Bron Eifion Hotel Criccieth
LL52 0SA
A grade II listed Country House in Llyn Peninsula with extensive gardens and views of the sea. Perfectly situated for all kinds of activities – particularly golf given its proximity to five of Wales’ best courses. The on-site restaurant is AA Rosette Award winning, so treat yourself to some luxury overlooking the Cardigan Bay.
Llwyn Mafon Isaf
LL52 0RE
On a 350 acre working farm, you’ll be staying in the modernised farmhouse with en-suite rooms and views of Cardigan Bay in Llyn Peninsula. Hang out with the Charolais sucker cows and Texel Welsh ewes or chill in the beamed lounge with traditional stone fireplace. Visitors could choose to stay in an on-site static caravan if they like!
Ty Croes Farmhouse B&B
LL53 8AG
A farmhouse B&B with homely elements, a choice of room sizes – both of which have private bathrooms – and private sitting rooms. Get a home cooked breakfast in the morning and you’ll feel ready to get going! Right on the coastal path between Aberdaron and the National Trust area Plas yn Rhiw, which is great for walking, cycling and bird-watching.
Hafan y Mor
LL53 6HX
The ideal family getaway is certainly here! Stay in a chalet, apartment, caravan (adapted if necessary) or bring your own touring van for camping. The entertainment schedule is great for kids, with lots of chances to enjoy the indoor pool with slides, and a show for the evening. There are clubs for the kids and a lake nearby with pedalos for hire – lots of opportunity for relaxation and exploration!
Yr Hen Felin
LL53 6JD
This converted water mill makes for the perfect quiet getaway. With three individually styled suites – each with bathing facilities – to choose from, breakfast served in the dining room, and hens laying eggs in the grounds. This is ideal for couples that want to be away from the noise while still being able to access the beaches nearby.
Something a little more unusual…
The Eye-Pod
LL53 7RW
An incredibly romantic 2 person cabin complete with star-gazing dome, situated on a campsite near Abersoch. The spherical pod has a double bed directly below the clear dome, with curtains inside to keep out the star of the day. For a small hut, it packs a lot in, and visitors can use all campsite amenities, and is importantly in the child-free area.
Jutting out into the Irish Sea, the Llyn Peninsula is almost all coastline and beautiful beaches. A visit reveals, though, that there’s far more here than the qualities which led to Llyn being protected as an ‘Area Of Natural Beauty’. A centre of Celtic history and Welsh language and culture, its a great place for loungers and walkers; the entirety of Llyn’s wonderful coastline is united by the Llyn Coastal Path, but there’s much more than just hiking to appease leisure hungry families.
The gorgeous town of Abersoch is the place to be, if you want to rub shoulders with the glamorous and wealthy. The rent may be pricey, but there’s plenty of decent hotels and guest houses to stay in for a lot less than you’d think. Whilst you’re there, rent out a boat and get down to some sailing. If you’re not quite up to some sea-faring, there are plenty of interesting art galleries and high end shopping streets to divert the eager window shopper. Sometimes all you really need is a lovely, safe beach to take a dip in; Pwllheli can provide you with a Blue Banner Beach (safe for confident swimmers and fully life-guarded during high season) as well as an opportunity to spot dolphins, seals and rare sea-birds.
Kids can get restless if they’re not being properly stimulated, and there’s times when a beach won’t quite cut the mustard. Thankfully, Zip World, in Bangor, can provide thrills galore with the longest zip line in Europe as well as a newly opened cavern walk, which takes kids from ten up through a three hour caving adventure sure to tire them out. Similarly, Glasfryn Parc Bowling and Activities can shake them out of their car-ridden stupor with a dumbfounding selection of things to do; karting, wake boarding (ages 8 and up) as well as quad bike treks (for those a little older) will have them fast asleep in the back of the car in no time.
Although there’s plenty to do outside Llyn Peninsula, the weather can turn on a knife edge, so its always worth having a back up plan in place. Inigo Jones Slate Works is a lot more fun that it sounds, and you’ll be surprised how much the kids will enjoy the slate based activities. For more mainstream interests, the Airworld Aviation Museum has an insane collection of planes, with the majority of them fully explorable. Mums, Dads and kids alike will marvel at the accessible cockpits and there’s also a restaurant there.
When it comes to accommodation, the Peninsula has a fine selection of Bed & Breakfasts and small hotels; but really it excels when it comes to Self Catering, with quaint and affordable holiday cottages available throughout.