{"id":20251,"date":"2017-01-31T11:28:09","date_gmt":"2017-01-31T11:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelodgeblog.wpengine.com\/?p=20251"},"modified":"2024-08-16T11:02:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T10:02:27","slug":"wales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/things-to-do\/wales\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do in Wales"},"content":{"rendered":"

With breathtaking scenery and magnificent castles, vibrant cities and exhilarating outdoor activities, beautiful beaches and pretty seaside towns, there\u2019s so much to do on a magical short break in Wales<\/a><\/h3>\n
The great outdoors<\/h5>\n

Boasting five designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, stunning mountain ranges and a gorgeous coastline, Wales is a fabulous destination for lovers of the great outdoors.<\/p>\n

It is a walker\u2019s paradise. The Wales Coast Path offers 870 miles of uninterrupted coastal walking and is packed full of gems just waiting to be discovered, while the Offa\u2019s Dyke Path is a spectacular coast-to-coast route along the former Welsh-English border, with ever changing views across both England and Wales.<\/p>\n

Cyclists will love the 1,400 miles of cycle networks. From scenic routes on smooth tarmac to purpose-built mountain biking tracks, you\u2019ll find something to suit riders of all ages and abilities.<\/p>\n

The wonderful coastline offers endless opportunities for surfing, kayaking, coasteering and kitesurfing, while inland watersports enthusiasts can experience the thrill of whitewater rafting.<\/p>\n

Wales is a perfect destination for equine lovers who can enjoy coastal riding on the beaches of Pembrokeshire or trekking through the mountains in Snowdonia. Increasingly popular outdoor activities include guided food foraging trips and wilderness survival courses. The Bear Grylls Survival Academy offers a chance to unleash your inner caveman (or woman!) and survive a night in the wild. And if high-ropes are your thing, then head for one of the many family-friendly climbing centres, while the more adventurous can try their hand at abseiling and caving.<\/p>\n

Seaside towns<\/h5>\n

The seaside towns scattered along the coastline are among the best places to visit in Wales. The pretty town of Tenby is one of Wales\u2019 most popular resorts and has three beaches, a small harbour, quaint cobbled streets and lots of pubs, shops and restaurants.<\/p>\n

Aberystwyth is flanked by wonderful coastal paths and offers stunning views over Cardigan Bay. The buzzing university town has plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants and is home to the Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Wales\u2019 largest arts centre), the picturesque Vale of Rheidol Railway, and Britain\u2019s longest funicular railway.<\/p>\n

St Davids is Britain\u2019s smallest city and lies on the magnificent Pembrokeshire coast. You\u2019ll find many adventure activities available locally, including coasteering, sea kayaking and climbing. Boats sail from St Davids to the islands of Grassholm, Ramsey, Skomer and Skokholm. The islands are famous for their colonies of gannets, puffins and other seabirds.<\/p>\n

\"Canyoning<\/p>\n

Spectacular beaches<\/h5>\n

Wales has hundreds of fabulous beaches dotted along its coast and the changing tides reveal some fascinating landscapes. At low tide, the remains of a 4,000-year-old forest can be seen on the beautiful Borth Sands, while at Rhossili Bay, the seas roll back to reveal the spectacular Worm\u2019s Head. Rhossili Bay\u2019s multi-award winning beach has three miles of golden sands and is a playground for walkers, water sports enthusiasts and sandcastle builders alike.<\/p>\n

A rich heritage<\/h5>\n

You\u2019re never far from a castle in Wales \u2013 the country boasts 600 of them and there are some magnificent examples to discover. Step back in time at Caerphilly Castle, the largest in Wales \u2013 it\u2019s a stunning fortress surrounded by moats and watery islands. Beaumaris Castle is considered to be one of the most technically accomplished castles in the British Isles, and the awesome Caernarfon Castle is a World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n

Wales\u2019 proud industrial heritage is celebrated at the Big Pit National Coal Museum and Blaenavon Ironworks, part of the Blaenavon World Heritage Site. Head underground with a hard hat for a miner\u2019s tour. It\u2019s also hard-hat time at the Llechwedd Slate Caverns in Snowdonia, where you can explore vast underground caverns and learn about the life of Victorian slate miners.<\/p>\n

There are many places to go in Wales where you can discover more about its history. The country\u2019s many wonderful museums include St Fagans National History Museum \u2013 one of Europe\u2019s top open-air museums \u2013 which exhibits more than 40 original buildings from different time periods. You can also marvel at dinosaur skeletons and superb Impressionist paintings at the National Museum Cardiff, and explore 300 years of Welsh industry and innovation at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.<\/p>\n

In the cities<\/h5>\n

Cardiff, Wales\u2019 capital city, is full of surprises, boasting unique attractions from its gothic fantasy castle to national museums and art galleries. For a great shopping experience, Cardiff is a must \u2013 it\u2019s been voted one of Britain\u2019s top ten shopping destinations. You\u2019ll also be spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment, with events, performances and concerts at the Millennium Centre, Chapter Arts Centre and the Principality Stadium \u2013 the spiritual home of Welsh rugby. For some of the city\u2019s finest bars and eateries, head to Cardiff\u2019s vibrant waterfront.<\/p>\n

Just along the coast, you can enjoy miles of award-winning beaches on the edge of the thriving city of Swansea. The city is home to top-notch museums, galleries and attractions \u2013 visit the Dylan Thomas Centre to find out about this literary icon. Swansea is also a great shopping destination; it has hundreds of independent shops and high-street brands and boasts the largest indoor market in Wales. For entertainment, there\u2019s the Swansea Grand Theatre and for sport, the Liberty Stadium, home to top-flight rugby and Premiership football.<\/p>\n

Food and drink<\/h5>\n

Wales really is a food lover\u2019s paradise with restaurants, cafes and delis across the country using the best of its fabulous local ingredients. You\u2019ll find salt marsh lamb, Welsh black beef, Carmarthen ham, Caerphilly cheese and lavabread (a seaweed), and traditional Welsh classics such as Welsh cakes, bara brith, cawl and Glamorgan sausages on menus all over the country.<\/p>\n

Why not check out our hotels in Cardiff<\/span><\/a> and see what this beautiful country has to offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With breathtaking scenery and magnificent castles, vibrant cities and exhilarating outdoor activities, beautiful beaches and pretty seaside towns, there\u2019s so much to do on a magical short break in Wales.","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1361],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20251\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelodge.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}