At a glance
North Wales divides into seven distinct regions — each with its own character, landscape and highlights. Snowdonia for mountains, Anglesey for beaches, Conwy for castles and the coast, the Llyn Peninsula for remoteness and the Clwydian Range for gentle walking.
Seven regions, one corner of Wales
North Wales is compact enough to drive across in under two hours, yet varied enough to fill a month of exploring. The seven regions below each have their own distinct character — choose one as your base or combine two or three in a longer itinerary.
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Mountains
Snowdonia (Eryri)
National Park · UNESCO · Dark Sky Reserve
Wales's only mountain National Park — home to Snowdon, three UNESCO castles, the world's first preserved railway and Zip World. Over 65 verified attractions.
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Beaches
Anglesey (Ynys Môn)
125 miles of coastline · Blue Flag beaches
Wales's largest island with more prehistoric sites than anywhere else in Wales, outstanding beaches and South Stack Lighthouse. Connected by Menai and Britannia bridges.
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Castles
Conwy & North Coast
Conwy Castle · Great Orme · Llandudno
The most visited corner of North Wales — Conwy's UNESCO walled town, the Great Orme headland, Victorian Llandudno and the stunning Conwy Valley.
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Wild
Llŷn Peninsula
AONB · Welsh speaking · remote beaches
A 30-mile finger of land pointing into the Irish Sea — designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, strongly Welsh-speaking, with exceptional beaches and the pilgrimage island of Bardsey.
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Gardens
Vale of Conwy
Bodnant Garden · river valleys · market towns
A green inland valley of market towns, National Trust gardens and the Conwy River. Home to Bodnant Garden — one of Britain's finest — and the gateway town of Betws-y-Coed.
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Walking
Clwydian Range & Dee Valley
AONB · Offa's Dyke · Llangollen
Gentle ridge walking over heather moorland, Offa's Dyke Path, medieval Ruthin and Denbigh, and the dramatic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (UNESCO) over the River Dee at Llangollen.
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Heritage
Wrexham
Oldest town in Wales · Erddig Hall · borderlands
North Wales's largest town — home to Erddig Hall (National Trust), St Giles' Church (one of the Seven Wonders of Wales), the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the Borderlands countryside.
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Frequently asked questions
Snowdonia (Eryri) is the mountain region — it contains Snowdon (1,085 m, the highest peak in England and Wales), Tryfan, the Glyderau and Cadair Idris. Zip World, heritage railways and three UNESCO castles are also here. The Clwydian Range offers gentler ridge walking and is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Anglesey (Ynys Môn) is North Wales's beach island — 125 miles of coastline with Blue Flag beaches at Llanddwyn Island, Rhosneigr and Benllech. The Llyn Peninsula has outstanding south-facing beaches including Porth Oer (Whistling Sands) and Porth Iago. The North Coast has Llandudno, Rhyl and Prestatyn beaches.
Conwy and the North Coast offers the widest range of family attractions: Conwy Castle, Llandudno with its Victorian pier, and easy access to Zip World and Bounce Below in Snowdonia. Snowdonia itself is excellent — the Snowdon Mountain Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns are highly rated for families.
Absolutely. Anglesey has more prehistoric sites than anywhere else in Wales, the most Blue Flag beaches, Newborough National Nature Reserve with its 2,000-hectare pine forest and dune system, South Stack Lighthouse with puffin and chough colonies, and Beaumaris — one of Britain's finest concentric castles. It is connected to the mainland by the Britannia and Menai suspension bridges.
Snowdonia: mountains, waterfalls, heritage railways and UNESCO castles. Anglesey: beaches, prehistoric sites, birdlife and coastal walking. Conwy & North Coast: Victorian seaside towns, the Great Orme headland and Conwy Castle. Llyn Peninsula: remote, Welsh-speaking, unspoiled beaches. Vale of Conwy: Bodnant Garden, river valleys and market towns. Clwydian Range: AONB ridge walking, Offa's Dyke and medieval towns. Wrexham: the oldest town in Wales, Erddig Hall and borderlands countryside.