This is our guide to the best things to do in Harlech, a gorgeous small town on the North Wales coast with one of the best castles – and beaches – in Wales. It’s also right on the doorstep of Snowdonia, whose peaks are just a few miles to the north.
We give you all the tips you’ll need for exploring the immediate area around Harlech, and also show you more places to visit in North Wales that are a bit further afield. It’s a stunning part of Wales, and we hope you enjoy our introduction to it.
Why Visit Harlech?
Harlech is one of the best places to visit in Wales.
Harlech Castle is one of the best castles in North Wales, one of four that comprise the Castles in Gwynedd World Heritage Site.
Harlech Beach is one of the best beaches in North Wales (there’s a theme here), a stupendous sweep of sand with incredible views up the coast to the mountains of Snowdonia.
Harlech is also a great base for exploring the Cardigan Bay coast, or venturing over to the Llyn Peninsula, or perhaps into Snowdonia.
Best Things To Do In Harlech
Visit Harlech Castle
Harlech Castle is one of the most famous Welsh castles, and one of the greatest landmarks in Wales. It’s one of the four sites in the first World Heritage Site to be designated in Wales, the Castles and Walled Towns of Edward I in Gwynedd along with Conwy, Caernarfon and Beaumaris.
Harlech Castle was built my master military architect James of St George, in a spectacular setting on top of a sea cliff overlooking the northern end of Cardigan Bay. The sea has receded almost a mile (1.6 km) over the ensuing 700 years, but its location is still dramatic, with the peaks of Snowdonia ranged behind it to the north.
The Castle has seen plenty of action down the centuries. It was captured by Welsh Prince Owain Glyndwr in 1404, and was his headquarters for five years, until ousted by the future King Henry V of England. It was besieged again during the Wars of the Roses later in the 15th century, and one of these sieges (we’re not entirely sure which) inspired Men of Harlech, a famous Welsh rugby anthem.
It was besieged again in the 1640s, and it took three years for the Castle, the last Royalist stronghold in the country, to finally fall.
The Harlech Castle visitor experience has been enhanced considerably by the new visitor centre (In the former Castle Hotel) and the superb footbridge to the gatehouse.
If you’re wondering where to find the classic view of Harlech Castle, you’ll need to head to the end of the High Street, continuing up the steps onto the main road, Ffordd Isaf, and turning right. The viewpoint is in a small park called The Graig, just after the last house on that side of the road.
Explore Harlech Beach
Harlech Beach – Traeth Harlech – is one of the best beaches in Wales, hands down. If you want plenty of space on the beach, and don’t mind some incredible views, there are few better places in Europe.
The beach is around half a mile from the village of Harlech, and Harlech Beach car park is close to the Min-y-Don Holiday Park. It’s around 300 yards from there, through the dunes to the beach itself.
It’s a vast, wide beach, extending from the cliff to the south to the Dwyryd and Glaslyn estuary four miles to the north. Toilets are near the car park, but apart from a snack van in summer there are no other facilities. It gives Rhossili Bay, on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, a run for its money as the most spectacular beach in Wales.
See The Amazing View From Rehoboth Chapel
One of my favourite Harlech views is from the Rehoboth Chapel high above the village. It’s especially beautiful in winter, when the sun sets behind the Castle, beach and the hills of the Llŷn Peninsula in the distance.
It’s one of the least-known things to do in Harlech, so you’ll find a very quiet, peaceful spot which you’ll almost certainly have to yourself.
Visit the Famous Royal St Davids Golf Club
One of the most famous golf courses in Wales, Royal St David’s is set spectacularly in the mountainous dunes between Harlech beach and Harlech Castle and village.
We’re not golfers, but I worked for some years on promoting the 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales, and it’s a tremendous place to play if you get the chance.
‘Good God Corner’ And The Field Above Harlech Beach
Most of our images of Harlech beach are shot from a small sloping field just off the main A496 coast road on the approach to the village from the south.
It’s known locally as Good God Corner, as you round a bend to be greeted with the astounding sight of the vast Harlech beach, with the mountains of Snowdonia rising behind. It’s easily one of the best views in Snowdonia and, indeed, the whole of Wales.
To get there, you need to turn left off the A496 to Llandanwg, then park somewhere near the top of the hill. Then walk back up to the corner, following the road around 100 metres to the stile. A path leads from the bottom of the field down to the beach.
See Also: Staycation Wales – 20 Of The Best Places To Staycation In Wales
Walk Up The Second Steepest Street in The World
For around a year, Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech was feted as the steepest street in the world by the Guinness Book of Records. Then the previous holder of the accolade, Baldwin Street in Dunedin, on New Zealand’s South Island, was reinstated after a new, fairer means of measurement was devised.
When I read the story I was surprised to find out which street Ffordd Pen Llech is. It’s to the north of the Castle, but the street leading up the hill from the Castle, Pen Dref, seems steeper when you’re walking it!
Walk Morfa Harlech Beach
Morfa Harlech is the vast beach and dune area to the north of Harlech beach, reaching as far north as the Dwyryd estuary. It’s a National Nature Reserve, with rare flora including the bee orchid, and wildlife constantly passing through.
The beach car park at Min y Don is where you’ll need to leave your car – if you want to explore, you have a very long but utterly inspirational walk along the golden sands, with the peaks of Snowdonia edging ever closer. There is access to some – but not all – of the Harlech sand dunes. One of the most enjoyable things to do in Harlech.
Rhinog Mountains
This wild part of North Wales is the ancient kingdom of Ardudwy, and you don’t have to go far inland to go way off the beaten track.
The hills above Harlech are tough sheep farming country, the narrow lanes lined with centuries-old drystone walls. These roads are rarely travelled, and this upland area seldom explored, but there are rewards. One of the most unusual ancient burial chambers in Britain, the stone circle of Bryn Cader Faner, is well worth seeking out, in the hills above Llandecwyn and Talsarnau, to the north of Harlech.
If you’re on a Snowdonia road trip, it’s worth venturing north-east from Llanbedr to Llyn Cwm Bychan lake, from where you can follow signs to the Roman Steps. These are probably from medieval rather than ancient times, and one suggestion put forward is that the stone slabs may have been put down to help pack horses trying to negotiate the rough terrain.
This is as remote as Snowdonia gets, and it’s remarkable that it’s so close to some of the most popular places to visit in North Wales, yet remains undiscovered.
Llandanwg Beach and Church
Llandanwg Beach is one of the lesser-known Cardigan Bay beaches, but at two miles south of Harlech is well worth investigating if you’re in the area.
The beach is noteworthy for the tiny medieval church of St Tanwg in the sand dunes, a few metres above the high tide mark. The church is rarely used nowadays, and been replaced by a newer church – also dedicated to St Tanwg – in Harlech.
The church in the dunes is most likely to be open during the summer months, and if it is, you’ll be able to see a small collection of ancient stones several centuries older than the church itself.
The Plas Harlech
The Plas Café is one of the best places to eat in Harlech. I’ve been there many times over more than twenty years, usually at lunchtime for the great food, and also the incredible view from the terrace at the back, over the Castle and Beach.
Victoria Inn Llanbedr
The picturesque Victoria Inn in Llanbedr, three miles south of Harlech on the A496 road, is one of the best in the area. It’s a beautiful old stone building decked with roses during the summer months, and the food we had on our two visits lived up to our expectations. A great little pub.
Llandecwyn Sunset
One of my favourite places near Harlech is the hilltop church at Llandecwyn, which is an amazing sunset spot during autumn, winter and early spring.
From this elevated viewpoint you have a great view across the Dwyryd estuary to Portmeirion village, and beyond to Porthmadog town and Moel-y-Gest, the hill looming above it.
Llanfair Slate Caverns and Farm Park
I went to Llanfair Slate Caverns back in the 1980s, and loved following the trail through the caverns, partly guided by the light of my own torch. You can still follow the same trail, and there is also a Children’s Farm Park next door. They have goats, lambs, rabbits, calves and more – wonderful for animal-loving kids like Our Little Fellow.
Portmeirion Village
Portmeirion is a wonderful, idyllic folly, a holiday village comprised of ‘rescued’ buildings brought together at a gorgeous riverside location in North Wales.
It’s an eclectic mix of architectural styles, from an Italian-style campanile (belltower) to a Neoclassical colonnade and a Baroque dome with a Buddha on the ground floor.
Portmeirion is unique in Britain and draws visitors from far and wide. It’s easy to reach from Harlech – either a 15-minute drive via the estuary at Pont Briwet and Penrhyndeudraeth, or the train runs to Minffordd, from which it’s a 20-minute walk to the village.
See Also: 11 Best Things To Do In Portmeirion
Ffestiniog Railway
The narrow-gauge Ffestiniog Railway follows the route along which slate was taken from the quarries of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the port at Porthmadog, from where it was sent all around the world.
Many visitors take the reverse route from Porthmadog to Blaenau, and then returning later in the day. It was recently voted the best scenic railway journey in Europe by readers of the UK’s Which? consumer magazine.
It begins by chugging across the Cob causeway (check out the view of Snowdon to your left) before gradually climbing above the Vale of Ffestiniog and on to the slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Definitely one for your Wales bucket list.
Dyffryn Ardudwy Beaches
The coast between Harlech and Barmouth is an almost continuous stretch of perfect golden sand, and some of the best beaches are around the village of Dyffryn Ardudwy, about halfway between the two.
There are several sections of beach – Bennar is popular with surfers, and Morfa Dyffryn, to the north, is the local naturist beach.
The village of Dyffryn Ardudwy has a few places to eat, and there’s also a fine Neolithic burial chamber a 5-minute walk up the hill from the main road.
Barmouth
The seaside resort of Barmouth is awesome, as is its beach and the superb estuary views inland towards Cadair Idris.
There are enough things to do in Barmouth to warrant staying there, and the train connection means it’s less than half an hour away. It’s got something for everyone – with the beach and seasonal fair rides for families, to the astounding scenery of the Mawddach estuary for hikers and romantics.
While there, try to make time to take a walk across Barmouth Bridge (a 19th century wooden railway viaduct) which takes you across to Fairbourne and the Mawddach Trail along the southern bank of the river.
Cambrian Coast Railway
Wales is better known for its narrow-gauge railways than its mainline routes, but the Cambrian Coast Line is the one mainline railway journey in Wales worth taking just for the ride itself.
Some of the most scenic sections are within a short ride from Harlech, including the run across the Dwyryd river a few miles to the north and the run into seaside Criccieth – beyond Porthmadog – with its wonderful Castle.
The best-known section is the Barmouth Bridge, with its views of the Mawddach estuary. It’s a very useful service as, from Harlech, you can go on a day trip to the line terminus at Pwllheli in one direction and as far south as Aberdovey the other way.
Blaenau Ffestiniog
If Harlech’s not giving you enough of an adrenaline rush, head into the mountains to Blaenau Ffestiniog. It’s one of the most remarkable places and landscapes in Wales, nestled in an amphitheatre of mountains – some natural, others towering heaps of slate spoil. I struggle to think of anywhere quite like it in Europe, and recommend a visit on a rainy day to get the full effect of this unique place.
Blaenau is part of the Welsh Slate Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you can take an underground tour at Llechwedd Slate Caverns, which gives you an insight into the hard life the miners endured there. There are also some great walks around Blaenau – the one I recommend most is the climb to the eerie ruins at Cwmorthin and, further up the mountain, at the old Rhosydd Quarry.
There are more things to do in Blaenau Ffestiniog than a decade or so ago thanks to the Zip World zip lines which whisk you high above this amazing landscape. Or you could also try out a precipitous mountain bike run down one of the descents operated by Antur Stiniog.
Porthmadog
Porthmadog is one of the largest towns in this corner of North Wales, and it’s a lot better now that the A487 bypasses the town, drastically cutting down on the traffic passing through.
Like Harlech, it makes an excellent base for exploring Snowdonia and North Wales. The town is pleasant enough, and it’s the departure point for the enchanting Ffestiniog Railway, one of the best narrow gauge railways in Wales, which runs above the Vale of Ffestiniog to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
There are some enjoyable walks around Porthmadog, including above the harbour and across the Cob, the causeway that extends across the Glaslyn river from the town, with one of the best views of Snowdonia to savour along the way.
Black Rock Sands
Black Rock Sands (Traeth y Greigddu in Welsh) is one of the most popular North Wales beaches, an enormous sweep of sand next to the village of Morfa Bychan, around three miles from Porthmadog town.
One of the attractions of the beach for some visitor is that you can drive onto the beach and park there. It gets busy in summer, though the vast space easily absorbs the crowds. I’ve always enjoyed it more in winter, when just a few hardy souls venture there to enjoy the superlative coastal views.
See Also: 15 of the Best Llŷn Peninsula Beaches
Criccieth Castle and Beaches
You can often see Criccieth Castle atop its rocky crag from Harlech, around ten miles away across Tremadog Bay. The Castle overlooks two beaches – one either side of the headland – and it’s one of the best places to visit on the Llŷn Peninsula.
How To Get To Harlech
If you’re travelling by public transport, Harlech is reachable by train. The scenic Cambrian Coast Railway runs along the Cardigan Bay coast, starting at Shrewsbury and then splitting at Machynlleth in Mid Wales. Some of the carriages head south to Aberystwyth, and the others north up the coast via Barmouth, Harlech and Porthmadog to Pwllheli on the Llŷn Peninsula. Check the Transport for Wales website for train times.
If you’re travelling by road, Harlech is on the A496 coast road that runs from Barmouth to Blaenau Ffestiniog. If travelling from South Wales, London or the West Midlands, join the A470 and turn onto the A496 just north of Dolgellau.
If travelling from North West England, you can reach Dolgellau via the A5 through Llangollen, then the A494 and A4212 until it meets the A470 at Trawsfynydd. You then head down to Maentwrog before joining the A496 for the last few miles to Harlech.
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