Ok, so after a bit of a break from writing my travel guide for Wales, I am back with a vengeance and ready to provide all you lovely people with part two of the definitive guide to North Wales! So, in part one (Check it out here…https://thejetsetvet.com/what-to-do-when-wandering-wales-now-that-could-be-a-tongue-twister/) I gave you all a run-down of my favourite place in North Wales, Conwy. In this post, I’m going to focus on the hidden gems (most of which I can’t pronounce!) and places to put on your list when touring the coast.

We found some of the most beautiful and interesting places just by setting out in the car and following the coast line. On one occasion, we stopped off at every cove we found and went exploring. Wales is the land of those who love to walk, almost everywhere you turn there are coastal walks and country paths ready to be explored. There’s too many to name and we didn’t even conquer half of them on our adventures, but here are some of our favourites….

LLandulas

One of the little bays near Colwyn and Conwy. This was the closest beach to the cottage where we stayed. It’s a great beach for dogs, Fred loved gallivanting around in the sea and the coastal path stretches across miles of beautiful scenery, offering a great walk. There’s not really much going on at this beach so not one to spend all day at but worth a visit. Even when it’s raining the moody landscape looks beautiful…..

LLanfairfechan

This beautiful place sits on the North Wales coastline and was one of the places that converted me from being a slight snob about Wales to a full-blown lover of this beautiful country.  If you fancy a stop off when travelling down the North Wales coastline, this little beauty is not to be missed! There is a lovely dog-friendly beach, a little park with a pond inhabiting a beautiful colony of swans (which Fred leapt in then realised he couldn’t swim so had to be fished out covered in green slime). The coastal path is lined with a collection of beautiful seaside cottages that look like they are straight out of a story book. There’s also a beautiful coastal nature walk nearby which is a great place to stop and have a picnic looking out to sea, and as you can see…. dogs love it!

Colwyn Bay

Sits nestled between Conwy and Llandudno. It’s a lovely beach with a few little cafes and a pier along the front. The far end of the beach is dog-friendly so you can let your pooches paddle to their heart’s content. Fred on this holiday went from a toe-dipper to a full-blown wave charger (The small issue now is that he wants to go in any and all water, regardless of if he’s allowed to or not)! This is a great place to stop off at for a leg-stretch and an ice cream on your way back from Conwy or Llandudno.

Newquay

This is quite a drive from North Wales, however, in my opinion a worth-while one! These next few locations are along the west coast and definitely worth a visit if you’re heading down that way. Newquay is the land of coloured houses, it’s a beautiful little place set up on the cliffs and overlooking the sea. It is also the number one place to see dolphins if you’re a nature enthusiast like me and if you’re really lucky you can see them porpoising from the pier. The best way to see dolphins though, is to fork out for a boat ride. If this is something you fancy, learn from our mistake and book in advance if going during busy months as we missed out due to lack of organisation on our part. If seeing dolphins isn’t really your thing Newquay itself is full of quaint charm, there are lots of shops and eateries, some of the best fish and chips around, there’s a fabulous harbour to walk around and a litter of sandy coves to go for a swim.

Llangranog
Llangranog is a quaint little bay on the west coast of Wales, just after Newquay. The Irish Sea laps on the sandy beaches so it’s pretty teeth chattering for swimming…. saying that, it didn’t stop the majority of holiday goers, including my sister who quoted the typical English phrase of “it’s alright once you’re in.” Overall a beautiful little place to visit and sunbathe a while, there’s a little shop to buy your beach essentials (buckets and spades etc), a chippy, a pub and a cafe to satisfy a grumbly tum. A definite recommend if you find yourself on the west coast!

Cwmtydu

Another little cove on the west coast, this has fantastic cliff coastal walks, ideal for spotting seals. This is a pebbled beach but still incredibly picturesque and great for dogs. There’s a little café and B&B there which serves homemade soups, cakes and sandwiches which make for a nice light lunch or afternoon snack. This little place is incredibly beautiful and we were really glad we stumbled across it.

Fairy Glenn Gorge

If forests and woodland is your thing or you find yourself sick of the sight of the sea, take a jaunt in Fairy Glen Gorge. Between bouts of missile like rain, it was pretty beautiful and a nice (albeit slightly treacherous) place to walk the dog. When the sun came out you could see why the place got its name, with the light streaming through the trees the place did have an almost magical vibe and as a child with an overactive imagination, I would have definitely been on the lookout for magical creatures. Not a bad place to while away some time if you’re in the area. We didn’t find the waterfall but apparently there is one… maybe you’d have more luck than we did!

So here are a few of the places we found on our Welsh wanders, I hope anyone planning a visit to Wales finds this useful and that I might have inspired a few Welsh sceptics to give it a try! Happy Exploring! x