3 Reasons to Add Wales to your Destination Bucket List
Looking for a small but stunning country with a rich history and natural beauty? Look no further than Wales! With over 600 remaining castle sites, Wales is often called the castle capital of the world. But it’s not just about castles – Wales boasts glorious long distance coastline walking paths and several spectacular National Parks, including Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons National Parks with stunning mountain scenery.
Wales may be small, but it is packed with beauty. From charming towns and villages to miles of lovely countryside and wild landscapes, Wales has it all. Plus, with more sheep than people, you can truly immerse yourself in bucolic beauty.
But that’s not all – Wales has its own Welsh language spoken by about 20% of the population and is known for its love of song, evidenced through choirs and singing clubs and at musical festivals called eisteddfods. Ready to experience Wales for yourself? Contact us to plan your ideal Welsh holiday itinerary!
Here are some great reasons to add Wales to your travels across the UK:
1) Experience its Fabulous Natural Beauty
Discover why Wales is a nature lover’s paradise. With three national parks, including Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons, five designated Areas of Natural Beauty and a stunning coastline, there is plenty to explore. Snowdonia is home to the majestic Mount Snowdon, which is one of 14 peaks that surpass 3,000 feet. Ride the Snowdon Mountain Railway for breathtaking views. Brecon Beacons National Park features striking red sandstone mountains and Black Mountains with natural wonders like Henrhyd Falls. In the north, Anglesey Island with its stunning coastal path and South Stack Lighthouse, and Ilyn Peninsula with wild beauty, are both Areas of Natural Beauty.
Ty Mawr Lighthouse at sunset on Llanddwyn Island in North Wales
In the south, Pembrokeshire National Park offers dramatic cliff walks and breathtaking views of the coastline. Take a boat trip to Skomer Island to see the puffins. The Gower Peninsula is also an Area of Natural Beauty, featuring Three Cliffs Bay with its photogenic beach and sea caves. Finally, the eastern border area contains the Wye Valley, where you can explore the ruins of Tintern Abbey. Come and explore the natural wonders of Wales today.
2) Visit its Dramatic Castles and Unique Historic Sites
If you’re wondering why to travel to Wales, it’s because the country offers not only breathtaking natural beauty but also a rich history and culture that is worth exploring. Wales has over 600 castle sites, making it the castle capital of the world. Its three national parks, including Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons, offer mountain scenery, while Pembrokeshire and Gower Peninsula are designated Areas of Natural Beauty with beautiful coastlines.
Dolbadarn Castle at Llanberis Pass, Wales
In the north, you can explore the historic fortresses built by English King Edward I to pacify and hold the territory against the Welsh people, such as Caernarvon Castle and Conwy Castle. In the south, there are romantic castles like Castle Coch and Caerphilly Castle, as well as Cardiff Castle with its opulent state apartments.
Wales’s industrial and commercial past is also displayed at intriguing museums around the country, such as the St. Fagans National Museum and the Blaenavon World Heritage site. Additionally, North Wales is home to the National Slate Museum and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, an amazing feat of engineering that carries the Llangollen canal across the River Dee Valley via an 18-arch bridge.
3) Explore its Delightfully Charming Towns
Part of the joy of exploring the countryside of Wales is discovering its many charming villages and towns set in picturesque surroundings. North Wales’s Snowdonia National Park contains two such gems, Beddgelert and Betws-y-Coed. Beddgelert is a wonderfully picturesque town full of stone cottages, shops, and galleries along with a quaint church. It is also where visitors can board the Welsh Highland Railway for trips to Caernarvon and Porthmadog.
Houses and castle in Conwy – Wales, UK
The riverside town of Betws-y-Coed is another delightful town near Snowdonia. Set in the middle of a forest, the town’s name means temple in the wood in Welsh. The town is at the confluence of three rivers, and features attractive gray stone and slate buildings, and a pair of fine bridges. The faux Italianate village of Portmeirion was built by Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis over a half century from 1925 to 1975. It contains gardens, piazzas, and colourful pastel cottages, and has featured in various TV productions over the years.
To the south, visitors should seek out such places as seaside Laugharne where Dylan Thomas lived and wrote and where the ruins of medieval Laugharne castle lay. St. Davids is the smallest city in the United Kingdom with cobblestoned streets and its impressive 12th century cathedral dedicated to Wales’s patron Saint David. Coastal Tenby has charming waterfront cottages, the historic Tudor’s Merchant House Museum, 13th century town walls and a boat filled fishing harbor, along with the ruins of Tenby Castle.
