DESTINATIONS

Best family days out in Wales

5 minute read
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Chantel Haines

Luscious green valleys, dense forests, majestic mountains and serene lakes. The diverse landscapes of Wales are an outdoor playground for adventurous families seeking thrilling activities and a connection to nature.

Take a Boat Trip to Wildlife-Rich Skomer Island

With the largest puffin colony in southern Britain, Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire is a wildlife haven that will capture young visitors’ imagination. Here, families will find a wildflower-covered landscape where they can get up close and photograph a large population of puffins, razorbills and guillemots. Fortunate families may even get a glimpse of seal pups being born on the rugged cliffs around the remote island. 

The balmy summer months are the best time to visit, when the Atlantic coastal crossing is calmer, and the puffin population is plentiful. Overnight stays are also available, and once the last visitor boat of the day departs and the island empties, families can enjoy Skomer undisturbed. 

Swim in Pristine Lakes

Get the family outside and submerged in a natural body of water in a scenic setting. Wales has an impressive array of wild swim spots, along with more formal and organised outdoor swim sessions in lakes, rivers and coastlines around the country. Wellness hub Llandegfedd Lake offers fully lifeguarded swim sessions for adults and older children in the bracing lake waters. 

For a wilder family swim, head to serene Llyn Tegid in southern Snowdonia – Wales’ largest natural lake – heritage-rich Keeper’s Pond in Blaenavon, or paddle in the shallows of The Warren in Hay-on-Wye.

Hike through Forest Trails

South Wales has an abundance of family-friendly forest trails where kids can explore trails and colourful leafy canopies. Fforest Fawr near Cardiff has several trails suitable for families, including a heritage trail and a sculpture trail featuring wooden carvings, enveloped by clusters of bluebells and wild garlic. 

Reconnect with nature at Cwmcarn Forest and walk or bike along dense forest trails. The new adventure playground offers parents some respite, and there’s also a visitor centre and cafe serving a selection of Welsh treats, homemade cakes and hot drinks. 

Have a thrilling Zip-Line Experience

Head to the Zip World site in Blaenau Ffestiniog to ride Titan 2, a zip-line and heritage experience that will get your heart racing. Combine adventure and history with a unique tour of the Llechwedd slate quarry followed by an exhilarating four-person parallel zip-line and ride where the family can zip together. 

Daring families can ride the world’s fastest zip-line at Zip World’s Penrhyn Quarry site, where an astonishing 500ft-high zip-line provides panoramic views of a slate quarry and the Welsh coastline. 

Learn Watersports in St Davids

Tiny St Davids in Pembrokeshire is the UK’s smallest city and home to the 12th-century St Davids Cathedral, independent shops and an array of coastal activities. Located on the UK’s only coastal national park, families can explore 186 glorious miles of beaches, coves and islands via kayaking and paddleboard excursions, or even traverse the shoreline on a coasteering experience. 

Coasteering is about using the natural landscape as an adventure playground, where you leap from cliffs, scramble up rocky outcrops and plunge into frothy pools. Surfing is popular at nearby Whitesands Beach, with several local surf schools offering family-friendly lessons to newbie wave riders. 

Spot Seals and Dolphins on an Ocean RIB Ride

Skim along the shoreline on a RIB ride to Ynys Seiriol – also known as Puffin Island – on a sturdy RIB that bounces, twists, and jumps over the swells of the Anglesey coast. The boat is captained by an experienced skipper, and families can look out for puffins, razorbills, kittiwakes and a large colony of seals playing in the waves or basking on the beach. Porpoises and dolphins are a rarer sight in these waters, so seafarers will need to have a keen eye or a pair of good binoculars. 

For something completely different, embark on an epic foil ride adventure in the sheltered Menai Strait, currently the only place in the UK to enjoy this experience. An e-foil board levitates you above the water, making you feel like you are flying along the surface! 

iStock @chris2766

Mountain Biking in the Elan Valley 

Discover rugged trails and reservoirs when you bike around the rolling Elan Estate in the Cambrian Mountains. Explore signposted cycle routes and craggy off-road trails, from beginner routes to more technical rides, for families with older kids and teens who are comfortable biking.

The Elan Valley is also home to the spectacular dams and reservoirs of the Elan and Claerwen Valleys – a historic network built more than 100 years ago to supply water to Birmingham that’s best explored on two wheels. 

New downhill skill tracks have also been added to the Elan Valley’s cycle network. These pro tracks feature challenging drop-offs, narrow bends, bermed runs and exhilarating jumps aimed to test the abilities of more experienced mountain bikers. 

© Crown copyright (2015) Visit Wales.

Go Stargazing at Dark Sky Discovery Sites and Reserves

Wales currently holds the accolade for the highest percentage of its land with protected dark skies status in the world and has two international Dark Sky Reserves; Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia, and an International Dark Sky Park – the Elan Valley. 

Adventure into the stillness of a rural Dark Sky site and connect with the cosmos on a family night out you won’t forget.

Look up at the dark, unpolluted Welsh skies on a clear night to see thousands of stars, planets, galaxies, and even meteor showers. The Usk Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons is a family-friendly, very accessible Dark Sky Discovery Site. Bring blankets, hot chocolate and snacks and settle down to watch nature’s greatest show. 

© Crown copyright (2013) Visit Wales, all rights reserved


IMAGE CREDITS :©iStock by Getty Images / Crown copyright Visit Wales

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