We were blessed with the weather for our weekend in North Wales, so our itinerary may have been very different if we’d had the rain that Wales is notorious for.
I’d planned to do some small (maybe 3-5 mile) walks in the Snowdonia National Park but instead, ended up exploring the nearby coastal villages/towns and enjoying the beautiful, sandy beaches.
We forgot to pack the buckets and spades, so we invested in a body board for the girls to play with in the sea (although I didn’t participate in this activity – far too cold for me)!
We spent the weekend exploring Pwllheli, Abersoch, Criccieth, Borth y Gest and Porthmadog.
Below is a summary of what we did but if you want to find out more, click here to read my full blog on our weekend in North Wales.
Our accomodation
We stayed in a static caravan on Haven – Haven’s Hafan y Mor holiday park near Pwllheli and actually loved it. These places can sometimes be a bit of a gamble and we’ve stayed at a couple of ‘not so nice’ ones! But this one was great. If you want to find out more about Hfan y Mor holiday park, see my full review here.
Our itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival
- Arrived late evening at Haven's Hfan y Mor holiday park. Checked in, unpacked, had dinner and went to bed
- Highlights - getting into the caravan and seeing how excited the girls were. Oh, and of course pouring that first glass of wine… and relax.
Day 2 – Pwllheli & Abersoch
- Drove to Pwhelli, walked along the marina into the town, wandered around the shops and then strolled back along Glan y Mor beach (2-3 hours)
- Drove on to Abersoch, wandered around the village shops, cafes and visited the beach (2-3 hours)
- Returned to the holiday park and went swimming (1-2 hours)
- Walked down to the beach and had our own little private BBQ for dinner
- Highlights - has to be the BBQ on the beach - relaxing in the evening sun, soothing sound of the sea, delicious smell of the BBQ and happy children paddling and climbing on the rocks… just perfect!
Day 3 – Criccieth & Borth y Gest
- Drove to Criccieth and visited the castle (1-2 hours)
- Drove on to Borth y Gest, walked along the short coastal path to the beach where we relaxed and swam in the sea (2-3 hours)
- Returned to the holiday park and went swimming (1-2 hours)
- Drove to Phwllheli for dinner at Pontoon restaurant - amazing Caribbean/Mexican food, mouthwatering cocktails, vibrant setting and great for kids (1-2 hours)
- Highlights - beautiful views across the bay from the castle. Our eldest body boarding in the sea and of course... dinner (it’s all about delicious food)
Day 4 – Porthmadog & Departure
- Checked out and went swimming for the final time (1-2 hours)
- Drove to Porthmadog, wandered around the shops and had lunch at the Big Rock cafe - quirky place with lots of cool food options and good prices (2-3 hours)
- Drove home
- Highlights - our last visit to the swimming pool (it was quiet so we made full use of the slides and flumes). The breathtaking scenery driving back through Snowdonia National Park