Gwynedd Tourist Information

Beautiful Gwynedd covers the far north west of Wales and is famed for its wonderfully dramatic scenery, from rugged mountains and lakes to sea cliffs and gentle sandy beaches.

It is also home to the highest mountain in Wales - Mount Snowdon - reaching up 1,085m (3,560ft). Most of Snowdonia National Park is within Gwynedd making the area extremely popular for walking, mountain climbing and all manner of outdoor activities. For the less energetic, a mountain railway travels up Snowdon from the lovely lakeside village of Llanberis, allowing everyone to enjoy the breathtaking views from the summit.

Once the ancient Kingdom of Gwynedd, the region is particularly rich in history and boasts some magnificent castles built by Welsh and English armies. Caernarfon, Criccieth and Harlech Castles are mighty 13th century strongholds that still impress today. In contrast, sumptuous Penrhyn Castle in Bangor is a 19th century fairytale creation of Norman revival architecture.

The region is also ideal for enjoying stunning coastal scenery, particularly in the Llyn Peninsula, stretching westwards past the Isle of Anglesea into the North Sea. Here there are wonderful family-friendly sandy beaches in traditional resorts such as Abersoch, Pwllheli and quaint fishing villages such as Porthdinllaen.

A must-see is the fantastic Italianite village of Portmeirion, setting for the TV series The Prisoner. To the south dotted along Cardigan Bay are found still more popular seaside towns such as Barmouth and Tywyn.