Favourite place to go/ things to see in Wales?

[Sparklyring]

We love UK based holidays and are hoping to go to Wales next year for 10-14 days. Neither of us have been so looking for advice on where to stay (our preference is a lodge so holiday park), best places to walk/views, good restaurants, favourite NT places etc.

TIA!

I love the Gower and, in particular, Caswell and Langland Bays near Mumbles. We stay in a chalet near Caswell and it's very reasonable. The beach is a short walk and it's within easy drive or walk of many other beaches, beauty spots etc. Sadly in lockdown now but just beautiful. Far nicer than anywhere I've been in Cornwall too with half the time to get there.

You're spoiled for choice! Tenby is lovely and North Wales too, we stayed near Snowdonia but plenty of other places to explore nearby too, Harlech was a highlight for me. I'm so jealous!

If you're in north Wales, the National Slate Museum in Llanberis is brilliant! We spent most of a day there.

My Mum lives in a tiny village just outside Welshpool & my Gran lived in a village near Oswestry for years, growing up I had other relatives in the area too. It's a beautiful part of the world. Just a few of the places you can visit (depending where you stay & how far you're willing to travel): Lake Vyrnwy, Chirk Castle, Powis Castle, Erddig, Llangollen canal, Llandudno, Snowdonia NP. Whittington Castle is a small ruin that doesn't take long to look around but is well worth a visit.

I love St Fagans Museum of History. Caerphilly Castle was a revelation as well.

These all sound amazing! Thank you all very much :-)

North or South?

South - Three Cliffs, Rhossili, Barafundle, Broadhaven South, Cardiff, St Fagans, Manor House Zoo, Folly Farm if you have toddlers/young children, Colby Woodland Garden, Dinefwr, Castell Coch, Cardigan, Penbryn, Elan Valley. Bluestone in Pembrokeshire would be a good base. Near there my favourite places to eat would be Ultracomeida in Narberth or Caffi Mor at Freshwater West. On Gower head to Cwm Ivy cafe or Three Cliffs Coffee Shop/Y Clogwyn. Plus an ice cream from Verdi’s! In Cardigan Pizza Tipi is good fun. Near Dinefwr in Llandeilo you couldn’t go without getting cake or ice cream from Heavenly.

North - Llyn Padarn, Llyn Idwal, Beddgelert, Zipworld Fforest, Beaumaris, Parys Mountain, Newborough Warren, Plas Newydd, Betws y Coed, The Welsh Mountain Railway.

Any of the National Museum sites are worth a look and entry is free.

Portmeirion is lovely, Snowden up on the mountain railway, Criccieth, to name three in the north. Llangollen too.

Depends what you like! Historic sites or sunbathing, shops and bars or watersports, theatre or chilling? Lots of castles and lovely beaches wherever you go. For something that feels a bit "different" (as in feeling a bit distinct from England which also has lovely scenery, historic monuments etc) try Anglesey, or Snowdonia, or Cardiff when the rugby is on, or the Eisteddfod which is (or might...) be in Ceredigion in 2021. Hay on Wye would be a good stop off particulalry if the literature festival is on when you go (or at all next year )

Other than that it would depend if you were planning on going North or South, as there are loads of places you could easily travel to from a base in either, but too far to do day trips from one to the other iyswim? There aren't loads of NT places in Wales but as a pp has said the national museums (including caerleon - romans, swansea - egyptians, St fagans and the NMW in Cardiff) are all free. Most of the castles are run by CADW which I think might do either free or reduced entry if you have a NT membership. However I think Powis castle is NT and that is amazing, would definitely recommend. It's on the border and mid wales ish so quite handy to stop in on either on the way or way back wherever your going. Tredegar park is quite nice too but on the whole the NT places (at least in South Wales) aren't fantastic when , compared to England.

My absolute favourite place is Bodnant garden in north wales, it's so calm and beautiful.

I think I’d have a week in one location followed by a week in another, so either north or south one week and another in Mid Wales.
I know Mid Wales pretty well and your base could be Aberdovey, Tywyn, Barmouth, or a bit further north such as Harlech. Beautiful areas with mountains and sea.
South, the area around Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire was very pretty - like Cornwall without the crowds.
Or you could do a week in the Brecon Beacons, or in or near Cardiff or Swansea in the south or on the Llyn Peninsula or Anglesea in the north.
It really depends what your interests are.

Porthkerry country park is lovely..near Barry
Tenby aLthough nice was just too crowded, like whitby And I thought very overrated
Lots to do in Cardiff area, at fagans and the freemuseum in the centre, some lovely parks, cowbridge is lovely and has a fab physic garden
Cardiff bay is nice, they sometimes have a fair on outside of the theatre
Penarth also nice and the knap, my cousin sold her lovely apartment overlooking the Bristol Channel to go back to an ordinary house..can’t for the life of me think why.
The mumbles near Swansea is lovely
Fab shopping in Cardiff centre
Pontypridd do a nice market
And the people are fabulous

We are in NW at the moment we have a touring caravan which is sited at Morfa Nefyn on the Llyn Peninsula , it’s very beautiful here. We have been over to Abersoch and Aberdaron today both a 20 minute drive.

Lots to do and see.

Cardigan Bay esp Mwent beach. Lampeter is a nice little town with a great cafe in the old town hall. The Ferry Inn at St Dogmaels does great seafood with views over the estuary.

North Wales has just launched the Snowdonia 360 hoping to see similar success as the Scotland North Coast 500. Lots of ideas there.