While prices have risen since the Victorian era, this town is still a budget-friendly destination (Image: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images)
I love a seaside break, even in autumn and winter when the waves are crashing and the wind is whipping. There’s something nice about wrapping up and strolling along the promenade with a hot chocolate in hand.
I’ve always been a fan of one coastal town in Wales that’s affordable and quietly reinventing itself, bringing new life to its traditional seaside charm. Llandudno, known as ‘The Queen of the Welsh Resorts’, has long drawn visitors to its breezy shores and recently topped Taking Care’s list of best places to retire, beating spots like Glossop, Tynemouth and Ilfracombe.
But while it clearly appeals to retirees, there’s still plenty here to keep younger visitors entertained. It has a long history, stretching from Neolithic settlements to Bronze Age copper mining. In 1848, architect Owen Williams planned it as a seaside resort. The arrival of the railway in 1858 made it easier for people to travel there, and it quickly became a popular holiday spot for wealthy wellness seekers.
Happily, the town has managed to retain its traditional coastal vibe and still features grand Victorian buildings, a long promenade, and a classic pier, the longest in Wales.
Llandudno Bay and its iconic pier (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
While prices have risen since the Victorian era, Llandudno remains a budget-friendly destination for families and couples, with a range of affordable hotels, guesthouses, and cottages.
If you look at prices on sites like booking.com and kayak, you can find hotels for £83, houses for £66, and cottages for £90. Prices do, of course, depend on factors such as the size of the accommodation and the length of stay.
The seafront is the centre of the town, and several properties are located on the two-mile curving Victorian promenade that runs through most of Llandudno’s North Shore.
The road, collectively known as The Parade, has a different name for each block, and many of Llandudno’s hotels are built on these parades and crescents.
The shifting sandbanks on Llandudno’s West Shore are quickly submerged when the tide comes in (Image: Hadyn Iball/North Wales Live)
There are also a number of boutique shops, independent restaurants, churches, and museums to explore on the promenade and across the town.
Adjacent to the parade is the North Shore Beach, which is Llandudno’s primary beach. It is the larger of the two beaches here and is sheltered by two headlands – Great Orme and Little Orme.
While it might not be the sandiest of beaches in Wales, it is one of the more traditional with a promenade, pier, boat rides, deckchair rentals, donkey rides, ice creams, live music from the bandstand, and a Punch and Judy show.
Established in 1860, this is Britain’s oldest-running Punch and Judy show. It is performed by the fifth generation of the Codman family, using the original hand-carved and painted puppets made from driftwood collected on the beach.
If you want to swim or sunbathe on the beach during the summer season, there are some sandy sections, but towards high tide, it is mainly pebbles. The main draw here is the impressive Llandudno pier.
Stretching 700m into the Irish Sea from the North Wales mainland, Llandudno Pier is the longest pier in Wales and one of the longest in the UK. This year, it won the prestigious Pier of the Year award voted by the members of the National Piers Society.
The win is even more special as the historic structure, built between 1876 and 1878, was badly damaged during Storm Darragh in December 2024.
A pier hut was blown across the boardwalk, causing major damage to slate roofs on other shacks. As a result, parts of the pier were closed for months.
Rising above the traditional seaside town of Llandudno, the Great Orme is a striking limestone headland with a prehistoric story buried beneath its heather-clad slopes (Image: Getty)
It’s now open to the public and buzzing with attractions, arcade rides, stalls, and a big wheel. The Deck Arcade, housed in the original Victorian bandstand at the pier head, offers games and spectacular views of Llandudno Bay.
Leisure Island is the main arcade at Llandudno Pier and has a prize shop where you can exchange your tickets for a variety of treats.
For food, the Pier Grill and Ice Cream Parlour is located at the start of the pier and serves classic burgers, chips, and ice cream. Stroll the wide boardwalk and you’ll also find a traditional sweet and rock shop, cheese stall, and Welsh gin and whisky kiosk.
For epic sunsets and cocktails, call into the Ocean Bar. Located at the end of the pier with epic views of Llandudno Bay and Great Orme, you can sip ice-cold beers and colourful cocktails while enjoying live music.
Stretching 700 metres into the Irish Sea from the North Wales mainland, Llandudno Pier is the longest pier in Wales (Image: Portia Jones)
Along the pier, promenade, and main beach, there are also other beaches in this area that you can explore when the sun is out.
While the popular North Shore Beach draws considerable crowds, Llandudno also features another sandy stretch that remains a ‘hidden gem’ for countless visitors. Found on the far side of the headland lies West Shore Beach, an isolated cove fringed by undulating dunes.
This serene spot offers a peaceful contrast to the animated North Shore Beach, making it perfect for those yearning for a quiet retreat from Llandudno’s primary tourist hotspots.
The beach was also named one of the UK’s best beaches. Travelodge’s survey described Llandudno beach as “one of the most beautiful spots in north Wales”, framed by undulating sand dunes and the Great Orme headland.
A vibrant sunset over the popular seaside resort town (Image: Scott Heaney via Getty Images)
The hotel chain says its placement on the quieter side of the town means it offers a “peaceful retreat from the bustle of the pier and arcade”.
“You can marvel at breathtaking views of Conwy Bay and estuary and even see the Snowdonia (Eryri) mountains on a clear day,” it adds.
Across the town and surrounding headlands, there are plenty of other attractions and natural sights. The Home Front Museum tells the story of civilian life in the Second World War, and for whisky connoisseurs, you can try a cheeky Welsh tipple at the new Penderyn Distillery site.
On the one-hour tour, you can discover the history of Penderyn, the building, and how the whisky is made. Then you can sample the whisky in the tasting bar. Masterclasses are also available.
The West Shore beach in Llandudno at sunset. (Image: IanGoodPhotography via Getty Images)
For food in lovely surroundings, head to Dylan’s Llandudno – one of five locations of the family-run restaurant chain known for using locally-sourced produce and seafood.
Inside the restaurant, you’ll find gorgeous décor, including a huge low-relief map which nearly covers one wall upstairs.
Sculpted by Jane Evans, the map is based on Thomas Condor’s 1784 work, titled New and Correct Map of North Wales.
For lunch, the Loaf Coffee and Sandwich Bar serves artisanal coffees and delicious, freshly made soups and sandwiches. Definitely try their Welsh rarebit or hand-battered cod and chips.
A fairground ride on Llandudno Pier (Image: Andrew Forgrave)
For ice cream, visit Welsh institution Parisella’s. Situated in the Happy Valley area of the town, it was recently named by The Times as one of the tastiest seaside ice creams in the UK.
After food, why not explore the rest of the town? The best place to take in all the sights is the Great Orme tramway and cable car, which houses the Llandudno Snowsports Centre at the top.
The Great Orme Tramway first opened in 1902 and is Britain’s only cable-hauled public road tramway. The Tramway climbs a mile high up the Great Orme Country Park and Nature Reserve. The unique journey begins at Victoria Station and ends at the Halfway Station exhibition.
You can change trams there and continue your journey to the summit of the Great Orme. This striking limestone headland has a prehistoric story buried beneath its heather-clad slopes. In the 12th century, the Welsh poet Gwalchmai ap Meilyr referred to it as Cyngreawdr Fynydd.
Its English name, Great Orme, comes from the Old Norse word for sea serpent and is likely inspired by the headland’s curving serpentine shape as it juts into the sea. It’s famously home to the Great Orme Kashmiri goats, whose ancestors once roamed the mountains of Northern India, Ladakh, Kashmir, the Iranian plateau, or the Afghan highlands.
While the two-mile-long Great Orme is also best known for its vintage tram and spectacular views from the 679ft (207m) summit, it has a hidden history you might not be aware of.
This nature reserve is home to miles of underground copper mines, estimated to have produced enough copper to make nearly 2,000 tons of bronze.
More than five miles of explored tunnels and passageways are here. In 2005, the Guinness World Records team awarded them the title of The Largest Prehistoric Copper Mines in the World.
Llandudno’s two wooden jetties run almost parallel to the resort’s Victorian Pier, overlooked by the Grand Hotel (Image: Google)
Today, these copper mines are an unusual but fascinating tourist attraction. While some sections of this historic mine are closed to the public, one section is open for self-guided tours, part of the Bronze Age mining experience that the kids will love.
The Great Orme Mine tour takes around 45 minutes and includes the visitor centre, an introductory film, and a walk through eerie tunnels mined more than 3,500 years ago.
Here, you can imagine what conditions might have been like for miners back then in low-lit, tiny tunnels that were at risk of flooding.
A surface walk traverses the smelting shelter and opencast mine, the oldest part of the site, mined more than 4,000 years ago.
One of the best things to do here is to take a historic tram trip up the Great Orme. (Image: Portia Jones)
The 200m underground and dog-friendly visitor route takes you down two levels of the mine, accessed via a series of slopes and staircases. The temperature in the mine ranges from 5°C to 8°C, so make sure you wrap up before you head underground.
Make sure to pop into the visitor centre, which features a model of a Bronze Age village depicting life in the Bronze Age. You can also look at original 4,000-year-old Bronze Age artefacts and a selection of Bronze Age mining tools. Current ticket prices are £33.50 for a family ticket. You can find more information on their website.
Another way to reach the Great Orme and mines is via the cable car system. Opened on June 30, 1969, the Llandudno Cable Cars are the longest passenger cable car system in Britain.
As the Llandudno Cable Cars glide silently from Happy Valley to the summit of the Great Orme, 679ft up, you can take in the jaw-dropping panoramic views.