Llandudno Bay – Wales

While I have written quite a few travel stories now on many European countries I have visited, I have not written much about my travels in the United Kingdom. Last year after the UK started opening up post the pandemic I was still not keen to make air travels so I took that opportunity to travel to few places in England and Wales. Last August I visited North Wales and stayed in the seaside resort of Llandudno. 

In this travel story I am sharing my experiences of Llandudno and the sights that I enjoyed during my stay in this beautiful Welsh Town. Llandudno is one of the famous seaside resorts of Wales and is part of the Conwy County Borough. It is in the Creuddyn peninsula and goes out to the Irish Sea. The town name Llandudno means ‘Church of Saint Tudno’, after the patron Saint Tudno. 

It is a very relaxing place to visit for a holiday. From long strolls on its promenade to swimming in the sea, to going up the Great Orme and take boat rides around it, there are quite a few things to do in this town. Even if you just want to sit on the promenade enjoying the people passing by its a pleasure to feel the vibes of this Welsh town. Here I am writing about few things that I enjoyed at Llandudno.

Llandudno Bay 

I loved Llandudno for its lovely bay. Llandudno Bay lies between the two headlands of the Great Orme and the Little Orme. The beach is a combination of sand, shingle and rock curves. The shore is in the shape of a curve with a wide Victorian promenade and is lined with many hotels.

Victorian Promenade

I stayed in a hotel on the promenade and it is the most striking beauty of Llandudno Bay. The curving Victorian promenade runs quite a long length along the north shore of Llandudno Bay. The road which runs alongside the Promenade is called the Parade. Most of the hotels in Llandudno are along this Promenade. The Promenade runs up to the lower slopes of the Little Orme.

Victorian Pier of Llandudno

If you love piers, who have got to love the Victorian Pier of Llandudno. It is one of the key attractions in the seaside resort of Llandudno. The pier is a Grade II listed Pier. At a length of 700 metres it is the longest pier in Wales and the fifth longest in England and Wales. Llandudno Pier was voted Pier of the Year in 2005 by members of the National Piers Society.

The pier is home to many shops, food stalls, joy rides for children, bar and cafes.During the summer months Professor Codman’s Punch and Judy show can be seen near the entrance to the pier on the promenade front. 

Boat Trip around the Bay

On one of the days I took a boat trip on the bay. The trip starts near the Pier entrance and goes up to the Great Orme. If you go up the Great Orme you cannot see what is beneath, how rugged the sides are, and the birds perched on the cliffs. I found the boat trip was a nice way to enjoy these views from the boat. The pier also looks fantastic from the boat and you feel how long it is rather than when you walk over it.

Great Orme

The Great Orme is the massive limestone rock that rises about 207 metres above the Irish Sea and forms a headland on one corner of Llandudno Bay. The name Great Orme comes from the Vikings which means ‘sea monster’.

This headland is home to herds of Kashmiri goats and many other flora and fauna. It also provides nesting to various birds like puffins, guillemots, sea gulls to name a few and is a delight for many bird watchers.

The Great Orme Tramway and the Llandudno Cable Car takes tourists to the summit of the Great Orme. 

Great Orme Tramway

The Great Orme Tramway was built in 1902 to take visitor to the top of the Great Orme. It is a cable-hauled tramway and takes passenger from the Victoria Station, Llandudno to the summit of the Great Orme headland. It is the only remaining cable-operated street tramway in Great Britain.

For the adventurous travellers, the Great Orme also has the longest toboggan run in Britain at 750m long. 

Llandudno Cable Car 

The Llandudno Cable Car was built in 1969 to take visitors up to the summit of the Great Orme. Apart from the vintage tram and cable-car stations, there are many other attractions at the summit which include a visitors’ centre, shop, cafeteria, play areas and even a hotel.

I was not able to go to the top as the trip to the summit is weather dependent, so it is best to check whether the cable car is running while you are there. 

Little Orme

When you walk along the Promenade, the smaller hump that you see on the other end of Llandudno Bay is the Little Orme which is just 141 metres high. The Little Orme has two summits and one of them has a triangulation station, known in the UK commonly as a Trig Point. 

Mostyn Street

I enjoyed exploring the main shopping street of Llandudno, Mostyn Street, which is just behind the promenade and is lined with various shops, banks, restaurants, cafes, churches and also Llandudno’s public library.

Though for a short time, I enjoyed a lovely summer break at Llandudno last year and if I can, perhaps will go back again to spend a little more time just relaxing at this beautiful seaside town. It was also great to read that in a 2022 survey for UK’s best seaside destinations by Which?, Llandudno was at the top of the list in Wales. And I can now visualise why.

On the last evening of my stay I enjoyed a wonderful sunset over the Llandudno Bay and it was a glorious way to end a lovely holiday.

HELPFUL HINTS

• It is best to travel to Llandudno by car. There are also Buses and train services connected to Holyhead. 
• Walking along the Promenade is the best way to explore Llandudno Bay.
• Going up the Great Orme provides excellent views of the Llandudno Bay and the Irish Sea.
• Do check the running times for the Great Orme Tramway and Cable Car as it is weather dependent.
• There is also a Land train that goes from North Shore to West shore which runs on most days. 
• Every year during the May bank holiday weekend, Llandudno holds a Victorian Carnival.

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