Waterside campsites near Porthmadog

Enticing shoreline beckons across the Afon Glaslyn river mouth south from Porthmadog, fanning along eastern Tremadog Bay. Morfa Harlech NNR’s wildlife-rich dune systems and Morfa Dyffryn’s vast sands are the headline acts here. A skyline featuring Snowdonia’s pointy peaks and the Llyn’s sand-flanked coast edges miles of paradisiacal beach, making for mesmerising places to pitch. At Shell Island, north of Morfa Dyffryn, is one of Europe’s biggest, best-located campsites: 300 acres of pitch-where-you-choose camping on grass-topped dunes.

The rocky area around Moel Hebog (2,569 feet) is about the closest part of Snowdonia National Park to Porthmadog, rising above Cwm Pennant, five miles northwest. From the top gorgeous views spill over the mountains and the Llyn Peninsula, and Moel yr Ogof’s intriguing cave where Welsh freedom fighter Owain Glyndŵr once hid awaits. Excellent hikes begin in Cwm Pennant, perhaps Snowdonia’s loveliest valley, and head onto the peaks.

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is Wales’ most popular outdoor playground – and Britain’s highest land south of Scotland’s Highlands. Main trailhead Llanberis also has a railway coiling up the peak, yet other routes onto Snowdon run from closer points like Beddgelert, eight miles north of Porthmadog and Rhyd-ddu, 11 miles north. Snowdon is busy, but plot a hike away from it and you’ll find fantastic, less-frequented mountain country lands.