Published 15 August 2021

Top 5 Things To Do In Conwy

There are lots of top things to do in Conwy. The area best known for its castles and coast is a compact county, so many of the best places to visit in Conwy are just a short distance from each other. With fab attractions for the kids, historical sites to explore and offbeat locations to see, this guide to what to do in Conwy will make for some great days out in North Wales.

Llandudno pier at the ‘Queen of Welsh Resorts’ (UK Wanderer on Unsplash)

Walk the walls to Conwy Castle

When King Edward I set about constructing one of the most imposing castles and town walls in the land he’d conquered, he sure did so with gusto. Built in the 13th century, and part of the most ambitious medieval construction project seen in the whole of Europe, Conwy Castle was part of the Iron Ring of fortifications designed to subdue the unruly Welsh.

To appreciate the majesty of the castle fully, you first need to walk the Conwy town walls, which protect the inhabitants to this day. There are 21 towers, rising to 15 metres high on these enormous bulwarks. Most can be climbed via spiral stone staircases with uninterrupted views inland towards Mynydd y Dref (Conwy Mountain) in the Carneddau range and out to the coast at Conwy Bay. While there’s a small charge to pay to visit Conwy Castle, the wall walk is free.

A visit to the castle today reveals a ghostly hulk with secrets hidden within the walls. There have been lots of spooky sightings here, so maybe save a trip for a bright sunny day. Whether these remnants of the past are the monks from the site’s former use as a Cisterian monastery, past inmates from when Henry VIII used the castle as a prison, or restless soldiers, no one knows. Perhaps the little girl who has spooked quite a few people had been a resident in the castle’s well-preserved royal chambers…

Book a break in North Wales from our definitive listings of campsites and holiday parks in Conwy.

Visit the splendour of the Plas Mawr Elizabethan townhouse

If you’re spending the day in Conwy you can combine a visit to the castle with a ticket that also grants entry to Plas Mawr. Translating to ‘large mansion’, Plas Mawr on the high street is regarded as one of the best-preserved Elizabethan properties in Great Britain. The attractive merchant house offers a glorious contrast after a visit to its greying brute of a neighbour.

Built in the late 1500s by Robert Gwyn, a wealthy member of the Welsh gentry, it is said that the home he shared with his wife and many children was a lively, vibrant and welcoming place. It certainly remains so too, more than 400 years after his passing. Plas Mawr is quite possibly one of the most splendid old houses you’ll ever visit. It has been carefully restored to how it would have looked in 1644 when a detailed inventory was carried out.

Throughout the house, colourfully decorated plasterwork and fabrics adorn the walls, floors and ceilings. Visit the kitchen with a huge stone fireplace and an equally huge iron food-safe suspended from above, move through to the servant’s quarters where the cook would have taken a break, and then see the Great Hall where guests were entertained with lavish banquets. Lastly, see the bedrooms where they’d have slept it all off.

If you’re ready for refreshments yourself, the Albion Ale House is one of Conwy’s best-known pubs, just round the corner from Plas Mawr. The hostelry is regarded as one of the UK’s finest examples of a preserved 1920s pub and serves local ales from original hand pulls.

Pick a pitch close to the castle at a campsite near Conwy.

Visit Deganwy and Llandudno Junction

Step through over 1,000 years of history on the shores of the Conwy Estuary with a packed itinerary on a day trip to Deganwy and Llandudno Junction. Both villages lie on the waterside a short way from each other.

Deganwy is best known for the two landmark volcanic humps that were once the site of a great castle. The fortress was destroyed by lightning in 812 AD then rebuilt by King Henry III of England in the 13th century. Then Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, laid waste to it not long afterwards, to prevent the pesky English from using it again. Today you can walk to the top with views of sailing boats on the estuary while picnicking on the ancient stones. There’s also a pretty marina at Deganwy with a sand and stone beach, plus a quayside shopping centre with places to eat.

Once you’re done with Deganwy you can walk the estuary shoreline along a couple of easy miles on the Wales Coast Path to visit Llandudno Junction. Or, if you have little legs with you, you can board the train instead to take the seven-minute trip along the Conwy Valley line. On the eastern bank of the River Conwy, Llandudno Junction is the former site of extensive railway works and is linked to the neighbouring town by three bridges. The iconic 1826 Conwy Suspension Bridge, designed by Thomas Telford, and its adjacent railway bridge and road crossing make for an impressive sight as they’re clustered so close together. They’re best seen from the eastern riverbank at Llandudno Junction.

You can then walk across the Suspension Bridge to reach Aberconwy House, now a National Trust property and the only other medieval merchant’s house in Conwy along with Plas Mawr. Alternatively, a little way along the shore is the RSPB Conwy nature reserve, where breeding birds and otters make their homes in the wetlands.

Find out more about the Wales Coast Path and trails around Deganwy and its castle in our guide to the best walks in Conwy.

Explore Conwy harbour, take a boat trip, and duck into a tiny house

From grand houses to teeny ones – Conwy has them all. The Smallest House In Great Britain is on the town’s quayside. The doll’s-house-sized residence is a tiny six feet wide and 10ft 1in high by 10ft deep. That’s intriguing in itself but you do have to wonder how its last resident, a 6ft 3in fisherman, managed in there. It’ll only cost around a fiver for a family of four to visit so it’s well worth a stoop inside, not least to find out how on earth the house manages to have an upstairs bedroom.

From the house, an exploration of the quayside is a must. Fishing boats are moored along the edge of the harbour and you can try your luck at your own catch by crabbing off the walls and jetties. Grab some tasty-looking seafood delicacies from the Conwy Mussels Company on the quayside – they’re at their freshest during the autumn and winter months. Boat trips from the harbour pootle down the river with the chance to photograph the castle and the Conwy bridges, and take in views of Snowdonia, Llandudno and Puffin Island.

Conwy Castle and the bridges, seen from the estuary (LynnB on Pixabay)

Take to the skies and hit the beach at the Conwy coast

No camping holiday in Conwy would be complete without a trip to the coast. Llandudno is regarded as the ‘Queen of Welsh Resorts’ – the seaside town is fondly known for its genteel atmosphere, Victorian pier and curving stretch of sand that ends abruptly at the Great Orme headland at one end and Little Orme nature reserve at the other. The Llandudno tramway and the longest passenger cable car in the UK transport visitors to the 679ft summit of Great Orme.

A little further along the coast, around the beach and rock pools of Penrhyn Bay, is Rhos-on-Sea. The small harbour town boasts a sweep of sand and promenade that leads on to Colwyn Bay. The beach at Colwyn Bay is an even more gorgeous stretch of fine sand from which sailors, windsurfers and swimmers take to the water. Just off the beach is Eirias Park, which has a boating lake for sunny days and a swimming pool for the rainy ones.

A little way inland and above the town of Colwyn Bay is the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Home to 140 species, the zoo is in a super setting with views of the sea and mountains from the café at the top. Settle in there for a scenic drink once you’ve passed penguins, sea lions, lemurs, gorillas, monkeys, red pandas and a whole lot more. Save an encounter with the alligators for the walk back down so you can pause to restore your wits at the bottom before heading back to your holiday site after a thoroughly exhilarating day.