ALL LINKS NEED RELINKING
North Wales has something for everyone. To show what we mean, we've picked out some of our highlights according to every letter of the English alphabet.
A is for Anglesey
Ynys Môn, Môn Mam Cymru (Mother of Wales) - whatever you call the biggest island in England and Wales, we can all agree it is beautiful, calming, yet alive with culture and history. We listed our favourite beach-and-pub walks here, because, well, why not combine a beach with a drink and a bite to eat afterwards?
Blog: windswept walks anglesey beaches with pubs
B is for Beaches
Great beaches are not just reserved for Anglesey (even if the island has them in buckets-and-spades). Have you been to the Llyn Peninsula? Morfa Nefyn? Whistling Sands (Porth Oer)? There are lots of great beaches within an hour's drive of our hotel, as we described here.
Blog: best beaches within an hour's drive of the hotel
C is for Caernarfon
Conwy's understated rival, though the word "understated" is hard to think of as appropriate when you gaze up at Caernarfon Castle's walls from the Maes (town square). Wander the walled town, walk the coast, hear the Welsh language alive and well and explore these five hidden places.
D is for Dolbadarn
The castle on our doorstep, one of the finest surviving Welsh castles in Wales, and what a location! Lakes and mountains surround you as you explore Dolbadarn's great tower. Come and explore this and other legends of Llanberis.
E is for Escape
Sometimes, all you need is a short break from the day-to-day, a quick escape. This is when North Wales comes into its own. Easy to reach, lots to do while you're here, and so much harder to leave. we described some perfect winter escapes in this blog.
F is for Food Festivals
Food festivals may be all the rage, but not all festivals can boast settings that include medieval walled towns, castles and seaside harbours. North Wales can, as our round-up of the best annual food fest shows.
G is for Gwynedd
The ancient kingdom of Gwynedd is a treasure-trove of history. It's very easy to learn more about this remote corner of Wales's troubled and triumphant past by visiting the many attractions here, such as castles, museums and more.
Blog: discover welsh legends...history
H is for History
While we're on the subject of history, you can get a double-dose of the prehistoric and the medieval varieties by visiting Caernarfon Castle and the Great Orme headland above Llandudno in just one weekend, as our suggested itinerary here explains.
Blog: north Wales in a weekend history
I is for Llanddwyn Island
Ok, that's a bit of a cheat, but we just had to include this stunning part of the world in our A-Z of North Wales somewhere! Llanddwyn Island off Newborough Beach on Anglesey is a magical place, bathed in warm natural light, bursting with nature and with many stories to tell. It all helps make it one of the most romantic places in Wales.
J is for Journeys
Getting there is part of the adventure, and getting anywhere in North Wales is a beautiful journey to enjoy. Leave the car behind so you can all enjoy the view through the window and take a trip on the train. The Conwy Valley line is part of the main network - not a narrow-gauge - yet its journey from coast to mountains is one of the most spectacular in Britain.
K is for Kayaking
Watersports may not be for everyone, but kayaking is one of the easier sports to master and unlike some others doesn't demand extensive and expensive kit. North Wales is a great place to come and try it, as our watersports round-up blog demonstrates.
L is for Llanberis
Dominated by Snowdon, Llanberis packs in an awful lot for a small village. Mountain walks? Obviously. A mountain railway? Of course. Lakeside walks? Yes. An underground power station? Really! Got its own castle? Yes, this is Wales. Oh, and a waterfall, an amazing slate landscape trail, and, well, read this blog to find out.
M is for Mynydd (Mountain!)
One thing we've got plenty of in Wales is mountains! They may not be the tallest, but they offer some of the best walking in the UK, and Crib Goch is renowned for it's knife-edge ridge. Yet if you combine walking up our wonderful peaks, you can reach the combined height of the highest mountain in the world, as we explain here.
We've reached the end of Part 1 of our A to Z of North Wales. Click here for Part Two.
Read about romantic places to propose
January 25th is a very special day in the Welsh calendar. St Dwynwen's Day is the feast day of the patron saint of Welsh lovers. Just like Valentine's, it is deemed extremely lucky for those in love!