Llyn Peninsula - HELP!!!

[Notalone]

We are off to the Llyn Peninsula (Penrallt near Tudweilliog) next week with our 8 year old DS, but the weather is looking poor so far. Could anyone advise me of some lovely places to go - particularly if it rains. If it is sunny we will probably do the beaches but if it rains we don't want to be stuck for ideas. Thanks welsh and welsh loving mumsnetters

There's a million narrow gauge railways, the nearest of which is probably Porthmadog to Bleaunau Ffestiniog www.ffestiniograilway.co.uk/index.asp. At Bleaunau Ffestiniog, there's also Llechwedd Slate Caverns, which is an underground slate mine converted to an interactive museum - great fun, regardless of weather. www.llechwedd-slate-caverns.co.uk/

If you go as far afield as Llanberis, there's a fair amount to do there, including a lovely country park, the Snowdon Mountain Railway (don't bother unless the weather is nice, as it's not cheap, but the views are stupendous!). There's also Electric Mountain which is a really interesting museum/tour to do with the Hydro Electric power station at Dinorwic www.fhc.co.uk/electric_mountain.htm they also have a soft play centre there!

Other places to visit: Caernarfon and Harlech Castles, and although much further afield (but well worth it) is the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay. This is a lovely zoo, that also has a great adventure playground! www.welshmountainzoo.org/zoo/eng/home.html

Hope this helps!

Thanks Naetha. I already had the railways in mind but the Slate Caverns look fab. Will need to persuade DP as he won't even go on the tube trains when in London, or perhaps this is something Ds and I can do on our own Will definitely do Caernarfon and Harlech and the Mountain Zoo looks good too - how big is the zoo? It looks quite far on a map so would need to be great for DP to want to consider it for a day trip. You have given me some great ideas - thanks so much1

Anyone else have any gems they know about?

Portmeirion is fab for a day trip -- here

I have to disagree and say that I thought Portmeirion was not at all worth the whopping £7 per adult entry.

Foel Farm on Anglesea was great fun if you don't mind a bit of a drive. You can make a day of it and visit Beaumaris Castle and the jail there too.

Just a small point re Snowdon Railway, it gets booked up waaaay in advance. We tried to get on it last week, it was fully booked all week!

Oh I love Beaumaris castle.

have just come back from there, I can recommend Cilan Riding Centre just outside of Abersoch and very close to where you area staying...beautiful hours horse riding, and ideral on an overcast day ...if you want any more details let me know

Oooh - lots of quick replies! Thank you! Beaumaris has just gone onto my definite list - it looks lovely. Foel Farm looks good but very small - is it as small as it looks on the website?

We have been uhmming and ahhing over Portmeirion. I would like to go but am unsure just how good DS would find it.

The riding centre looks great too - how much are welooking at for the shortest novice ride?

And dare I say it - if it is sunny which beaches are the best?

Bump!

We were round there a couple of weeks ago. Morfa nefyn beach quite nice but a bit shingley. Nefyn beach nice but the beachside cafe was awful and the toilets are up a steep bank.

Abersoch beach nice but we ended up having to park at a golf club (5quid) and walk down, the parking in the village only for 45mins at a time. Went to a nice pub there, Vaynol Arms, dog friendly and very nice food, good kids meals, not processed shite.

Not sure how near it is, but Bodylwydden (?sp) Castle is quite good too, good outdoor play area.

Haven't been there for years but loved llanbedrog beach when I was younger.

For kids can really recommend GreenWood Forest Park, even in the rain!

abersoch beach is lovely, and aberdaron. OOh and Morfa Nefyn, great pub on the beach, you can buy drinks and food to eat on the sand.

I dont think you can beat wrapping up in your waterproofs and braving the beach in the rain then going to a nice cafe / icecream parlour after to warm up (Cricceth has nice tea room and a caldwalders - the best icecream in the world!)

i think port meiron was quite interesting. i was glad we went and the kids enjoyed it (huge beach at the bottom and a woodland walk with amazing trees to climb) if you go after 3pm its half price.

have a great time - and stop looking at the forecasts - they are always wrong!!

Hi notalone...sorry couldnt get back on yesterday

The beach in Abersoch itself is lovely, you can park about 50 yds away from it for about £5 but you need to be there mid morning to get a space!! tis a very popular boating beach so lots going on, lots of shells and nice paddling too

Whistling sands it noce too but there is nothing but beach....nowhere for aprez beach iykwim.

Abersoch also has a fab fish and chippy...about £5 for fish and chips and it is scrummy

the hore riding is £17 for the hour and well worth it. If you have never riden before there are leaders available and it is very sedate ...but it can also suit the more experienced riders too if needed.

The views on that ride on a good day are absolutely breath taking.

Also in abersoch if you walk down to the harbour area there is plenty of hours to spend crab fishing...they sell crab lines in one of the shops for a couple of quid and it is a good cheap way to spend a dull afternoon.

hope this helps

Thank you to everyone who has posted on this thread. I now have quite a large dossier of info printed off for both rainy and sunny days so am hoping we will all have a lovely time! Please cross your fingers for nice weather for us

My run down on the beaches

Abersoch beach is nice but rather overrated imo (ie v crowded considering the other lovely beaches on the Lleyn). The advantages are the easy access into the town which is uber rah (white stuff, crew co etc plus lots of other fancy shops selling organic babygros for £12). There is a cafe and next door deli combo that do nice take away bagettes that are good to take down to the beach).
Footprints cafe (on the beach) does a good hot chcolate.

Llanbedrog beach is much less up itself, but the sand is a bit more shingly. The beach bistro does lovely food and good proper icecreams in a cone. The beach huts are the prettiest imo. Just up from the beach is a big house that is a bit of a gallery and craft centre and also has a tea room. GOOD CAKE LIVES HERE. National Trust car park (if you are a member)

Nefyn Beach is a no frills but good solid sandy beach. I had a jacket spud with beans here once that was satisfactory. Parking a bit of a mare, good 5 min walk from nefyn itself to the beach.

Morfa Nefyn is more of the same (a bit more shingly maybe) but slightly better parking. National Trust Car Park also.

From Morfa Nefyn you can walk round the bay to Porth Dinllaen (or you can access this beach by parking on the headland (£4 iirc) and walking through the golf course. Lovely, lovely tucked away beach and as someone else has mentioned the pub, the Ty Coch. Great to sit with pint and look straight down onto the beach with dc pootling about.

Penllech Beach is utterly divine with hardly anyone there. we accessed it from the costal path, but I believe there is a small car park and then a walk a cross a field (on footpath) to the beach. Big, great sand, no facilities, v cool streams running down onto the beach - perfect for dam building.

Porth Oer (Whistling sands) my favorite . Best beach in the world imho. Good for all beachy things and rockpooling. Cafe does great paninnis with chutney om nom. 5 min walk from car park (and loos) to beach down steep road. National Trust car park.

Aberdaron is a bit more shingly but great views across to bardsey Island. Lots of eating/pub places.

Hells Mouth is worth a visit for a bracing walk and to watch the surfers.

Here endeth my beach roundup. We've not done them all yet

re activities for an 8yo ds not sure if I can help you as we do beach and then cafe and then back to cottage or tent if the weather is foul Pwhelli has a cinema and a leisure centre with pool.

Criccieth castle is fun. Cadwalladers ice cream palour does good sundaes (as recommended by pointydog and confirmed by me)

I apologise most profusely for all the spelling errors of the Welsh names.

re Foel Farm on Anglesey, I think your ds might find it a bit small and dull. There is one big shed of lambs, calves and pigs, with roaming chickens all of which (apart from the pigs) you can either bottle feed or hand feed bags of pellets. There are also some rabbits and a tractor ride. My dds loved it, but they are 4 and 5.

tbh the best thing we did on Anglesey was Baumaris (town and castle).

Thanks Slubber - Penllech looks amazing from my google search so another one for the list! We are also planning on doing Whistling Sands and the Ty Coch pub so I can have a nice cold pint looking at the sea (am not ladylike lol) Thanks - you should be a reviewer - the info is fab

No worries. This weekend will be the 5th in a row that we will be at the Lleyn. DH and I absolutely adore it there, a real tonic for the soul. The dds are quite keen too

Oh and the people are lovely too.