Things to see, places to stay and where to eat in Wales

Not booked your summer holiday yet? Here are 30 reasons why you should visit Wales

Offering awe-inspiring scenery and amazing places to stay, plus top festivals and incredible activities, exploring Wales opens up a world of adventures.

This year, the country celebrates the ‘Year of the Legends’, a time of honouring its rich history of storytelling, myths and magic. There really is no better time to visit.

But if you’re looking for an excuse, here are 30 reasons why it’s so great…

Festivals

Green Man

Green Man has been a mainstay of the festival season since 2003. Taking place in the Brecon Beacons National Park, the four-day event has hosted acts including Van Morrison and Hot Chip, as well as stand-up comedy and film screenings. This year’s line-up features PJ Harvey and Future Islands — although all tickets are sold out. Watch out for returns or prepare early for next year.

17-20 August (greenman.net)

Festival No. 6

Festival No. 6 is held in Portmeirion

As much about its location as its line-up, Festival No. 6 (above) is held in Portmeirion, the eccentric Italianate Snowdonia village where Sixties TV show The Prisoner was filmed. Circus acts and culinary delights accompany musical headliners that this year include Flaming Lips and Bloc Party.

7-10 September; weekend tickets from £180 (festivalnumber6.com)

The Good Life Experience

The Good Life Experience takes place in Flintshire

Co-founded by Catatonia frontwoman-turned-radio-DJ Cerys Matthews, this Flintshire festival bills itself as “a weekend of fun and discovery” in the great outdoors. Chefs such as José Pizzaro and Thomasina Miers will host campfire cooking sessions, while talks and music come courtesy of Michael Rosen, Norman Jay and more.

15-17 September; weekend tickets from £91 (thegoodlifeexperience.co.uk)

Where to stay

Gaia Adventures Cliff Camping

Dare to sleep here? (WALES NEWS SERVICE)

Adrenalin junkies will be in their element with this extreme sleeping setup, which sees guests spend the night on the side of a cliff on the Isle of Anglesey. You’ll abseil to a “shelf” suspended part way down, where you’ll tuck into a hot meal before cosying up in your sleeping bag — all the while attached by a safety harness.

£500 for two people (07814 412 439; gaiaadventures.co.uk)

Roch Castle

Roch Castle - fancy renting it?

Get the royal treatment in this award-winning hotel in a converted 12^th century Norman castle. Perched on a hill, Roch’s six modern rooms come with unbeatable views over Pembrokeshire beauty spots such as St Brides Bay and the Preseli Hills. Don’t want to share? You can book the whole place out for yourself.

Doubles from £170, B&B (01437 725 566; rochcastle.com)

Fforest

A cosy Fforest bell tent

Londoner James Lynch bought Fforest Farm in 2004, and over the years he and his family have transformed it into a collection of unusual accommodation including cabins, bell tents and glamping domes. Food is served at the Fforest Café and the Pizzatipi — wash it down with a drink at Y Bwthyn, the on-site pub.

Four-berth cabins from £290 for four nights (01239 623633; coldatnight.co.uk)

Living Room

Living Room boasts spectacular treehouses

Live out your childhood fantasies in one of Living Room’s six whimsical treehouses, just outside Machynlleth in Powys. Each one is built into the branches — no stilts here — and comes with an outdoor deck, while inside there’s an open-plan living and sleeping area, complete with woodburning stove and en-suite bathroom.

Doubles from £379, self-catering (01650 511900; living-room.co)

Adventure spots

Bounce Below

At Zip World’s Blaenau Ffestiniog outpost not only can you can speed through Snowdonia on a series of zipwires, but you can also enjoy adventures underground. Set within a vast former slate mine, Bounce Below is a series of bouncy cargo nets, plus slides twice the height of doubledeckers.

£25 (01248 601 444; zipworld.co.uk)

Wales Coast Path

Take time out to enjoy Wales' coastal paths

In 2012, Wales became the first country to open a continuous path along its coastline. The entire route is 870 miles, but those who don’t have time for an epic long-distance hike can tackle a shorter section, such as the Flint Castle and Dee Estuary walk.

(walescoastpath.gov.uk)

The Blue Pool

Accessible only on foot, this Gower Peninsula landmark is one of its most beautiful natural attractions. While legend has it the rock pool is bottomless, in actual fact it ranges from four to eight metres deep, with various jumping-off points from which to leap in for a bracing swim — but only if you’re a strong swimmer.

Coasteering

Try coasteering in Pembrokeshire

Climb through natural rock arches, fling yourself off cliffs and swim into sea caves as you try out coasteering, a high-adrenalin sport developed by Pembrokeshire surfers in the Eighties. You’ll be kitted out in a wetsuit and helmet before you soak up the scenery and get your pulse racing at the same time.

£58 for 3.5 hours (01437 721611; tyf.com)

Mountain biking

BikePark Wales caters to both novices and experts

Built by experienced mountain bikers, BikePark Wales has options for all levels of rider, from novices and children through to pros. Just south of the Brecon Beacons, it’s got jump trails, drops and a special route for families, while experts can test their mettle at 50 Shades of Black — the site’s most challenging run.

Day passes £8 (07730 382501; bikeparkwales.com)

Rally driving

Higgins Rally School is where to go for rally driving

Got a need for speed? Look no further than the village of Carno, right by the English border, where a 900-acre forest has been turned into a playground for wannabe rally drivers. The instructors at Higgins Rally School will show you how it’s done in the centre’s fully kitted-out cars, before you give it a go yourself.

Half-day £199 (01686 420201; forestrally.co.uk)

Horse riding

Time to get back in the saddle?

Explore the Welsh scenery on horseback with a short ride along ridges and through valleys, or on a multi-day ride. Budding equestrians can learn the ropes on the Black Mountain Trail, while more experienced riders can take on the six-day TransWales Trail all the way to the coast.

Half-day from £45 (01874 711500; transwales.com)

Canoeing

Take to the water with Wye Valley Canoes

With a fleet of canoes, single and double kayaks, Wye Valley Canoes is the place to go for a day on one of Britain’s most picturesque rivers. A few hours’ paddling will get you to bookshop-central Hay-on-Wye, or you can venture further afield to Monmouth, camping or staying in B&Bs along the way.

Five-mile trip £25 (01497 847213; wyevalleycanoes.co.uk)

Water sports

Cardiff International White Water is where to go for watersports

Cardiff International White Water offers everything from whitewater rafting to canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. You can also get your blood pumping by riding the rapids on a river board — similar to a body board — or by catching a wave on the indoor surf machine.

White-water rafting from £40 (029 2082 9970; ciww.com)

RIB rides

Take a tour of the shipwrecks and whirlpools of "the Swellies"

Take a fast and furious journey around Anglesey aboard a RIB — a rigid inflatable boat. Your skipper will guide you around the shipwrecks and whirlpools of “the Swellies” in the Menai Strait, or past sights such as Beaumaris Castle. Keep an eye out for wildlife such as puffins, seals and porpoises.

From £24 (0333 1234 303; ribride.co.uk)

Where to eat and drink

Abergavenny Food Festival

Wales’ biggest culinary festival attracts 30,000 people each September, when the centre of Abergavenny is taken over by more than 200 stalls stacked with Welsh and international produce. There are also masterclasses, tastings and demonstrations, with top chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Tom Kerridge in attendance this year.

16-17 September; weekend wristband £14 (abergavennyfoodfestival.com)

Ceredigion Taste Trail

Over 20 producers feature along the gourmet trail

Cheese, honey and local ale are all on the menu along this gourmet trail, which takes you through the county of Ceredigion, starting in the seaside town of Aberystwyth and ending close to Boncath. More than 20 producers are dotted along the route, from breweries to butchers.

Prices vary (tastetrailwales.co.uk)

Bodnant Welsh Food Centre

Bodnant Welsh Food Centre's delicious restaurant

This foodie favourite in the Conwy Valley showcases the best of Welsh cuisine, with a cookery school, restaurant, tearoom and farm shop. Too full to leave? Stay the night at the Furnace Farmhouse, the on-site B&B which, naturally, serves an award-winning breakfast.

Half-day cookery courses from £65 (01492 651100; bodnant-welshfood.co.uk)

Café Môr

Fancy some local laverbread?

It might conjure up images of warm loaves, but laverbread is nothing to do with baking. Instead, this Welsh delicacy is a soft paste made of seaweed, and at Café Môr — a street-food stand on South Wales’ Freshwater West Beach — it’s incorporated into unmissable beef burgers. The menu also includes other delights such as crab and lobster rolls.

(07422 535 345; beachfood.co.uk)

The Checkers

The Checkers serves up a six-course tasting menu

Located in the market town of Montgomery, Powys, Michelin starred The Checkers is not just any restaurant with rooms. Chef proprietor Stéphane Borie trained under Michel Roux, and each night his kitchen serves a six-course tasting menu that might include dishes such as duck with spiced pineapple and stuffed courgette flowers.

Tasting menu £65 per person (01686 669 822; checkerswales.co.uk)

Discover film locations

Hinterland

Hinterland's seaside town, Aberystwyth

Fans of Hinterland will know the seaside town of Aber (Aberystwyth) and the surrounding landscapes of Ceredigion are as central to this Welsh crime drama as the actors. Locations include the wetlands of Cors Fochno, the Cambrian Mountains and Devil’s Bridge, which, legend has it, was built by Satan himself.

King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword

Llyn Cau and Cadair Idris in Snowdonia

King Arthur is said to have been buried somewhere in Wales, with his sword ending up in Llyn Llydaw — or Llyn Ogwen, depending on who you speak to. One thing’s for certain though: Guy Ritchie’s new film about the legendary monarch was filmed in the Snowdonia National Park, so you can visit spots seen on screen at Capel Curig and Tryfan mountain.

The Dark Knight Rises

The 90ft Henrhyd Falls might look familiar to those who have seen 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, and that’s because it doubled as the Batcave, with Christian Bale disappearing behind the white water into his hideout. This natural wonder can be found in the Brecon Beacons, where visitors can walk behind the falls themselves.

Skomer Island

Head to Skomer Island to find puffins

To see puffins in their natural habitat, look no further than Skomer — the largest of three neighbouring islands within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Between April and August, it is home to around 6,000 breeding pairs of puffins, which you can spy on the island’s cliffs and waters as you explore on foot.

Snowdon

Admire unbeatable views over the Snowdonia National Park and beyond from the top of Wales’ highest mountain, 3,560ft above sea level. There are various hiking routes to reach the summit via rugged woodland, dramatic waterfalls and spectacular lakes, or you can hop on the Snowdon Mountain Railway to soak up the scenery in comfort instead.

Return train fares from £23 (01286 870 223; snowdonrailway.co.uk)

Cardigan Bay

Spot dolphins in Cardigan Bay

With around 250 bottlenoses in the area, Cardigan Bay is a great place for catching sight of dolphins, as well as seals and numerous species of bird. On a boat trip with Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre you’ll not only see the dolphins, but you can also listen to them with an underwater microphone.

Two-hour trips £22.50 (01545 560 032; dolphinsurveyboattrips.co.uk)

Tenby

Explore Tenby's wonderful harbour

This coastal Pembrokeshire town is one of Wales’ most photogenic, with a Medieval stone wall, colourful fishing harbour and quaint historic churches. Stroll the pretty, café-lined streets before packing a bucket and spade to spend the afternoon on one of its three Blue Flag beaches.

Carreg Cennen Castle

Carreg Cennen Castle, Wales' most romantic ruin

Named Wales’ most romantic ruin, Carreg Cennen may not be the best preserved castle, but its impressive location atop a limestone crag in the Brecon Beacons National Park sets it apart. It dates back to the 13th century, and today visitors can admire the castle’s remnants before exploring the cave underneath.

Admission £5.50 (01558 822291; carregcennencastle.com)

In 2017, Wales is celebrating its epic past, present and future with attractions, events and activities at legendary locations across the country. This is its Year of Legends, making it the perfect time to immerse yourself in its epic story — and make new legendary experiences too. While Wales is a land of castles and King Arthur, it’s also pretty nifty at high adventure and global events. But above all, Wales is a great place to enjoy here and now. And this year it’s creating new legends — so why not find yours?

Cardiff is only 2 hours by train from Paddington and North Wales is 3 hours from Euston. London City Airport to Cardiff is just 1 hour 15 minutes with Flybe. Discover more at visitwales.com