Wales: The Land of Red Dragon

Initially, I planned the classic clockwise route, as the north coast boasts many of the best sights, from beautiful waterfalls to famous castles. However, we didn’t have a lot of time, and at the very last moment, I realized I couldn’t pack the route with two hikes and scenic driving without having to rush to Liverpool on the last day. So, we decided to travel counterclockwise, packing the busiest day into the very beginning and leaving ourselves the opportunity to relax afterward.

Our first stop was Wrexham, a small town with a beautiful church and a cozy café that I highly recommend (their crepes were amazing). After that, we drove along a lovely route past a river and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which you can see from the Cysylltau Bridge. You can take a boat or a canoe along the aqueduct, and many people explore this area by train, which is a good option since the landscape is just amazing. Following the route, we crossed the Llangollen Bridge. With so many people wandering from one gift shop to another, it was a sign that a charming little train station was nearby.

Our first nature stop was Horseshoe Falls on the River Dee in Denbighshire, which was built in 1808. The mix of water, green grass, and black-and-white cows looked like a perfect, peaceful postcard. Then, accidentally, we drove through Barmouth. It has a gorgeous railway bridge crossing the bay and flowers everywhere. In the sunlight, the combination of colors from the sea, flowers, and sand looks particularly vibrant.

At the end of the day, we arrived at the place we were staying for the night. It was right next to a lovely beach with huge sand dunes, which we immediately went to climb and fool around on. The last time I saw anything like them was in France, but even the dunes in Normandy weren’t this big!

We started our day by visiting the pretty Harlech Castle. Even though it looks impregnable, every major siege it endured eventually ended with the attackers succeeding. The reason was probably its design and location, since the water used to come right up to the walls. So now the water is far from the castle walls, but there is a cozy beach instead, which is a great place to let your dog run around if you are traveling with pets.

Actually, this day I planned to spend in Portmeirion, and I was really looking forward to visiting this place. So, I was pretty disappointed to find out it isn’t a real town, but more of a tourist attraction. Maybe my expectations were just too high, but the final straw was the price. A ticket for two cost £40, which felt way too expensive, considering that a huge number of people went there. It was all about my expectations and inattention to detail (the price was on Google Maps), but still we felt a little bit tricked.

On the way to our hotel, we drove through a town called Porthmadog. It was a really nice town because of its cute harbour and plenty of cafes and shops.

We spent the rest of the evening and night at a unique holiday park with mobile homes. I’ve never seen so many of these houses anywhere else in the UK. You can rent an apartment here, or even buy a mobile home and keep it on the property. The area is beautiful, with a nearby waterfall and plenty of hiking trails through the woods. Plus, the park has everything you need: a reception desk, a restaurant, a laundry room, and even a dog park.

From there, we headed out for the first of our two planned hikes. It was pretty easy but very scenic. We walked this route counterclockwise, did the uphill climb first, and then it was a very relaxing walk back along the river. Some people start the route from Beddgelert, but it might be tricky to find parking there. We parked at the National Trust Nantmor car park instead and started our trail from there.

During the trail, you will pass the historic Cwm Bychan Mine and then Sygun Copper Mine. Unlike the first one, with only a rusty trolley and an aerial ropeway, the Sygun Copper Mine was restored and is open for visitors. Unfortunately, both mines were depleted in the early 20th century, and mining costs became very high. Here and there, orange soil mixed with clay can be seen—faint echoes of the area’s industrial past. After passing the first mine and climbing even higher, you’ll enjoy a beautiful view of Llyn Dinas. The trail then leads you straight to Beddgelert, a tiny town with beautiful architecture, somewhat reminiscent of Edinburgh. Continuing along the river, we also encountered some rather stubborn cows who refused to let us through the gate because a tasty tree grew nearby.

Overall, this is a fantastic hike for any skill level, with enchanting views.

Of course, we had to visit the largest and most impressive castle in Wales. This is the exact place where the monarch officially names their heir the Prince of Wales. Prince William was actually the first to skip this traditional ceremony. According to a royal author in the papers, he rejected these plans and opted for a more low-key way to mark the occasion. However, the castle itself is quite big and interesting, with lots of rooms, installations, and historical spaces. A must-visit.

To be honest, we hadn’t originally planned to visit Anglesey. I was choosing between the island and the Dinorwig Slate Quarry. I thought the quarry would be a cool place for a walk, since it was once the second largest in the world, but at the last minute, we decided to drive a little bit further. First, we went to the Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest. Since my husband is from St. Petersburg, we both really miss pine trees and sandy shores, and this place reminded us so much of Lake Ladoga. We hadn’t seen a landscape like this anywhere else in the UK yet, so we completely loved it. Most people walk along the coast to the Llanddwyn Lighthouse, which takes about 40 minutes from the parking lot. It’s a great walk, especially if you have pets.

After that, we headed over to the South Stack Lighthouse. We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was absolutely beautiful, and the entire cliffside was covered with guillemots. We really wished we had brought binoculars, because it is an incredibly popular spot for birdwatching. You can see lots of other birds there too, including puffins. I highly recommend it; it’s definitely worth the drive across the island. I also planned to go to Parys Mountain—I have seen a lot of photos of this place because of its unusual landscape and colours reminiscent of Mars. But it would have been a big detour, and we didn’t have time to relax before the big hike the next day.

By late afternoon, we drove toward the quarry, where we stayed the night. The views of the old quarry ruins are mesmerizing, and it looks huge even from a distance. I’d definitely suggest not skipping this area, and if the museum is open, you should absolutely go. Right by our place, there was also a train station and the Ceunant Mawr waterfall, which has a really unique shape of two almost seamlessly combined slabs.

There are people who celebrate their wedding anniversary in strange ways, there are those who go completely wild, and then there’s Crib Goch! I’m absolutely sure that for the vast majority of people, this would be the absolute last place they’d choose for such an occasion. As usual, I was looking for a beautiful hike for us and found it—I was choosing between this one and Devil’s Kitchen over at Llyn Idwal, which is also an insanely gorgeous hike. Right up until the hike itself, I didn’t read any reviews… but I REALLY SHOULD HAVE! A lot of people wrote that Crib Goch was the scariest experience of their lives. And later on, of course, I understood exactly what they meant.

</aside> 💡 Book your parking in advance via JustPark Pen-y-Pass, otherwise finding a spot will be a nightmare. Alternatively, you can park near the Pont Gromlech bus stop and catch a scheduled bus right to the trailhead.

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I highly recommend bringing trekking poles for this hike because they definitely come in handy at times. Also, make sure to assess your fitness level, because you’ll quite often have to literally scramble up the rock face. If you’re afraid of heights or have physical limitations, it’s probably best to skip this one.

</aside> 💡 As soon as you step onto Crib Goch itself, panic from the height might hit you from time to time. But don’t despair! Just lie flat on your belly against the slope and crawl along. It’ll be slower, but it won’t be nearly as scary, and you’ll be able to get through it calmly.

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The hike offers two options: going up over Crib Goch or taking the lower path around it. It all depends on your goal for the day. If you just want a lovely stroll through incredibly beautiful mountains to reach Snowdon, I wouldn’t recommend going up. But if you want to challenge yourself like we did, it is so worth it! Not everyone found the trail difficult; it mostly depends on the weather conditions, your mindset, and the crowds. While we were up there, a runner practically jogged past us over the rocks! It wasn’t just about his fitness, but his confidence that the hike was totally doable.

At the end, you’ll be absolutely blown away by the view of Snowdon—where, as it turns out, a train goes right to the summit! Because of that, there will be way more people there than on the hike itself. For the way back, we took the Pyg Track. We actually turned onto it by accident, but unlike the Miner’s Track, it was completely empty. A true introvert’s paradise!

</aside> 💡 Weather conditions are crucial for hiking Crib Goch. I strongly advise against going in the rain or high winds, as it can be genuinely dangerous.

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On our way to Bangor, we drove past Llyn Ogwen because I wanted to cover as many scenic roads as possible during our trip. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore Bangor since we were absolutely exhausted after our 7-hour hike. However, we had an incredibly delicious dinner at Nomi Rooms & Restaurant—it was the tastiest tikka masala I’ve ever had in the country! And the hotel turned out to be quite lovely, too.

The next day, we decided not to cram in too many stops and instead focus on Bodnant Garden, spending the rest of our time in Chester. Bodnant Garden is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful gardens in the entire country! In 1949, it became one of the earliest properties gifted to the National Trust. Interestingly, Henry McLaren (the 2nd Lord Aberconway) was actually the President of the Royal Horticultural Society at the time, so you can just imagine how incredibly well-thought-out the landscaping is. We’ve never been to a garden before with such a unique landscape featuring a river, cedar trees, bridges, and terraces.

Of course, we missed out on a lot of places along the coast that I had originally planned for the first day. Places like Gwrych Castle, Conwy Castle, Llandudno, Rhaeadr Fawr, and many others (I’ll leave a map of the locations below), but that just means we have plenty of reasons to visit again next time.

We finally made it to Chester, which turned out to be a city with a very pleasant atmosphere. It is well-maintained and interesting, and the people there seemed just as fashionable as in London. While the center feels like a typical English town, it has more in common with York than other less remarkable cities. As the website notes: “The city walls are the oldest, longest, and most complete in Britain, parts of which are almost 2,000 years old. Chester is the only city in Britain that retains the full circuit of its ancient defensive walls.” Beyond the walls, the city is steeped in history, from Chester Cathedral to the Roman Amphitheatre and Roman Gardens. It is definitely a great place to spend a few days.

On the final day, we said goodbye to the city and the lovely cottage where we stayed, and drove back to Liverpool. We had spent a few days there before the road trip and explored it a bit. We were pleasantly surprised by the architecture, especially The Three Graces; with its grand, ornate buildings along such a wide avenue, it somehow reminded us of both Moscow and Paris at the same time. It was very nice to walk along the Waterfront and through the lively, bustling city center. There are definitely plenty of other interesting places there that we will visit someday.