Heritage, art and architecture on The Coastal Way

Aberdyfi to Aberdaron – a three day trip along The Coastal Way

Day one (about 39 miles/63km)

Fashionable Aberdyfi has a big sandy beach perfect for windsurfing and wildlife watching. Head north on the cliff-hugging coast road to the Mawddach Estuary, where mountains tumble into the sea, taking the historic wooden toll bridge across the water at Penmaenpool.

Barmouth has a special place in Britain’s heritage. A short, steep walk leads to Dinas Oleu, the headland perched dizzily above the town. In 1895, this airy ‘place to breathe’ became the National Trust’s first acquisition.

The medieval ramparts of Castell Harlech, a World Heritage Site, seem to grow organically from the rock – once a sea-cliff – on which it stands. The waves have now retreated to leave dunes that today serve as one of Europe’s finest links golf courses, Royal St David’s.

Overnight: Harlech

Why not turn a visit to this thirteenth-century World Heritage Site into a luxurious break? Book now with Menai Holiday Cottages

Day two (about 31 miles/50km)

Portmeirion, the unique Italianate village created in the late 20th century, is a must-visit. You won’t believe your eyes. Dazzled visitors sometimes lose themselves here for days. You won’t have time for that so press on past Porthmadog to Criccieth, a charming Victorian resort. Castell Cricieth is a landmark scarred by serious conflict (all is revealed at its new interactive visitor centre).

You’re now on the Llŷn Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s hard to argue with that description from the grounds of Plas Glyn y Weddw, Llanbedrog. There’s more on which to feast your eyes within this Victorian mansion, a leading gallery dedicated to contemporary Welsh art.

Overnight: Abersoch

Day three (about 13 miles/21km)

Take a boat trip from Aberdaron across to Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), the ‘Isle of 20,000 Saints’ at the stormy ‘land’s end’ of North Wales. On Mynydd Enlli, the island’s highest point, look out for puffins in the skies and seals resting on the rocks below. Back on the mainland, learn more about what makes Llŷn so special at Aberdaron’s Porth y Swnt Visitor Centre.