UK Hotel BookingsWales Budget Hotel Guide
Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, is a vibrant city with much to offer the visitor. It has a large number of parks and gardens, a castle, a vibrant university and numerous entertainment centres. There is excellent shopping in the city, including a Victorian covered market. Music and drama are both well represented and there are museums and galleries on various themes.
Swansea has some wonderful coastline on its doorstep. It also has parks and gardens and various other outdoor attractions. The whole area of Swansea and the Gower Peninsula is popular with those enjoying all water sports. There are also many cultural attractions and museums include one celebrating Swansea’s most famous son, the poet Dylan Thomas. New Quay in Ceredigion is thought to have been the inspiration for Llareggub, the fictional town in “Undermilk Wood”.
Aberystwyth is on Cardigan Bay and boasts the remains of an old castle, the Royal pier and the University of Wales. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy walking and riding, bird-watching, cycling, climbing and fishing in breathtaking scenery not far away.
Bangor stands on the Menai Straits, where the famous bridge links the mainland with the island of Anglesey. The island is a lovely area for holidays. The small attractive towns of Llangefni and Amlwch, the lovely beaches and the marine and bird life are all part of the fascination of this Celtic isle.
Snowdonia National Park has much to offer the casual visitor and the serious climber. There are scenic rides on mountain railways in addition to plenty of lovely walking country. Betws-y-coed with its grey Welsh cottages and its Swallow Falls is typical of many villages around the area.
The Brecon Beacons are another area of natural beauty and Brecon itself is an attractive market town. The countryside offers many opportunities of getting away from it all, as does much of the border country around Chepstow.
Many of the old Welsh castles are worth visiting, starting with Caernarfon, where the investiture of the Prince of Wales took place. Conwy Castle is perhaps one of the most attractive, standing above the river of the same name, but Harlech, further down the coast, and Beaumaris, on Anglesey, should also be seen.
There are several popular resorts on the coast of North Wales, including Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Rhyl. These are still popular venues for family holidays with pleasant beaches and plenty of family entertainment.
Llangollen, in the Dee Valley of Denbighshire in North East Wales, is the scene of the annual International Musical Eisteddford, among other events. This beautiful area is also where many of the old Arthurian legends originated.
Of course, there are numerous other attractive towns throughout Wales, including Llanelli, Wrexham and historical Ruthin and Flint.
Pembroke National Park is a coastal area where visitors can watch the seals at play. Also in Pembrokeshire is Tenby with its lovely beaches and family attractions. Carmarthenshire is known as the garden of Wales because of its beautiful parks and gardens in addition to a natural abundance of wild flowers.
Dyfed is home to not only the Cambrian Mountains but also towns such as Milford Haven, Fishguard and St David’s. The Vale of Glamorgan has two country parks in addition to many other attractions and Monmouthshire offers some beautiful countryside above the estuary of the River Severn.