Wales

History, hills and Hiraeth

By Daniel McCrohan

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Wild Wales is the perfect place to get away from it all and explore nature. With some of the United Kingdom’s best hiking trails and the ever popular Snowdonia National Park (home to the highest mountain in both England and Wales), visitors have been coming to Wales for natural beauty for centuries.

However, there’s much more to this fiercely proud country. Wales’ history is laid bare in its many historic buildings and castles, which dot the landscape from beachfront to mountaintop. Its coastal paths, beaches and islands might be windswept and chilly, but they are also beautiful and tranquil.

Finally, there’s the famous Welsh welcome. Join a Welsh crowd to watch their red-shirted rugby team and you’ll soon feel like an old friend. There’s a Welsh word that sums up how many visitors feel about Wales — hiraeth, which roughly translates as a longing for home. Those leaving after a trip will know exactly how that feels.

Hidden gems in Wales

Wales

Gower Coast Path

Simon Heptinstall

This section of the Wales Coast Path packs a spectacular series of coastal landscapes into a short and, apart from a couple of steep cliffs, mostly easy walk. The route passes some of Britain’s best beaches, swaying marshes, caves, castles and churches. Landscape highlights include Worm’s Head and Three Cliffs Bay. It’s impossible to get lost and walkers find plenty of accommodation and luggage transfers available.

Monmouthshire

Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

Simon Heptinstall

One of the UK’s quietest, least known canals isn’t even connected to the rest of the network but offers a leafy, flat, easy walking adventure through the Usk Valley. Historic towns like Crickhowell and Abergavenny provide en-route facilities while walking highlights will include an aqueduct, tunnel, locks, lifting bridges… and fine Brecon Beacons views.

Snowdonia National Park

Betws-y-Coed

Kerry Walker

Snowdonia’s answer to Ambleside is another outdoor centre nestling among trees amid an inspiring mountainous landscape. The picturesque riverside town is a tourist honeypot but walkers can avoid day-tripper crowds by setting off on a wide choice of routes in all directions, then return for quieter evenings among a wide choice of restaurants and accommodation. Highlights could be easy but impressive waterfall walks or tackling one of many routes up Snowdon.

Monmouthshire

The Wye Valley Walk

Simon Heptinstall

Not one that features in most "best of" roundups. Unshowy yet stunning and dramatic in places, the Wye Valley Walk is an underrated long-distance route from mid-Wales through quiet, leafy valleys, across austere moorland and through the bucolic farmland of Herefordshire to Chepstow. The Wye Valley itself is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the trail calls at various historic landmarks and picturesque villages. Do the full route in seven to 10 days, or in shorter segments at your leisure.

Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Simon Heptinstall

Think South Wales is all industrial heritage and dour coastal cities? Think again: most of the southern half of Wales is rural, and the Pembrokeshire coast is truly glorious.The 186 mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path is one of the finest long-distance footpaths in the country. It can be done in around 16 days, or in shorter segments. Pembrokeshire has it all – dramatic clifftop vistas, seemingly endless beaches, secluded coves and tiny fishing villages, but best of all; almost no one knows about it, so you get pretty much all of it to yourself. You’ll need two or three weeks to complete the trail in one go, most people do it in shorter segments. Some of the more remote stretches have a dearth of accommodation so you may need to adjust your daily distances accordingly. In general, there’s a good range of places to stay, from campsites and hostels, to B&Bs and guesthouses. Don’t forget to factor in one or two rest days; walking for 16 days on the trot is a tough ask.

Gower Coast Path

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Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal

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Betws-y-Coed

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The Wye Valley Walk

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Wales travel guides

Guide

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Guide

Best Walking Holidays In Wales

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Sandwiched between England to the east, the Republic of Ireland across the Irish Sea, and with Scotland looming to the north, Wales can appear somewhat diminutive on a large scale atlas. But zoom in with a smaller-scale OS map and the packed contours and looping footpaths reveal a country that is vast, wild, and eminently explorable by foot.

Guide

Where To Walk In Wales

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Where To Go For A (Crowd-Free) Short Break In The UK

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As UK holidaymakers mentally prepare for a summer holiday closer to home, thoughts may be drawn to tacky amusement arcades in faded seaside towns, or packed village tearooms and traffic-clogged country lanes. But look beyond the over-popular tourist hotspots and you’ll find plenty of hidden and underrated corners of the UK that are perfect for a peaceful short break, but still with plenty to see and do.

Guide

Family-Friendly Walking Holidays In Wales

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