Sea holly, sulkies, Sumatran tigers and more: how to make the most of the Conwy County coast this spring and summer.

On 5 May 2022, Wales celebrated the tenth anniversary of the official launch of the Wales Coast Path. Here are ten adventures and places to discover just off the Conwy County section of the path, from Kinmel Bay to Llanfairfechan.

1 Kinmel Bay: Take a mindful nature walk in Kinmel Dunes Local Nature Reserve
Kinmel Dunes are among the last remaining fragments of duneland on the North Wales coast. That makes them pretty special. The one-mile Dunes Trail – designed with nature in mind – allows you to explore mindfully, without disturbing the wildflowers, animals and birds that grow, breed and forage in the reserve. In spring, sea holly and bird’s foot trefoil bloom here, orange tip butterflies flutter about, skylarks trill overhead and grey seals often pop up just offshore.

2 Towyn: Trot along to Tir Prince Leisure Park

Wales and Border Counties Harness Racing considers the distinctive sport of harness racing to be the equestrian world’s best kept secret. Relatively little known in the UK, it sends highly-trained horses careering around a course at a rapid trotting pace, pulling carts called sulkies. To discover what it’s all about, visit the Tir Prince Show Ground: forthcoming Saturday fixtures include  21 May and 11 June 2022. The Tir Prince leisure park also has funfair rides, amusements and car boot sales.

3 Abergele: Feel like a celebrity king or queen at Gwrych Castle

Rumour has it that ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! will return to the Australian jungle for its next series, but for many of its fans, the episodes filmed in North Wales during 2020 and 2021 were the best ever. Gwrych Castle provided such a fitting backdrop for the Turrets of Terror, Creepy Closets, Lethal Latrines and all the other challenges, it became a star of the show. To relive every gruesome moment, you can visit in person. Parts of the set, including the notorious Clink, have been left in place

4 Colwyn Bay: Learn about endangered species at Welsh Mountain Zoo

Home to chimps, lemurs, snow leopards and Sumatran tigers, Colwyn Bay’s friendly wildlife park is strong on education and conservation. Its keepers really know their stuff and can tell you about the natural habitat of the animals in their care, and the pressures they face in the wild. Either plan your route using the online map, or simply show up and wander around the beautifully kept gardens at your own pace – there’s something new to see around every corner

5 Rhos-on-Sea: Journey through time on the Imagine Trail

Created by 334 local historians, creatives and schoolkids, the Imagine Trail reveals there’s more to Rhos-on-Sea than meets the eye. Did you know, for example, that its Harlequin Puppet Theatre is the oldest marionette theatre in Britain, or that the golf club was the landing site for the first aeroplane to ever touch down in North Wales? The Imagine Trail app, free to download, sends you on a self-guided tour that brings this resort’s rich heritage alive through augmented reality, narration and other exciting features.

6 Llandudno: Delve into history in the Great Orme Mines

Ever since this underground wonder was discovered in 1987, scientists, geologists, archaeologists and cavers have been unlocking its secrets. So far, they’ve ventured along five miles of its tunnels. Created by Bronze Age copper miners, it’s the oldest known prehistoric mine in Europe. Visitors can wander through a 200-metre section of the complex, 50 steps below the surface: a chance to imagine what it might have been like for the miners who bored into the limestone, over 3,500 years ago.   

7 Llandudno Junction: Go on a wild orchid hunt in RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve

RSPB Conwy, the county’s pioneering rewilding project, is glorious at this time of year. Whether you’re a plant spotter, a keen birder or someone who simply loves being immersed in nature, there’s much to enjoy. In May, the bee orchids and marsh orchids are beginning to bloom. By June, there are five species to see, including one that’s unique to just a handful of spots in Wales. You’ll also see swallows zipping about, while willow warblers, sedge warblers and blackcaps fill the air with song.

8 Conwy: Take to the water with Sightseeing Cruises

Now that the weather is warmer and the coastal waters calmer, Conwy’s boat trip season is in full swing. Step off the coast path and onto the Queen Victoria or the Princess Louise for a half-hour cruise, and you’ll see Conwy’s famous castle from a different perspective, just as seafarers have down the centuries. Weather and tides permitting, Sightseeing Cruises also occasionally offer birdwatching trips. With binos at the ready, you’ll be scanning the shores for herons, egrets, curlews, cormorants and swans..               

9 Penmaenmawr: Discover stories from the past at the Penmaenmawr Museum

You can tell a great deal about the lives of ordinary people from the objects they leave behind after they’re gone. Penmaenmawr’s independent, volunteer-run community museum assembles plenty of these, such as vintage photographs, a 5,000-year-old axe-head and a 19th century bugle used to warn the local quarries’ thousand-strong workforce of imminent blasting. Located in an upcycled post office, this fascinating museum has been revamped thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant.

10 Llanfairfechan: Feel like a kid again on Llanfairfechan Beach

Llanfairfechan Beach has broad sands at low tide, water that’s perfect for swimming as well as boating, and a wonderfully old-fashioned feel. This is a nature hotspot, too, perched at the foot of the Snowdonia National Park and adjacent to the Traeth Lafan Nature Reserve, whose tidal mudflats attract water birds such as red-breasted mergansers and oystercatchers.