Wales is known for its rugged coastline, mountainous national parks and impressive castles, and it really sets itself apart from the rest of the UK with its distinct Welsh language and culture. If you enjoy experiencing how the locals live when on holiday, you’ll love these picturesque little villages in Wales that look like they’re straight out of a storybook. As you’ll soon discover, there’s a Welsh village to match every traveller’s fancy.
Chepstow is an ancient market town and former port on the river Wye, with the town’s unofficial icon being a Norman Castle built in 1067. It’s still a great place for shopping with its High Street offering lovely niche boutiques in old Georgian and Victorian buildings. The best way to get to Chepstow is to take a scenic rail journey through the Wye Valley.
Aberdyfi, sometimes called Aberdovey, is a small and peaceful seaside village nestled on an estuary. It’s a thriving little harbour town within national parklands, perfect for those wanting an energetic holiday. Water sports reign supreme here and you’ll see people doing everything from fishing and boating to sailboarding.
Portmeirion is a small tourist village in Gwynedd, built in the mid-20th century in the style of an Italian village. The central plaza is complete with beautiful gardens, wire benches and multi-coloured pastel buildings. It’s perfect for an overnight stay where you can sit in the gardens and enjoy the impressive views out over the tidal waters below.
Perhaps one of the best places in Wales to stay if you enjoy a stroll through nature, travellers to Llyn Ogwen can enjoy incredible views of Tryfan and Glyderau without having to climb any hills. Legend has it that a night of King Arthur, Bedwyr Bedrynant, threw the famous sword, Excalibur, into the lake at Llyn Ogwen where it remains to this day.
In 1636 the original bridge of Llanrwst was deemed unsafe for use so preparations began to replace it. Funded by the people on each side of the river, the new bridge that stands today, Pont Fawr, is a testament to the work of four stonemasons who built it. Although, they didn’t have the foresight to build it wide enough for vehicles to pass so it’s known by locals as ‘the bridge of swearing’, but they can hardly be blamed for that. The town’s churches and castles are among its other notable historical attractions, plus there are a lot of beautiful nature walks in the area.
Porthdinallaen is a picture-perfect coastal village with stunning, verdant cliffs above sandy beaches. The village layout is rather remarkable with buildings perched on a thin ribbon of land that stretches out to the Irish Sea. The calm waters are also popular amongst paddle boarders. Take a walk to one of the lookouts and watch the comings and goings of the fishing boats and wildlife.
See what inspired famous Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in Laugharne, where the town loves and remembers him fondly. The Boathouse he and his wife lived in has been converted into a museum and travellers can take the ‘Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk’ tour – the setting for one of his much-loved poems that he wrote on his 30th birthday.