{"id":727,"date":"2019-08-14T12:21:42","date_gmt":"2019-08-14T11:21:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/menai.cottage-search.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/16\/natural-wonders-of-the-llyn-peninsula\/"},"modified":"2023-07-25T14:24:37","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T13:24:37","slug":"natural-wonders-of-the-llyn-peninsula","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/natural-wonders-of-the-llyn-peninsula\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Natural Wonders of the Ll\u0177n Peninsula"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a great deal to take in on the Llyn Peninsula<\/a>, and sometimes it\u2019s hard to fit everything in. The Llyn is one of the most stunning regions in the British Isles, famous for its unspoilt natural beauty. It is therefore little wonder that the top 10 wonders of the Llyn Peninsula are naturally occurring phenomena.<\/p>\n

These phenomena are sometimes dictated by the seasons and the weather. However, if you\u2019re visiting at the right time, they\u2019re worth putting in your schedule and trying to experience.<\/p>\n

\n

1.\u00a0 Wales Coast Path<\/h2>\n

The walk from Aberdaron<\/a> along the Wales Coastal Path takes you past Porth Meudwy, where the boat to Bardsey launches. It\u2019s a pretty little cove with some great rock formations and caves to explore. It\u2019s also a working port and so there is usually some action going on with boat launches and tractors for children to enjoy.<\/p>\n

Continue along the path that cuts up the steep steps on the far side of the beach. It gradually climbs up the headland to the furthest end of the Llyn Peninsula and the tip of the Dragon\u2019s Tail.<\/p>\n

When you reach the brow of the hill, the wind picks up and get your first view of the majestic Bardsey Island across the churning and dramatic seas of the Bardsey Sound. I think it\u2019s breath-taking and you can only imagine how the pilgrims felt upon seeing it for the first-time when paying it a visit.<\/p>\n

\"Porth<\/p>\n

\n

2. Seagull Caves of St Tudwal\u2019s West<\/h2>\n

The caves and the half-tide rocks should definitely be described as one of the natural wonders of the Llyn Peninsula.\u00a0If you can get out on a boat off the south coast of the Llyn Peninsula, ask the captain to take you to the seas surrounding St. Tudwal\u2019s Islands.<\/p>\n

Both islands are privately owned and so access is restricted. However, if you sail around the islands, there is a fantastic inlet into the rock on St. Tudwal\u2019s East (the one without the lighthouse<\/a> on.) There is a wonderful \u201ccave\u201d where the seagulls nest that you can easily view from a boat without getting too close to the rocks.<\/p>\n

The bird calls and their flights and landings are spectacular to see. On the return trip, you can navigate the \u201cHalf Tide Rocks\u201d which is the perfect place to view the resident grey seal population. It\u2019s a wonderful trip and worth chartering a boat to enjoy. There are wildlife trips that leave from both Abersoch<\/a> and Pwllheli<\/a> with captains that know the seas and all that they offer.<\/p>\n

Check out these top things to do near Abersoch<\/a> for some more travel inspiration in the area.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

3. Bluebell Woods in Llanystumdwy<\/h2>\n

In May, along the river banks, are one of the most stunning displays of bluebells, a real sensory overload.<\/p>\n

Park on the road in the small village of Llanystumdwy and head down the banks of the river on the path from the grave of Lloyd George. Proceed down the path for about 400 yards and the bluebells increase in abundance to the point where the whole of the forest floor is a carpet of blue.<\/p>\n

There are some fantastic picnic spots on the route of the banks of the river and the smell from the flowers is incredible.<\/p>\n

\n

4.\u00a0The Winllan Woods<\/h2>\n

This is something of a personal one to our family, but when the weather is a bit grotty, we love being in the woods that back on to our house. The Winllan Woods cover the headland above Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw in Llanbedrog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are numerous marked trails through the woods and we go searching for fairies and leave coins for them, hammered into old tree stumps, as seems to be the tradition. One of our favourite things to search for is the tree that my husband and his two naughty friends carved their names into back in 1983 (which we advise against the children doing!) It\u2019s still going strong and there to see for anyone who fancies looking for it.<\/p>\n

\n

5. Natural Swimming Pool at Porth Ceiriad<\/h2>\n

This is something of a local secret, so don\u2019t be telling everyone. At half-tide on the rocks below the headland at Porth Ceiriad, there is a wonderful naturally occurring swimming pool that forms for about two hours on either side of the tide.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about 12 metres long by 3 metres wide and about 1 metre deep. If you make your way down the steep steps on to the beach at high tide you can wait for the tide to drop. Make your way down the rocks to the left-hand side of the beach (if you\u2019re looking out to sea) and you will come across it.<\/p>\n

\n

6. Fishing at Llanbedrog<\/h2>\n

Fish for razor clams on the beach at low tide in Llanbedrog<\/a> is a special experience and great fun for little ones. At low tide, the sea on Llanbedrog beach retreats to way beyond the tip of the headland.<\/p>\n

Head down there with some good old-fashioned table salt and \u201cfish\u201d for razor clams using an age-old technique of putting a dash of salt down one of the small holes that appear in the wet sand. The holes are no bigger than a 5 pence piece, so you must look carefully. They usually appear halfway between the high and low tide mark.<\/p>\n

After putting the salt down the hole, wait about a minute you will see the long thin, jelly-like \u201cfoot\u201d of the razor clam push itself out of the sand. Gently but firmly pull at the foot and the whole clam will come away. If you collect about 10, they are delicious in pasta and can be cooked in the same way as a bowl of mussels.<\/p>\n

\"Fishing<\/p>\n

\n

7. Gimblet Rock<\/h2>\n

Particularly after a storm, the beach is an exciting place for those who love foraging. In the winter the rough seas in Cardigan Bay can often bring a lot of flotsam and jetsam into the beaches.<\/p>\n

During stormy weather, you can head down to the beach off Gimblet Rock in Pwllheli<\/a> and you will find scallops, still alive, that have been washed in from the scallop beds just offshore. You can tell that they are still alive as they will snap shut when you pick them up. We think they\u2019re delicious grilled in their half shell with some butter and a slice of chorizo.<\/p>\n

\n

8. Summit of Garn Ganol<\/h2>\n

There is a walk that we enjoy without our young children as it\u2019s steep in parts. However, the view at the end is well worth it. If you park in the car park before the steep ascent down to Nant Gwrtheyrn, you ascend the cat track that cuts up between Yr Eifl to the highest point on the Llyn Peninsula, the summit of Garn Ganol at 564m.<\/p>\n

The 360 views show the natural wonders of the Ll\u0177n Peninsula in all its glory. You can see the outline of the coast on all sides plus the land over towards the Snowdonia<\/a> Mountain Range. After a great many years of travelling the world, there are few sights that could beat this.<\/p>\n

\"Nant<\/p>\n

\n

9. Nant Gwrtheryn<\/h2>\n

The marvel that is the village of Nant Gwrtheryn always amazes me. It is unbelievable that an entire community including a church and school thrived for centuries at the base of one of the steepest valleys. Even today, the road down is steep and winding.<\/p>\n

However, you can drive down in the car and pay a visit to the lovely restaurant and visitor centre. There is a lot to learn about this unique village and the community that lived there.<\/p>\n

\n

10. Lyn Peninsula Coastline<\/h2>\n

Possibly the most awe-inspiring natural wonder on the Ll\u0177n Peninsula is the sea that surrounds the coastline. It is the most beautiful and welcoming, yet areas of it are some of the most treacherous in the world. It\u2019s quite amazing to look into how many shipwrecks are lying beneath the waves. To dive amongst them is a real treat if you get the chance.<\/p>\n

\"Llanbedrog<\/p>\n

\n

Stay in one of our Llyn Peninsula cottages<\/a> and enjoy a holiday to this beautiful arm of North Wales.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a great deal to take in on the Llyn Peninsula, and sometimes it\u2019s hard to fit everything in. The Llyn is one of the most stunning regions in the British Isles, famous for its unspoilt natural beauty. It is therefore little wonder that the top 10 wonders of the Llyn Peninsula are naturally […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":1757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[814],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","location-llyn-peninsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=727"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8603,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727\/revisions\/8603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.menaiholidays.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}