull, get the train from porthmadog up to snowden, hells mouth is a great walking beach, and try to get to whisling sands:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Terpe]

Hope the pub serves some good beer :D

[subseastu]

Sounds a great choice stu im sure yoy & your good lady will have a fantastic time...I have visited snowdonia but sady i have not climbed it.

Yes Roll on June as im of on my hols as well im taking the wife back to the Phils :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Cheers Steve. Hope you have a great time back in the phils. How long you going for?

[subseastu]

wonderfull, get the train from porthmadog up to snowden, hells mouth is a great walking beach, and try to get to whisling sands:xxgrinning--00xx3:

Thanks Steve. I'll certainly look into that. I'm hoping to get the wife on a good couple of walks being as she persueded me to take the dog.

[subseastu]

Hope the pub serves some good beer :D

I'm sure it will! If not I'll just move on to the next one.........and the next...........and the next

[stevie c]

Cheers Steve. Hope you have a great time back in the phils. How long you going for?

Three weeks stu would like to stay longer but unfortunatley work commitments don't allow it.:bigcry:

[subseastu]

3 weeks is better than nowt mate. Who you flying with? Sorry to be nosey.

[Iani]

Whew, funnily enough Borth Y Gest is one of the villages I was thinking of past Porthmadog. The other one is just up the road, called Morfa something or other.

Well Borth Y Gest is a charming enough place. It's in a horseshoe shaped bay, with cottages fronting the harbour....................well I say harbour - but it isn't anymore. It silted up many many years ago, and is now a tiny bit of sand, then mudflats. It has an incredibly sleepy feel to it.

This is a bit difficult to describe in words, but if you take a walk to the far right of this old now muddy harbour, you should find a footpath. This will be a great dog walking route, you will get views across sea and sands, and there are some minor cliffs to see. This would eventually lead you to the Black Rock Sands.
Bit further along again - you should see the castle on the beach is Criccieth. There's a place there which makes some incredible ice cream, it's the nearest I've found in this country to the stuff made in Italy (Which isn't just some sort of stereotype, it really is that good, so is the stuff in Croatia)

If you look left, you will probably see another castle in the far distance - that is Harlech, oh and a funny little white looking thing in the near left distance - it's called Portmerion, it's where the series The Prisoner was filmed, if that's your thing.

Anyway, hope you have a great time, good choice there.

[subseastu]

Ian

Cheers for the tips, you certainly have a god knowledge of the area. I'll try that walk you mentioned.