After an amazing trip along the south coast of England we travel to Wales. The roads and bridges are narrow in England and Wales, so good to prepare yourself for these kind of traffic signs. This bridge was too narrow for me 🙂
Wales is also the land of sheep, millions! I wonder how I’ll control my dog with his new hobby (sheep droppings)…
Caldicot Castle
We start our Wales trip in the village of Caldicot. During the morning hike we walk at the castle of Caldicot with its beautiful green garden.
We meet Claire and her boxer Cookie and walk together. What a nice duo, a great start to the day!
Brecon Beacons National Park
The campsite in the hamlet of Cwmdu is super relaxed and is situated on various hiking trails. During a hike of over 10 km we walk through fields full of ferns and I enjoy a wide view at the top. We also walk through sheep fields and meet an angry sheep with three lambs. Leo and I run away hahah.
The next walk is to Tre Tower, a nice village with old towers and delicious coffee and cake. On the way back I choose a route via a walking app whaah this is dramatic! Fields full of sheep, cows, horses, the path appears to be closed but turning back is no longer an option. All gates locked so Leo has to be lifted over and I climb. Ferns up to my shoulders and straight through the brambles and nettles. What a hassle!
Penally Cliffs
In Pembrokshire in the southwest of Wales we camp at a back to basic campsite at the cliff of Penally. This campsite is located on the Coastal Path and the view is phenomenal 😍 We descend to this empty beach where Leo can run around for a while. Oops it is a ‘no dogs allowed’ beach, I saw it too late.
Tenby town
Tenby is an old walled town, by the sea and has beautiful sandy beaches instead of the more common pebble beaches. The beach has views of Tenby Castle and at low tide you can walk to it. It’s a pleasant tourist town with colorful houses and a large church.
St Davids cathedral
Further west lies St Davids, the smallest city in the UK. Here stands an old cathedral, which was built around the year 1200. St David’s Cathedral is a popular place for pilgrims. The ruins of the old palace stand next to the cathedral, St Davids Bishop’s Palace. A special place.
St David’s hike
Just outside the city I can camp in a farmer’s field and we walk along the Coastal Path again in the evening, it’s not boring yet! There is a strong wind, wow it’s almost scary to walk along the cliffs 😱
Great day for walking! First along the cliffs at St Davids, there is still a huge wind! You can also take the boat here and spot birds. In the afternoon we walk to Dinas Head, the start is at Pwllgwaelod. Great names for the villages in Wales, but I still can’t pronounce it well…
I absolutely love The Coastal Path, it’s on my wishlist for later.
Tresaith Beach
We’re off to Snowdonia National Park! First we stop at the attractive sandy beach of Tresaith, there’s still a stormy wind blowing and it’s not beach weather but Leo is enjoying himself, just running around.
On the way, a 50 miles (80 km) road is completely shut down for fifteen minutes because a large flock of sheep is crossing, I love it, really Wales!
Aberystwyth coastal town
Aberystwyth is a nice town by the sea. We walk along the fort, WW2 monument, the boulevard and I go for coffee in a dog-friendly coffee bar. Real dog friends, Leo even gets sausages.
On to the campsite, farmland with a view of the mountains, great!
Snowdonia National Park
Cadair Idris hike
The plan was to walk around the lake for 2 to 3 hours today. First we go uphill via a long stone staircase, along the river and the waterfall. At the lake it is not easy to walk a round, it is a crooked sheep path with boulders.
I walk a bit further up the mountain to take pictures and there I am persuaded by enthusiastic hikers to continue to the highest peak at 900 meters. I am not prepared for this at all but I get extra water and a chocolate bar and off we go! A fantastic hike 😍
The weather is lovely with good visibility, on both sides of the ridge a view, on the valley and on the lake. We are still climbing and eventually I focus on that instead of taking pictures. At the top we are completely happy and I take a picture with Leo on my lap, so sweet.
I walk the path down together with a couple that I meet again later at the campsite, they also give me water. A great day, this hike is recommended!
Weather in Snowdonia
Rain is forecast and that is correct, from 11 AM to 10 PM continuous rain and also strong wind. Leo and I are soaking wet and there is no internet reception at the campsite… a lousy day.
Got soaked again during a walk with Leo. The camper looks like a steam cabin with wet clothes and wet dog baskets.
Let’s just wait and see what the weather will be like, can we still go for a hike?…
In the meantime I’m enjoying this double rainbow.
Unfortunately, it won’t get any better in the coming days. We leave Snowdonia and go to the town of Conwy! Good idea, because the sun is shining in Conwy.
Conwy
Conwy is a lovely village with a medieval castle, castle walls, musicians, freshly caught fish and best of all; Welsh cakes, they are delicious!
Llangollen
The road to Llangollen is a 60 km long green route through the interior. We park at the pub for a fish & chips. The local beer that really has to be tasted according to the waiter is Wrexham Lager. It has been around for so long, they already drank it on the Titanic!
Along the narrow canal we walk to Langollen. Canal boats sail in these canals, they are very narrow, I understand now why they are also called narrow boats.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a bizarre construction! At about 40 meters high the canal boats sail over the aqueduct. An UNESCO spot, beautiful to see!
I enjoyed Wales and was positive surprised by what there is to do besides walking. In the meantime we have arrived at the ferry that will take us to the other side, Ireland! Are you traveling with us?
