Where should I go in Wales for a short break?

[Openandshut]

I'm planning a short Uk break this year and I'm considering Wales. I've never been there and I don't know where to start. It'll be a friend and I going. Two adults. No kids.

I don't want to be too rural. We like museums, nice restaurants, delis and cafes, independent shops and bookstores.

Any suggestions would be very helpful. TIA

Tenby

Maybe Hay on Wye for the Gaurdian book festival? Or maybe Tenby/Pembrokeshire?

We love:

• Brecon Beacons - waterfall circuit, pen y fan, day trip to Cardiff Castle/Bay

Snowdonia - climb the big one, zip wire Place and jump below

Pembrokeshire - the most beautiful beaches in the world, puffin island and smallest city in the Uk

Chester, with day trips out to North Wales.

Conwy. Beautiful just beautiful.

And you’ve got more beauty just a short trip in most directions. Like Snowdonia.

(I’m climbing Snowdon tomorrow, so am a bit biased!)

Pembrokeshire is lovely!

Pembrokeshire.

Cardiff is as "big city" as Wales gets, which isn't much! But we've been on a weekend away there before and enjoyed it. Plenty to do and some lovely restaurants. And the Carluccios on the bay is a nice spot for breakfast.

Hay on Wye is also nice, but a small town really. However you are also near Abergavenny which is also nice to visit. The Welsh border has some great castles if that's your thing.

I think Bangor can be quite studenty but is near Anglesey too which I'm planning on visiting soon.

The Northern stretch of coastline has plenty of touristy towns, but they seem to be popular with OAPs from the North West!

The Gower is lovely, but probably not suitable if you don't want to be rural (Swansea isn't up to much from a tourist pov). Same applies to the Brecon Beacons, probably too rural.

In fact Wales is so rural that even the towns can feel a long way from anywhere. That's why I love it!

Cardiff
Llandeilo

Conwy!!
It's beautiful and some amazing food to be had there too

If you were a Gavin and Stacey fan, how about a few days in "Barry's Island"?

Llandudno, beautiful Victorian seaside town

Thankyou all for the suggestions. I really didn't know where to start so this is very helpful. I'll research the suggested places. We're happy to be semi-rural but we might need to be a little more flexible with our definition of rural as we don't want to narrow down our options too much.

Tenby.

Bath Bristol and Wells, near wales but rural and has all you required, wells cathedral is awesome

New Quay in West Wales, then you can dolphin spot in the harbour. Truly magical, no need to even get a boat tour, sit on the quay and watch the dolphins playing in the shore.

We stayed in an AirB&B this summer near Wrexham. From there we did day trips to Chester (inc zoo), Zipworld, Port Merion, and surrounds. It was lovely and could have spent longer, easily.

The Airbus parts are made outside Chester and we saw their huge Beluga plane coming into land, which was a fab sight too.

Have a look at www.visitwales.com/

I wouldn't try to do it from Bristol or Bath as they are too far and there's plenty to do there without travelling for at least the best part of an hour.
If you want a city you are limited to Cardiff or, at a pinch, Swansea.
The other cities in Wales are too small, although you could probably have a lovely break in Bangor - take a coat.

It depends on where you are in the country, but Llandudno is probably a decent suggestion if you want to stay in a seaside town.

Bear in mid that there may not be guaranteed decent public transport and reliable mobile phone coverage.

I love Llangrannog. It's a lovely little seaside village and from there I like to visit Aberaeron and New Quay.

I'm also a big St David's fan.

Swansea is a pretty shitty city but I love it. If you came here you'd find plenty of parks, amazing beaches and quite frankly the best ice cream in the world. You wouldnt come here for the shops but Mumbles isn't too shabby.

I'd go to Crickhowell. Lovely little town, nice shops/gallery/delis, in the beautiful Brecon Beacons. There is a fabulous food festival in Abergavenny just up the road.