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Finding our epic: a family adventure in Wales

March 16, 2016 by Catherine 26 Comments

Have you ever had such a great time on a holiday that, as soon as you get home, you check out the house prices in the place you were staying?  That’s me this week!

Last weekend we were invited to visit North Wales as part of the Visit Wales Year of Adventure campaign.  With the aim of inspiring you to “Find Your Epic“, the campaign is all about stepping outside, discovering the fantastic landscape and experiences that Wales has to offer, and doing something amazing.

Now obviously we love a family adventure in the great outdoors, but we’ve never really explored Wales before, so we were raring to go.  We did our homework and decided to base ourselves in Snowdonia in North Wales; with beautiful beaches, traditional seaside towns, historic buildings and stunning landscape all on offer, it seemed like the perfect option for a family break.

We travelled down from the Midlands on Thursday night and stayed in Llandudno.  We arrived in the dark, so waking up to this beautiful seafront on Friday morning was a rather lovely start.

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno beach

As soon as they saw the sand the kids were off, I love how a beach never fails to fill them with energy and sparkle.  And the weather!  It felt like a Spring morning for the first time this year, we couldn’t quite believe our luck.

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno beach

Llandudno is a beautiful old Victorian seaside town, packed with original architecture along the seafront and the high street.  It’s situated next to the Great Orme, a mini-mountain limestone headland.  The Vikings named it, and Great Orme means ‘sea monster’, which makes complete sense when you stand on the beach and see it looming up on your left.

We had planned to take the cable car up to the top of Great Orme, but it isn’t open until later in Spring when the holiday season really gets underway.  So instead we climbed up to a lookout point to check out the town and pier from above.

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno

Look at those mountains in the background – just stunning.  This was the first of the many times we felt the sheer size of nature during our trip, there’s nothing like an amazing view to give you a little perspective is there?

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno

After clearing the cobwebs on the hilltop we headed off to Conwy castle for some medieval history.

a family adventure in wales exploring conwy castle

Now this is an impressive place to take the kids.  Before you even enter, the size of it takes your breath away, and once you’re inside it’s so well-preserved and atmospheric, you really felt like you’ve stepped back in time.

a family adventure in wales exploring conwy castle

The castle is situated on a rock above the Conwy estuary, and was built by the English king Edward I in the late 1200’s as part of his ‘iron ring’ of castles intended to contain the Welsh.  Wandering around the rooms, winding staircases and battlements is perfect for firing up your imagination; you can really picture what it must have been like to live here and imagine the fierce battles that would have taken place.  Being able to get so hands-on was brilliant for the kids; our nine year old in particular was completely absorbed in the fantasy the whole time we were there.

a family adventure in wales exploring conwy castle

a family adventure in wales exploring conwy castle

Obviously the castle was built on a hill for defence purposes, but this also gives the added bonus of another beautiful view to enjoy.  By this point in our trip we were starting to realise that it was going to be breathtaking scenery all the way…

a family adventure in wales exploring conwy castle

After a few hours of medieval exploring, we headed back to Llandudno to experience the more traditional side of the seafront.

Llandudno pier is the longest in Wales and was built in the 1800’s.  It’s another beautifully preserved piece of architecture, and has Grade II listed status.  Yes, there are modern seaside amusements at the end, but strolling along still feels quaintly old-fashioned.

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno pier

a family adventure in wales exploring the llandudno coastline
a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno beach

We just managed to squeeze in a little more beach time before sunset.  After a hectic day of exploring, there was a lovely calmness as we watched the light fade and quietly enjoyed each other’s company.  I do love how nature can do this without you even realising it’s happening.

a family adventure in wales exploring llandudno beach

We waved goodbye to Llandudno and headed off to Barmouth, the next stop on our adventure.  Barmouth is located on the west coast of Snowdonia and is a great family base for exploring; it’s bordered by the Mawddach estuary and Cardigan Bay, sits at the foothills of Snowdonia, has a huge beach and a great family-friendly bike/walking trail.

We had planned two activity options for Saturday, depending on the weather; either a hill climb or the estuary bike ride.  Saturday morning was wet and misty, not the safest conditions for an unguided climb.  A family bike ride it was then!

a family adventure in wales with a bike ride along the mawddach estuary

The Mawddach estuary trail runs for 9.5 miles from Dolgellau to Barmouth.  It’s pretty much flat the whole way, making it easy going for children – not to mention dads pulling trailers!

We hired bikes in Dolgellau and did the route both ways.  The weather was pretty wet for the first half, that didn’t make the scenery any less magical though.

a family adventure in wales skimming stones on the mawddach estuary trail

It’s a strange landscape along the estuary; you’re in a very flat area but also flanked by those ever-present mountains, and it feels like being on the moors but you can also sense the presence of the sea.  Very atmospheric, and very wild.

The trail finishes with the iconic railway bridge over the estuary mouth into Barmouth; a long, brilliantly bumpy crossing which the kids loved.

a family adventure in wales barmouth bridge

We definitely earned our chips on Barmouth beach 🙂

a family adventure in wales barmouth beach

Fuelled by carbs, we turned the bikes around and cycled the trail back to Dolgellau. And then it was time to head home – muddy, wet and tired, but with big grins on our faces.

a family adventure in wales with a bike ride along the mawddach estuary

We packed so much into our North Wales adventure, and we had such a brilliant time.  The combination of the wonderful landscape, and the sheer variety of things to do, makes Wales hard to beat as a family destination in my opinion.  On the way home in the car I asked the kids to list what they’d done during our trip, here’s what they came up with:

We climbed up high, looked down on seaside towns, played on the beach, pretended to be medieval knights, gazed up at snow-capped mountains, followed streams, saw waterfalls, crossed stone bridges, ate ice cream, saw baby lambs, skimmed stones and did a brilliant bike ride.

Looking at this list it’s no wonder we all had a fantastic time, is it?!  I think it’s fair to say we found our epic – not a bad way to spend a family weekend!

For more information on adventure holidays and short breaks in Wales take a look at www.visitwales.com where you’ll find lots of inspiration.  You can also follow the #FindYourEpic hashtag on social media to see what other explorers are getting up to.

Thanks to Visit Wales for inviting us to experience a family adventure in Wales.  All opinions are honest and genuine.

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Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Beach, Children, Cycling, Days out, Family, holidays, Nature, Outdoors, Seaside, Spring, Wales

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Comments

  1. David Mellor says

    March 16, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    Great place, but then I would say that being from North Wales

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 17, 2016 at 8:14 pm

      Your bias is perfectly justified, it’s an amazing place!

      Reply
  2. Stephanie says

    March 16, 2016 at 8:00 pm

    What a fantastic place to visit, I think wales has so much to offer with places to visit. I would like to explore it more.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 17, 2016 at 8:15 pm

      You’re right, there’s so much variety – we’re really looking forward to visiting again.

      Reply
  3. Pitter patter travelers says

    March 17, 2016 at 7:44 pm

    Conway castle looks amazing. One more thing to add to our bucket list!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 17, 2016 at 8:17 pm

      Definitely go, it’s brilliant!

      Reply
  4. Nell@PigeonPairandMe.com says

    March 18, 2016 at 11:11 am

    The scenery in this part of Wales really is incredible. We’ve stayed near Dolgellau a couple of times, and it always takes my breath away. Off to the Gower next weekend though, which is also very beautiful!

    Reply
  5. Merlinda Little (Glimmer of Hope) says

    March 18, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    I remember visiting Wales before to camp and I am in awe of its beauty. This post made me want to come back. I wish we could. #pocolo

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 20, 2016 at 2:17 pm

      We’ve been thinking about camping next time we go, it would be amazing to get that bit closer to nature. Hope you make it back soon.

      Reply
  6. Christine says

    March 18, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    You certainly had amazing weather the first day! I didn’t know about the estuary cycle path, something to bear in mind as we’re off to North Wales for a long weekend later this year. #pocolo

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 20, 2016 at 8:48 am

      We were so lucky, and having the beach to ourselves in the lovely sunshine was pretty special. You’ll have such a great trip 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jenny Eaves says

    March 19, 2016 at 9:57 am

    Wow, it looks like you had a fantastic time and definitely an epic family adventure. The scenery is certainly stunning, although I do have a soft spot for hills, so that’s hardly surprising! I love the scenery around the castle, right on the water, it looks fantastic for exploring and the bike ride over the bridge looks fab too. Thanks so much for sharing your adventure with us on #Whatevertheweather 🙂 x

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 20, 2016 at 8:52 am

      It really was an amazing view everywhere we looked, it felt like being spoilt rotten by nature. The castle view was one of my favourites – although those hills and mountains probably sneak the top spot!

      Reply
  8. Fiona Cambouropoulos says

    March 20, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    My Mum grew up and worked in Llandudno so I have many happy childhood memories of visiting there. I’ve not visited since then but I still recognised the seafront there straight away before I read where you were. I’ve really enjoyed catching up on my own family memories through your photos. I can see why a holiday like this would appeal to you all, it looks wonderful. I have a feeling you will be back. Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids.

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 20, 2016 at 7:21 pm

      Oh that’s so nice that you recognised it straight away! I loved that it’s been unspoilt by modern development, I bet it’s not that different to when you last visited. We’ll definitely be going back.

      Reply
  9. Chloe says

    March 20, 2016 at 6:24 pm

    What an adventurous holiday! You packed so much in and it all looks so much fun! I love castles, the beach and bike riding so this would be the perfect staycation for my family too. Your photos are gorgeous. It’s such a beautiful part of Wales. I too would be running home to google house prices, it looks like such a beautiful place to holiday or even live. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with #whatevertheweather x

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 20, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      Sounds like it’s a perfect destination for you! I’m still daydreaming about having a holiday home there, maybe one day…

      Reply
  10. Helena says

    March 21, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    You make me wish I was travelling to Wales now. #CountryKids

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 21, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      I wish we were travelling there again too!

      Reply
  11. Heidi says

    March 21, 2016 at 9:20 pm

    Such beautiful scenery. I haven’t been to Wales for over 10 years. Your pictures make me want to visit again very soon!

    Reply
  12. Sara | mumturnedmom says

    March 22, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Wow! You did so much! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous, what stunning places you visited. The views are incredible and I love all the happy faces 🙂

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 22, 2016 at 6:49 pm

      It’s hard not to smile when you’re surrounded by those kind of views 🙂

      Reply
  13. Verily Victoria Vocalises says

    March 22, 2016 at 10:49 pm

    I’ve been to Llandudno a couple of times but never to the castle – it looks fantastic! I know what you mean about looking at house prices for a place too 🙂 #PoCoLo

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 24, 2016 at 12:00 pm

      I’ve never visited such a well-preserved castle, it was a really brilliant experience and we all channelled our inner knight 😉

      Reply
  14. Morgan Prince says

    March 25, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    What stunning photos you have! It really does look like a beautiful place and I’d love to visit.

    Thanks so much for linking to #PoCoLo

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      March 27, 2016 at 1:52 pm

      Such a beautiful place, we’d have loved more than two days to explore – although it’s always lovely to leave a place wanting to come back too.

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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