Penmaenmawr

Stone circles and ancient cairns dot the hillsides above this coastal town where the mountains meet the Menai Strait. Penmaenmawr sits beneath some of North Wales' most dramatic peaks, with Tal y Fan and Foel Lwyd rising like sentinels behind the Victorian terraces.

Climbing these fells rewards you with proper views across Anglesey and back towards Snowdonia. The Stone Circle up on the moors feels genuinely ancient - none of your sanitised heritage sites here. Craig Hafodwen offers a decent scramble if you're after something more challenging than the tourist trails.

Down in town, the Gladstone Memorial reminds you this was once a quarrying powerhouse. The old railway still runs through - Penmaenmawr station connects you to Chester in one direction, Holyhead in the other. Makes getting here without a car perfectly doable.

Pen Y Castell dominates the skyline to the west, while Moelfre provides a gentler walk for families. The Jubilee Barometer near the seafront charts the area's weather patterns - this coast can be wild when Atlantic storms roll in.

Staying at one of the nearby parks like Berthlwyd Hall or Aberconwy Resort puts you within striking distance of both Snowdonia's peaks and Anglesey's beaches. Bangor's only twenty minutes down the A55 for supplies and nightlife. The positioning is spot on - mountain adventures by day, seaside sunsets by evening. Plus you'll dodge the Betws-y-Coed crowds while accessing the same stunning countryside.