Harlech

Stand at the edge of Tremadog Bay and you'll understand why Harlech's clifftop position has been prized for centuries. The medieval castle towers over this ancient town, while beyond stretches a sweeping panorama of Cardigan Bay and the Llŷn Peninsula.

Harlech feels properly remote despite its railway connection to the coast. The town itself is compact - a steep climb up from Harlech station rewards you with stone cottages and that famous fortress. But it's the surrounding landscape that really draws you in. Archaeological treasures dot the nearby hills, from the Iron Age Settlement remains to the mysterious Fronlief Hir Standing Stones scattered across the moorland.

Walk the coastal path and you're spoilt for choice. Moel Senigl offers cracking views back towards Snowdonia, while the more adventurous can seek out Ogof Foel or explore the ancient Stone Circles that pepper this corner of Gwynedd. "The Two Kings" gallery provides a welcome cultural pit-stop between hikes.

Getting here by train is half the fun - the Cambrian Coast line hugs the shoreline all the way from Machynlleth. By car, it's a proper journey through the mountains from anywhere inland, but well worth the trek for those sweeping coastal vistas.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense. Shell Island and the various touring parks around Harlech put you right at the heart of this dramatic coastline, with easy access to both the archaeological sites inland and those magnificent beaches below the castle walls.