The Llŷn Peninsula rewards those who explore it slowly. The big draw is the coastline — some of the cleanest beaches in Wales, dramatic headlands, and the pilgrimage island of Bardsey sitting off the tip. But the peninsula also has architectural surprises at its eastern edge: the fantastical Italian village of Portmeirion and the narrow-gauge Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog.
Bardsey Island is the spiritual heart of the peninsula — a place of extraordinary atmosphere, known for centuries as the "Island of 20,000 Saints." Reaching it requires a boat from Aberdaron and some cooperation from the weather. Porth Oer (Whistling Sands) on the north coast delivers one of Wales's most distinctive beach experiences: the dry sand actually squeaks underfoot. Portmeirion, just east of the peninsula, is an Italianate folly village that must be seen to be believed — and the Ffestiniog Railway at Porthmadog is the finest narrow-gauge line in Britain.
For history, Criccieth Castle stands on a promontory over the sea, and St Hywyn's Church in Aberdaron was the last resting place for pilgrims before the crossing to Bardsey.