Penguin Pool

The penguins at Conwy are proper little characters, waddling about their pool with a confidence that makes you wonder who's really watching whom. It's a modest attraction - nothing grand - but if you've got kids who love animals, or you're just after a quick wildlife fix between exploring Conwy Castle and wandering around Llandudno, it does the job.

You'll see the birds up close, which beats a distant glimpse at some sprawling zoo. The pool itself is fairly intimate, so you can actually watch them dive and swim rather than squinting from fifty metres away. Most visitors spend between 30 minutes to an hour here, depending on how long you stand about waiting for the penguins to do something interesting.

It works well if you're basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks - Dinarth Hall is just over a mile away, and Tan Y Bryn even closer. You could easily slot this in as a half-hour diversion on a rainy afternoon, or pair it with a trip to Conwy Estuary if you fancy something more active. The location, bang between Conwy and Llandudno, means it's convenient rather than a special detour.

Worth a visit if you're in the area with family? Yes. Worth planning a whole day around? Not really. Check ahead for opening times and admission fees before you go - details aren't always easy to pin down - but as a quick stop on a North Wales coast break, it's solid enough.