LLANDUDNO - QUEEN OF THE NORTH WALES RESORTS

[HOME]  [Town Trail]  [Marine Drive]  [Saint Tudno]  [Great Orme]  [Extravaganza]  [Tramway]  [Excursions]  [Links]

Places to Visit
in and from Llandudno

Compiled by Noel Walley 

Click on the photos below for more pictures and details
of popular excursions

Click for Llandudno Attractions
Llandudno Bay 

Llandudno is the delightful holiday resort that nestles on level ground between two limestone promontories traditionally known as the Great Orme and the Little Orme.  The Victorians, always fond of claiming comparisons called Llandudno the 'Naples fo the North' on account of the fine bay between the two headlands. But Llandudno is by many called the 'Queen of the Welsh Resorts' a title first bestowed in 1864.
  
The fine wide promenade that extends almost the full length of the bay provides an excellent walk at any time.  For those who need transport, there is a bus service from the Little Orme and the Children's paddling pool back to Llandudno town centre every ten minutes on weekdays.

  
Click the picture for more details of Llandudno, the great family holiday resort with its wide promenade, magnificent pier, Punch and Judy shows and donkey rides on the sands and clean bathing beaches.

Visit the Swallow Falls by public transport
Excursions from Llandudno

Llandudno is a fine centre from which to tour Snowdonia and other parts of North Wales click on this picture of the Swallow Falls (between Capel Curig and Betws y Coed) for details of  train and bus services, together with lots more ideas for visits by private car or touring cycle:
   
Click - Public Transport Services
   
Below are links to pages devoted to some of the many delightful places that are easy to visit from Llandudno by public transport, private car or bicycle.

Pont Fawr at Llanrwst
Through the Conwy & Lledr Valleys
to Ffestiniog and Porthmadog

The valley of the River Conwy rises in the eastern foothills of Snowdonia. The Conwy is joined at Betws-y-coed by two major tributaries. The River Llugwy rises on the southern slopes of Carnedd Llewellyn and the beautiful valley of the River Lledr, which rises near Roman Bridge on the A470 trunk road from Llandudno to Ffestiniog and southwards to Cardiff. The Conwy Valley Railway line follows the same route to Blaenau Ffestiniog from where the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway continues the passenger route to Porthmadog on Cardigan Bay. 

The valley floor below the Sychnant Pass

The Sychnant Pass

Conwy's best kept secret
viewing is highly recommended
Click on the picture on the left.

In the Llanberis Pass near Pen-y-Pass
The Llanberis Pass

Snowdonia at its very best.
A walk down the Llanberis Pass
from Pen y Pass to Nant Peris.
Three majestic miles.
Click the picture on the right.

Click for more details of Caernarfon
Visit to Caernarfon

A visit to Caernarfon, will it be
to the Eagle Tower in King Edward's castle
or a trip on the Welsh Highland Railway to
Waunfawr, Rhyd Ddu and back
with lunch at Waunfawr's Snowdonia Parc Hotel
or lunch in town,
and a boat trip in the Menai Strait?
Or one could visit Roman Segontium's ruins.

Click for more details of the Welsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway

The world famous Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways look forward in 2009 to the reopening of the second half of the famous Welsh Highland Railway which runs 26 miles from Caernarfon to Porthmadog. At Porthmadog it will join the Ffestiniog Railway that climbs 14 miles from the valley floor to the famous slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. So far the Welsh Highland has re-opened in three stages. From Caernarfon to Dinas in 1997 (2˝ miles), Dinas to Waunfawr in 2000 (3˝ miles) and lastly through the Snowdonia National Park from Waunfawr to Rhyd Ddu (6 miles in 2003). Stage 4 also runs through the National Park from Rhyd Ddu via Beddgelert to Porthmadog. This stage will reopen in three sections during spring, summer and autumn 2009 and will complete the through narrow gauge railway route of over 40 miles from Caernarfon via Porthmadog Harbour Station to Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Eastgate Chester with its famous clock above the gateway 
Visit to Chester
   
A trip across the border.
Chester City, shopping at its very best!
Visit the Cathedral, former Abbey of St Werburgh.
   
A morning trip on a show boat on the
River Dee takes just half an hour and is a totally pleasurable experience.  A two hour antiquity filled walk round the City Walls, built on Roman Foundations, is described and illustrated in some detail.


The Great Orme Tramway

Llandudno's Great Orme Tramway is a remarkable historical survival and celebrated it centenary in 2002. It is one of only three cable hauled street tramways still in existence world wide. The other two are in San Francisco USA and Lisbon, Portugal. For a fully illustrated description of this famous tramway and a brief history of the line click on the picture of the tramcar climbing the 1 in 4 gradient at the Blackbrook intersection of five roads and the tramway. Take the Great Orme tram to the Summit Complex  (click on either photograph below).

Roundabout  
The Victorian Extravaganza  

Every year the May bank holiday weekend becomes Llandudno's Extravaganza and Festival of Transport.  

The main shopping street is closed to all traffic and becomes home to traditional fairground rides and Victorian side-shows. Vintage and veteran vehicles of all descriptions visit the resort to take part in the daily parade from the railway station and through the town to the promenade.. 



Llandudno in Porthmadog 
via the Conwy Valley and the
Ffestiniog Railway

Take the Conwy Valley Train from
Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog and
the world famous Ffestiniog narrow gauge train
from Blaenau to Porthmadog.
Or drive to Blaenau Ffestiniog (good parking)
and just take the Ffestiniog Railway train.

Tranquility at Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed

A delicate footbridge suspended over a tranquil stretch of the River Conwy next to the ancient Church of St Michael. One of many quiet corners in this lively tourist centre of Betws-y-Coed (the name means chapel in the wood) which has fine hotels, ancient coaching inns, excellent cafés and restaurants, famous Welsh tweed and tapestry shops, good car parking and the Conwy Valley railway museum amongst other attractions. Trains and buses to Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Gateway to Corwen and Llangollen and the famous Gwynedd Sherpa bus services to the Swallow Falls, Capel Curig, Ogwen, Bethesda and Bangor, via Pen-y-Gwryd and Pen-y-Pass to Llanberis and Beddgelert.



Dolwyddelan

Just one of the many things to see in the
Lledyr Valley is Dolwyddelan Castle,
a square stone keep, dating from
the thirteenth century and built by
Llywelyn ab Iorwerth ('Llwelyn the Great').
It is in the care of Cadw (Welsh Heritage)
and is open daily (April to September).

Also at Dolwyddelan is the 'hidden valley'
with a section of Sarn Helen,
the ancient Roman road. 

Also in  the Lledyr Valley, Pont-y-Pant
and Roman Bridge and the newly widened
Crimea Pass first built as a carriage way by
Russian prisoners from the Crimean War.




Virgin Trains
London to Llandudno Service

Visit Llandudno by Virgin Super Voyager
Pendolino Tilting Train
 The fastest service ever between
London and Llandudno
less than 3˝ hours each way.


Bodnant Garden
 
This famous Garden, founded in 1874 by Henry Davis Pochin (the inventor of white soap).
It was given to the National Trust, with an endowment, in 1949.
The garden is noted for its extensive collection of Rhododendrons, which flower in the spring.
But there is much to see at Bodnant in all seasons
(open daily from mid March to the end of October). 

A bus service runs hourly between
Llandudno and Bodnant Garden.


Visit Conwy - The Ancient Walled Town


Llandudno Queen of the North Wales Resorts


Compilation and all photographs © 2002/2007 by Noel Walley 

Last updated, February 2009

Email: Webmaster