The Welsh dragon, the Y Ddraig Goch, the red dragon on the green-and-white field, is the emblem of Wales, and the dragon on the flag is the symbol of a country that is small (the 3.1 million people, the 20,779 km², smaller than the New Jersey), ancient (the Welsh language, the Cymraeg, the oldest language in Britain, the 600,000 speakers, and the bilingual road signs that remind the visitor that this is a different country), and beautiful, the mountains of the Snowdonia, the coast of the Pembrokeshire, and the castles of the Edward I. Wales is the essential British holiday destination that is the quieter, the more beautiful, and the more surprising than the England. Here is the Wales must-see wish list.

Wales Must-See Wish List

• 1. Snowdonia, the mountain of the dragon: The Snowdon (the Yr Wyddfa in Welsh, the 1,085 metres, the tallest mountain in the England and the Wales) is the essential Welsh mountain experience: the summit (the view of the Ireland, the Scotland, the England, and the Isle of Man on the clear day, the 360 degrees of the best view in Wales), the climb (the 6 routes of the ascent, the Llanberis Path, the easiest and the busiest, the 4–6 hours, the 1,000 metres of the ascent, and the best beginner mountain climb in the UK; the Pyg Track, the shorter and the more beautiful, the 3–4 hours, and the essential Snowdon climb), and the café at the summit (the Hafod Eryri, the coffee, the cake, and the view. ~£5 for the coffee and the cake. The café is the highest in the UK, and the queue at the summit, the 30 minutes for the coffee, is the Snowdon experience). The essential alternative: the Snowdon Mountain Railway (the train from the Llanberis, the 2.5-hour round trip, the 30 minutes at the summit, and the best view of the Snowdon for the walker who cannot climb. ~£35 return, and the essential booking months in advance for the summer). The essential walk: the Watkin Path from the Nant Gwynant (the most beautiful and the least-busy ascent, the 8 km, the 4–5 hours, the waterfalls, the abandoned quarry, and the best walk to the summit). More UK →
• 2. The Pembrokeshire Coast, the best coastal walk in the south: The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the 186 miles of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the cliffs, the beaches, and the seals, is the most beautiful section of the Wales Coast Path. The essential beaches: the Barafundle Bay (the most beautiful beach in Wales, the golden sand, the turquoise water, and the walk from the car park, the 15 minutes, the dunes, and the beach that is the reward), the Whitesands Bay (the surf, the Blue Flag, and the best family beach in the Pembrokeshire), and the Marloes Sands (the Jurassic beach, the rock formations, the fossils, and the best exploring beach in the park). The essential walk: the section from the Saint Davids to the Solva (the 10 km, the 3 hours, the cliffs, the birds, the puffins on the Ramsey Island in the spring and the early summer, and the best day walk on the Pembrokeshire coast). The essential town: the Saint Davids (the smallest city in the UK, the cathedral, the most beautiful in Wales, the 12th century, the shrine of the St David, the patron saint of the Wales, and the best lunch in the Pembrokeshire at the Farmer’s Arms. ~£15 for the main)
• 3. The castles, the iron ring of the Edward I: The Edward I built the “iron ring” of the castles in the north Wales to subjugate the Welsh princes after the conquest of the 1283: the Conwy (the most beautiful castle in the Wales, the 8 towers, the view of the Conwy Estuary and the Snowdonia, and the most complete medieval town walls in the Britain. ~£14), the Caernarfon (the most famous, the site of the investiture of the Prince of Wales, the 1969, the Charles, and the most impressive, the 12-sided towers, the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum. ~£14), the Harlech (the most dramatic, the castle on the cliff, the view of the sea and the Snowdonia, and the best view of any castle in the Wales. ~£9), and the Beaumaris (the Anglesey, the “Perfect Castle,” the concentric design, and the moat. ~£10). The essential strategy: the Cadw Explorer Pass (the 3-day or the 7-day pass, the unlimited entry, and the essential value for the castle tour. ~£35 for the 3-day pass). 4. The Brecon Beacons: the Pen y Fan (the 886 metres, the highest mountain in the southern Britain, the 4-hour walk from the Storey Arms, and the essential Welsh mountain experience that is not the Snowdon). 5. The Gower Peninsula: the AONB, the Rhossili Bay (the 3 miles of the golden sand, the Worm’s Head, the tidal island, and the best sunset in the Wales), and the essential pub: the King’s Head in the Llangennith. 6. Portmeirion: the Italianate village, the Clough Williams-Ellis, the 1925–1975, the 50 buildings, the pastel, the piazza, the fountain, and the most surreal hour in the Wales. ~£13