Art Gallery of New South Wales

Wales, where does one begin? For a relatively compact country, it offers a remarkable array of activities and attractions.

Wales is made for lovers of the great outdoors, and many of its most scenic travel routes are best explored on foot or by bike. The 870-mile (1400 km) Wales Coast Path winds its way around the entire Welsh coast – a world first when it launched in 2012 – and the country’s rural heart is crisscrossed with off-road cycle routes and quiet country lanes.

Wales is home to some of the UK’s most beautiful drives. Beyond the more densely populated south, where you’ll find the only highway, narrow, undulating lanes criss-cross the land, meaning travel can be slow. However, there’s no need to rush when your surroundings consist of sky-skimming mountains, deep green valleys, and swaths of pristine coastline.

With three epic national parks, reams of beach-studded coastline, an underrated capital, and more chocolate-box villages than you can shake a love spoon at, small but mighty Wales has a wealth of locations worth adding to your itinerary.

When to travel to Wales depends on a few factors – namely your budget, your tolerance for rain, and whether you have an unquenchable desire to try bog snorkeling.

For such a small country, Wales sure packs in a lot of adventure. Wherever you end up, let the landscape lead the way – whether that means climbing mountains, hiking along the castle-strewn coastline, or venturing into underground caverns.

A hefty chunk of Wales is properly remote wilderness, so it’s easy to give the crowds a miss in this country of lonely moors and mountains, cliff-rimmed coastlines, and tucked-away valleys. Mostly, you’ll share the trails with nothing more than the odd unruly sheep.

With medieval castles, mythical giants, mountains galore, and miles of heavenly coastline, Wales’ three national parks successfully seduce travelers who visit. Come summer, many Brits and savvy visitors make a beeline for the national parks’ jagged peaks and clear lakes.