Family-friendly things to do in Wales

Whether you visit historic sites or join in festival fun, discover what the country's most picturesque areas have to offer

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It can be a struggle to find activities on holiday that children will enjoy, but in Wales there are plenty of options. These five family favourites are surefire ways to keep the kids entertained...

Caernarfon Castle

This magnificent medieval fortress was built on the Welsh coastline in the 13th century. Caernarfon Castle (in the Gwynedd town of the same name; cadw.gov.wales/daysout/caernarfon-castle) is a historic paradise for children, alive with towers to climb, ramparts to march along, and (with imagination) princes and princesses to rescue.

Rhossili Bay

The most splendid of the Gower Peninsula beaches (see nationaltrust.org.uk/rhossili-and-south-gower-coast) — all three broad miles of it — conceals a mysterious secret. At high tide, the wreck of the Helvetia, a wooden ship which ran aground in 1887, shows itself.

Science Cream

Summer would not be summer without ice cream. But Science Cream, a frozen-treats parlour in Cardiff (sciencecream.co.uk), produces this child-friendly favourite in a 21st-century way. It blasts its fantastic flavours — such as Brown Butter Caramel, Triple Shot Chocolate, Caramelised Hazelnut and Roasted Banana — into iciness with liquid nitrogen.

Talyllyn Railway

Wales still echoes to the sound of steam trains of yesteryear, and the Talyllyn Railway, near Cardigan Bay at Tywyn (talyllyn.co.uk), is perhaps the prettiest. It ascends for seven miles along a narrow-gauge track. Summer often sees “guest appearances” by engines from the world of Thomas The Tank Engine.

The National Eisteddfod

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There is always a buzz when the National Eisteddfod — a great coming-together, which spins around music, poetry and food — clicks into gear. This year’s incarnation (eisteddfod.wales; 3-11 August) will take place right by the sea at Cardiff Bay, offering hundreds of free activities and events for the whole family.

Find more details on accommodation and events, and plan your break, at visitwales.com

*This content was commissioned and approved by Visit Wales