One beautiful UK county is as pretty as Devon or Cornwall but doesn’t see as many tourists descend on it in the peak months. Gwynedd in Wales is packed with mysterious islands such as Portmeirion, historic locations such as Caernarfon and stunning seaside towns such as Barmouth.
Located north of Ceredigion and to the south of the Isle of Anglesey, the county features the picturesque Lleyn Peninsula and Cambrian coast, with attractive seaside resorts and award-winning beaches.
The peninsula’s main towns are Abersoch and Pwllheli with most of the area designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coast with the National Trust taking care of the area.
Those looking to visit some ancient locations should head to Caernarfon which is home to a castle designated as a World Heritage Site.
Barmouth, an old shipbuilding town is also well worth a visit, in the modern era it has become a popular resort with plenty of attractions to keep tourists happy.
The cliffs known as Dinas Oleu, became the first property to be acquired by the National Trust in 1895, while the town is also home to the RNLI Museum on its promenade.
Three miles north of the town there is also Carneddau Hengwm with two chambered tombs and a short distance away from that at Pen-y-dinas are the remains of an Iron Age camp.
The county is also home to one of Wales’s most popular tourist attractions, Portmeirion Village, which is a unique Italianate village designed by Clough Williams-Ellis that served as the setting for the 1960s TV series The Prisoner.
Mountain bikers can find world-class trails in Coed y Brenin Forest at Dolgellau, which is a picturesque market town surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Many of the buildings are made of local dark slate, while the town lies at the foot of the Cader Idris mountain range in south Snowdonia.
If visitors still have not got enough of castles they can visit Criccieth, which has a fort perched on a headland overlooking Tremadog Bay, the town and the beaches below.
Criccieth holds two popular fairs and markets annually in May and June and the nearby village of Llanystumdwy is where David Lloyd George, who served as British Prime Minister between 1916 and 1922 grew up.
There is a museum of memorabilia relating to the former prime minister in the town.