Scotland

There are many great attractions in North Wales and Llandudno is a great base from which to explore them. There are many daily coach tours available from within Llandudno to the most popular attractions and this is an ideal way if you like to be guided and enjoy the company of others. If setting out on your own then you’ll really need your own transport to get around as public transport in North Wales isn’t great. However you choose to explore North Wales Llandudno is an ideal base with a great choice of accommodation and local facilities.

One of Llandudno’s closest attractions is Conwy Castle which is located just 5 miles from Llandudno. Conwy Castle was built during the 13th century by the English during the conflicts of the time with the local Welsh population. The castle is a great example of medieval architecture and is open most days throughout the year and offers terrific views of the surrounding area and town of Conwy.

For a great family day out the Welsh Mountain Zoo is located in the nearby town of Colwyn Bay. The Welsh Mountain Zoo is the only wildlife zoo in North Wales where you can walk around at your own pace and enjoy the shows. The zoo has a children’s play area where they can burn off some energy and an onsite restuarant when you want refreshements.

Llandudno is ideally situated for a day out to Mount Snowdon, the tallest mountain in England and Wales. An ideal way to reach the summit is via the Snowdon Mountain Railway which takes you from the base station in the town of Llanberis to the summit. The railway is a great journey that takes approximately 4 hours as a round trip and offers spectacular views on clear days of the mountains of North Wales.

Back on the ground in Llanberis another great attraction is the Electric Mountain Visitor Centre. The centre was opened to allow visitors to learn about this modern engineering feat of a power station in a mountain. Entrance to the visitor centre is free and once inside you can pay a small fee to take a tour into the mountain and see the huge pumps operating and learn how the power station works.

Nearer to Llandudno is Bodnant Garden which is located in the Conwy valley about 10 miles south of Llandudno. The garden covers 80 acres of both formal and informal gardens which you can walk around at your leisure. Of special note is the Italiante terraces in the formal gardens and the Dell in the valley with its waterfalls and bridges.

Further south near the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog is the Llechwedd Slate Caverns. This huge underground labyrinth shows how slate became one of North Wales biggest industries during the 19th century. Visitors can descend deep in the caverns by train and learn how this great industry provided slate all across the world.

Also located in Blaenau Ffestiniog is the Ffestiniog Railway which was once the old method of carrying slate to the docks before distribution around the world. In the 1940’s the railway was closed as the slate industry declined but it was reopened in the 1950’s by a group of volunteers and now serves as one of the regions most popular tourist attraxtions. Take a ride on the train to Porthmadog through the stunning Welsh countryside.