Criccieth Castle stands on a rocky headland above Cardigan Bay, commanding views in every direction — across the water to the Cambrian Mountains and back along the coast toward Snowdonia. It was built by the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great in the early 13th century, later extended by his grandson Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, and then captured and modified by Edward I after his conquest of Wales. In 1404, it was taken and burned by Owain Glyndŵr during the Welsh uprising and never rebuilt.
What remains is a substantial ruin with a distinctive double-towered gatehouse and stretches of curtain wall. The setting is the real attraction — the castle sits on a natural promontory between two beaches, and the views from the walls justify the modest admission charge on their own. The town of Criccieth below has a pleasant high street, and Cadwaladr's ice cream shop is an institution worth visiting.
The Lloyd George Museum, commemorating the Welsh-born Prime Minister David Lloyd George, is a short drive east along the coast in Llanystumdwy.