Coed Breban

The woodland around Coed Breban sits just outside Conwy and offers proper peace if you've had enough of the castle crowds. It's a working forest rather than a manicured tourist spot - you'll find decent walking trails threading through mature conifers and mixed woodland, with the occasional glimpse of the valley beyond. The paths are well-trodden but not overdone, and it's the kind of place where you might actually spot wildlife rather than tour groups.

Walkers will get the most from this. It's not a dramatic landscape - no dramatic peaks or waterfalls - but it's exactly what you need if you're based at one of the nearby sites like Wern Farm or Cefn Cae and want a morning or afternoon on your feet without travelling far. Most people allow between an hour and ninety minutes depending on which trails they pick. Kids will find enough to explore without it being a full day's entertainment.

Access appears to be free and fairly informal - there's no visitor centre or facilities that I'm aware of, so bring what you need. The beauty is that it slots easily into a Conwy holiday where you're already doing the castle, the beaches at Penmaenmawr, and perhaps venturing into Snowdonia proper. This breaks up the sightseeing with some proper forest air and leg-stretching without the need for planning or booking ahead. Go when the weather's decent - it's a working woodland, so it can get muddy.