A Guide To Buying A Holiday Home In Wales

Wales is known for its beautiful, lush landscape, its golden sandy beaches and a whole host of historic castles to discover.

For walkers, Snowdon is Wales’ highest mountain and the Snowdonia landscape offers soaring peaks, deep valleys and various paths to choose to take your route to the top. In addition, for those looking to go the distance, the Wales Coast Path is a designated long-distance trail which follows, or runs close to, the coastline of Wales, at a collosal distance of 870 miles – you can of course walk shorter sections of the route.

With three National Parks, the outdoors is on your doorstep in Wales. There's Snowdonia National Park in North Wales and the Brecon Beacons National Park in the south. For coastal lovers, head to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in West Wales – designated primarily for its stunning coastline, where nowhere in the park is more than 10 miles from the sea. 

Ready to enjoy all that Wales has to offer in your leisure time? Our Complete Guide to Buying a Holiday Home covers all the key information you need and answers the most common questions about the purchase of a holiday home.

Possibly the most famous icon of North Wales, Snowdon offers plenty for the outdoor enthusiast, but the north also has plenty more up its sleeve… 

Walking in Snowdonia will reward you with stunning views from on high and picturesque villages scattered down below. Whether you want to conquer the 1,085-metre peak of Snowdon on foot or take a leisurely train ride to the summit, the weather can change quickly here and no two days (or views) are ever the same. 

If leisurely walks are more your pace then stay closer to the ground and wander the pretty villages and towns, browsing the shops and watching the world go by from cafés. One such café that should definitely be visited is Tu Hwnt I’r Bont tearoom, set in the market town of Llanrwst on the northeast edge of Snowdonia National Park. A picture-postcard location, the award-winning, ivy-covered tearoom lies on the west bank of the River Conwy. 

The north of Wales is also home to many a castle, with two of our favourites detailed here. The first is Beaumaris, located on the Isle of Anglesey. Reached by road from the mainland, Anglesey is known for its beaches and ancient sites. Beaumaris Castle has a unique and perfectly symmetrical concentric ‘walls within walls’ design involving four successive lines of fortifications. 

The second is the brute of a fortress at Caernarfon with its polygonal towers of colour-coded stones arranged in bands, on the banks of the River Seiont. Caernarfon Castle is so impressive that it was deemed worthy of World Heritage status. 

In Mid Wales there are plenty of must-visit towns, must-see places, and outdoor activities to enjoy.

Towns worthy of your time include Welshpool, just three miles from the England border, home to Powis Castle and Garden, and with streets lined with Georgian buildings. There's also Builth Wells, alongside the River Wye, and Devil’s Bridge, 12 miles from Aberystwyth, famous for its waterfall, and the terminus of the scenic Vale of Rheidol Railway – a narrow gauge heritage railway.

Golf and fishing can be enjoyed in abundance in Mid Wales, and for walkers both Glyndŵr’s Way and Offa’s Dyke national trails pass through the region. Walk for as little or as far as you like along these long-distance routes. For more gentle strolls and family-friendly trails, head to Clywedog Lake, a huge man-made reservoir with viewing points and a host of wildlife to be spotted around the shoreline and in the surrounding woods.

Coastal lovers should head for the west coast of Wales. Snowdonia boasts 200 miles of glorious coastline, where you’ll find secluded bays, sheltered harbours and vast open beaches. Barmouth is a popular coastal resort in southern Snowdonia, with big beaches, a picturesque harbour and spectacular sunsets.

Another highlight of this area is the the truly extraordinary village of Portmeirion. Set on its own private peninsula, this Italianate-style village has a romantic clifftop location. The pastel-painted buildings are a treat for the eyes and there are 70 acres of woodland and subtropical gardens filled with exotic plants.

Furthest west in Wales, and set within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is the smallest city in Britain – St Davids. The city status comes from its magnificent cathedral, which nestles in a hollow, alongside the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace, the dramatic backdrop for open-air theatre performances in the summer. You can also book boat trips, from companies in the city centre, that head out to Ramsey Island, an RSPB nature reserve renowned for its high sea cliffs, breeding seabirds and a massive grey seal colony.