Cardigan Bay Dolphins

The gallery sits just outside Barmouth and focuses entirely on the bottlenose dolphins that live in Cardigan Bay - genuinely one of the few places in Britain where you'll see them in the wild. Inside, you'll find photographs, research displays, and information about the local population, which numbers around 150 animals. It's not flashy or enormous, but it does exactly what it sets out to do: explain why these waters matter and what's being done to protect them.

This works best for wildlife enthusiasts and families with kids old enough to read and ask questions - under-fives will get restless within half an hour. The real draw, though, is that it serves as a jumping-off point for boat trips into the bay itself. Many visitors use the gallery to learn the basics, then head straight down to the harbour to actually spot dolphins. If you're lucky, you'll see them within an hour on the water.

Barmouth itself is a proper seaside town with a decent beach and plenty of fish and chip shops, so you can easily make a full day of it. Staying at Hendre Mynach, just over a mile away, puts you close enough to pop in whenever you fancy, and the caravan parks around Barmouth - Graig Wen and Lyons Sunnysands among them - are well-positioned for exploring this stretch of coast. The dolphins are the main event here, though. Come for the gallery if it interests you, but come to Cardigan Bay for the chance to see them.