Let's Have A Day Out - To Pwllheli

 

Pwllheli Marina

Pwllheli meaning 'salt-water pool' and pronounced 'Per-thelly' is the main market town and unofficial capital of the Llyn Peninsula, having received the Borough Charter over 600 years ago by the Black Prince. It is proud of its place in Welsh history and was the birthplace of the political party for Welsh independence, Plaid Cymru, and also the birthplace of poet, Albert Evans-Jones. In the past Pwllheli has hosted the National Eisteddfod, the competition celebrating Welsh arts and music. This bustling coastal town is located at the entrance to the peninsula, which is itself protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is the ideal location from which to explore this northwest corner of Wales, where Welsh is still widely spoken. Butlins put the town on the map when they opened their popular holiday camp just outside Pwllheli in the 1940s. Now known as Hafan-y-Mor, it is run by Haven Holidays.

The Llyn's Coastal Path is 91 miles long, extending from nearby Porthmadog to Caernarfon on the north coast of the peninsula. This path forms part of the new Wales Coastal Path, 870 miles which runs round the entire Welsh coast. Pwllheli's popular open-air market on Wednesdays and Sundays (in Summer) is held in the square (Y Maes) and is always busy. The town is full of character with its narrow streets which have many independent shops, boutiques, traditional pubs, cafes and restaurants, as well as award-winning fish and chips, traditional Welsh ice-cream and seaside rock.

Surfing at Hell's Mouth Bay

 

Pwllheli harbour has a long history and wines from the continent were imported through here with the coast a haven for smugglers and pirates. As recently as the last century it was one of the main fishing and ship-building centres in North Wales with nearly 30 ships in production at the same time. The arrival of the railways here allowed it to develop further as a centre of social and political life, business and tourism. Its beaches are mainly south facing and have been awarded the prestigious European Blue Flag Award. Glan y Mor Beach is sandy and sheltered near the marina, thought to be one of the best in Britain with some 400 berths and is designated a 'European Centre of Excellence' in sailing and also the venue for a number of national as well as international sailing and water-sports events. South Beach is mainly shingle and pebble and stretches the length of the attractive seafront promenade with a play area and skate park nearby. Another hidden gem not far from Pwllheli is Porth Neigwl, a dog friendly rural beach popular with surfers and kayakers which stretches for around 4 miles with a car park 200m walk via footpath to the beach.  

Abersoch Beach

Ten miles further south we find the resort of Abersoch which grew up as a small fishing village but now concentrates on tourism and sailing activities. Abersoch's long stretch of golden sands makes it popular with families who return here year after year and the nearby beach at Hell's Mouth can have large swells making it popular for surfing. The village is known as an important centre for dinghy sailing, windsurfing and jet skiing. In the summer it hosts several wakeboarding events known as Wakestock and the Big Air. The long sandy beach and beautiful coastline make this a deserving part of this 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and it has a lively sailing and surfing scene along with plenty of other watersports. Fishing trips can be taken from here and boats can be chartered from the nearby marina at Pwllheli and there are boat trips from Abersoch out to the St Tudwals Islands just offshore to see the resident seals and other wildlife. Dolphins and seals can be seen and the area is popular with birdwatchers as it has buzzards, guillemots, puffins and whitethroats all nesting locally. Walkers will enjoy the superb coastal walks or try cycling, horse riding, or sea kayaking for a change of pace. Rock climbing and paintballing are all available in the area and golf can be played at the local 18-hole Abersoch Golf Club.

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