Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd, North Wales
The Llyn Peninsula stretches out 30 miles from the peaks of Snowdonia into the Irish Sea off north-west Wales. Llyn has been the heartland of the Welsh language since the language started to die off further east in Wales, now it has come back to a certain extent in most parts of the country; however, it is now even stronger on Llyn with over 75% of the population speaking Welsh, as well as English. Wales is forever being described as wet, grey and generally not a pleasant place to be in, whereas, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth, especially on Llyn. Snowdon and the area immediately around it is indeed the wettest place in Britain receiving over 200 inches of rain every year. However, Llyn receives only 36 inches and over 200 hours of sunshine in the sunniest months of the year.
When you do finally get to Llyn, you’ve got a lot waiting for you. The southern coast of Llyn is appropriately nick-named "The Welsh Riviera". With its miles of sandy beaches, pleasant climate, internationally recognised sailing waters and picturesque towns and villages, it is easy to see why. Pwllheli lies on the south coast of the peninsula and is the unofficial capital of Llyn and has a weekly open air market in the town centre, where there are lots of bargains to be had! The town centre offers many cafes, restaurants, pubs, shops, supermarkets and other services that you may need whilst on holiday in the area. Hafan Pwllheli is the modern marina in Pwllheli and is one of the best in Britain. More than 400 boats are already moored here, with more berths planned. There are many caravan and camping sites all over Llyn, but especially around Pwllheli and Abersoch. Three miles east of Pwllheli is Hafan-y-môr, a Haven holiday park where there are many activities to keep the family occupied like swimming, adventure playgrounds, go karts and much more, whether you’re staying within the park or are just visiting for the day. The Warren Holiday Park between Abersoch and Llanbedrog has many privately owned holiday chalets backing the beautiful Warren beach. Don’t worry if you’re not made of gold, there are cheaper alternatives like touring caravans and camping sites.
Llanbedrog is a large village backing it’s own beach. The village has numerous bed and breakfasts as well as camping sites, and even a shooting school. The lower part of the village is situated within woodland that spreads its way down from the side of Tir-y-cwmwd, a large headland that separates Llanbedrog and Abersoch. At the top of a long flight of old steps is an iron man. There has been a statue on the headland for nearly one hundred years, the first being a figurehead off a ship which was burnt, so to replace it the original “iron man” was put there, but after a long battering from the weather, this too has been removed in the last couple of years and replaced with a modern take on the old man. You’ve got to be fit to make it up those steps though!
Abersoch is also on the south coast of the peninsula, and is very much a "converted" little fishing village, which is full of pubs, eateries and shops. The picturesque little harbour on the estuary of the Afon (river) Soch is at the centre of the village. Abersoch has become a centre for water sports, with some of the best sailing waters in Britain right on your doorstep. Property in Abersoch is now very expensive with many rich and famous people having thought to have residences in or around the village, including the Beckhams! Porth Neigwl/Hell's Mouth is between Abersoch and Aberdaron and is one of the best surfing beaches in Wales. This basically means the sea here is very rough, enduring waves of some 20ft during some of the worst storms! Years ago many boats were shipwrecked in this bay as seamen mistook it for the safer waters of St. Tudwal’s Roads around by Abersoch.
Aberdaron is a white washed little village that has been affected very little by time, and lies near the tip of the peninsula. In total there are five offshore islands around the coast of Llyn, each one is important environmentally as they are home to rare species of birds that are found in very few other places. The waters around Llyn are also an important habitat for dolphins, basking sharks and many other fish. There are cruises exploring the unique wildlife of Llyn daily in the summer from Pwllheli marina. One of these islands is Ynys Enlli/Bardsey Island, two miles off the tip of the peninsula where 20,000 saints that traveled to the island are said to be buried. For pilgrims throughout the history of Christianity, three journeys to Bardsey was the equivalent of one to Rome. The island comes complete with a mountain, a lighthouse and sheltered bay for visiting boats. The waters between the island and the mainland are very treacherous with tides running at up to 5 knots. Boat trips to the island are run in fair weather from Aberdaron – not such a good idea if you suffer from sea sickness!
On the much quieter, hillier north coast of Llyn, there are lots of small coves and a few sweeping bays. Nefyn and Morfa Nefyn, both have good beaches, Porth Dinllaen being situated at the western end of the Morfa Nefyn beach. The Ty Coch is probably the most famous pub on Llyn because of its idyllic location, on the top of the beach looking over the bay to Snowdonia, and we all know how important pubs are! In the centre of the peninsula is a large hill, Carn Fadryn, which offers a 360° panorama of the whole of Llyn and beyond. A tough little walk, but well worth it! Other hills that are well worth the climb are Garn Boduan, Mynydd Rhiw and Foel Fawr, with its old windmill, often called the jam pot. There is no shortage of walking on Llyn, whether it be up a mountain, along a coastal path or in the countryside.
There are so many hidden places waiting to be explored. Take my advice and watch out for animal deposits if you find yourself walking through a field where animals have been grazing! For families that walking may not appeal to, why not try Funland in Pwllheli with its new bowling alley or The Glaslyn Park four miles out from Pwllheli on the Caernarfon road where you can try out quad biking (or alternatively sit in the café with a nice drink and watch the kids!). Further north-east along the north coast from Nefyn are the three peaks of Yr Eifl or as many call them "The Rivals". The tallest summit stands between two lower ones and is 564m above sea level. This makes it the highest point on the Llyn Peninsula. The second tallest, Tre'r Ceiri, is home to one of the best remains of an ancient hill fort in Wales. The smallest and most seaward peak has been extensively quarried.
Below Yr Eifl is the village of Trefor that owes its existence to the quarry further up on the hillside. Clynnog Fawr has an ancient church which pilgrims used to visit on their way to Ynys Enlli/Bardsey Island. Pontllyfni and Dinas Dinlle are the near the northern limit of Llyn. Dinas Dinlle has a long sandy stretch of beach with an ice cream shop on the sea front, which will keep all children, young and old, happy! To the east of Llyn are in majestic mountains of Snowdonia.
The summit of Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales at 1085m above sea level is accessible by train during the summer months and the views are breathtaking. However, if walking is more for you, there are many popular routes up the mountain. There are also many other attractions in Snowdonia, from slate mines to castles, there is a lot to see and do. Remember to be careful on the roads, just in case the odd sheep happens to walk across in front of you!
The gateway to Llyn from the south has to be Porthmadog, with it's pretty little harbour and long high street, at the foot of Moel-y-gest. Porthmadog stands on the northern banks of the Glaslyn Estuary, most of which has been reclaimed from the sea by William Madocks’s embankment, “The Cob”. He also planned and had built the small village of Tremadog, which was the birthplace and childhood home of “Lawrence of Arabia”. A mile west of Porthmadog, still on the northern shores of the Glaslyn Estuary is Borth-y-Gest. This small picturesque village has a small harbour that fills with water only at high tide. Here there are many small coves to explore, ideal to get away from it all, even if you are only about a mile from Porthmadog. At the mouth of the Glaslyn River lies Black Rock Sands, the largest beach on Llyn, where you can pay to take your car on. The beach here is ideal for family days out, there are many rock pools to explore, masses of sand and shallow waters for paddling and bathing, though care should be taken to keep away from the estuary at the southern end of the beach. Behind the sand dunes that back the beach is the village of Morfa Bychan with its numerous campsites and golf course. This is not the only golf course on Llyn to keep golfers happy; you will also find golf courses at Criccieth, Pwllheli, Abersoch and Nefyn. There are more golf courses close by too, like The Royal St David’s at Harlech as well as one in Caernarfon.
Further west, towards Pwllheli is Criccieth. Criccieth has two beaches, separated by a castle on a small hill jutting out into the sea. The town has a long high street with many different and interesting shops. Criccieth is also the home of the now world famous Cadwalader’s ice cream company, which is obviously a must on holiday!
Life on Llyn is very different to that in most other parts of Britain, people are fairly relaxed and the way of life here is much slower and quieter than the busy cities of Manchester and Birmingham, which are both over 100 miles away. Many people keep coming back to Llyn every year, and some come to retire here. The Llyn Peninsula is secret gem, now it’s time for you to discover it! For more information about the Llyn Peninsula, go to www.llyn.info - The A-Z Guide of the Llyn Peninsula.
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