Wales Itinerary

We stayed in Holyhead (on the coast) on the way from London to catch a ferry to Dublin. Wales is gorgeous! There was a small lighthouse and hike a few miles out of town we did, but we didn't have much chance for exploring elsewhere. I know on the isle of Anglesey there is a ton of outdoor adventure stuff to do (caving, rafting, climbing, and so on). I did notice on the drive that Betws-y-Coed seemed to have a lot going on in the way of small town tourism, I would recommend at least giving it a quick google search.

How much time do you have for Wales?

We have 11 days.

Okay, that's a lot for many people. I can whirlwind somebody through the best stuff in about four or five. Here's the route that will pick up the seven best intact castles - - but keep in mind there must be at least three or four hundred and I've neither seen all of the ruins nor spent long at the ones I have seen. Starting at the Severn Bridge: Chepstow, Caerphilly, Kidwelly, Pembroke, Harlech, Caernarfon, Conwy. The two best are Chepstow (small enough so you can see how a castle is supposed to work) and Harlch (ties as one of the two best castles in the world). Conwy is good, but over-rated in comparison to the others, but it made the RS list. You'll need two to three hours for each. Caernarfon can really slow you down if you spend a lot of time in the regimental museum. The best coastline is part of the Pembrokesire Coast Path on the west side of Cardigan Bay. Porthmadog is a neat little town that most people miss. It's also a terminus of the little Ffestiniog Railway. Betws-y-Coed is pretty much of a tourist trap, but it's a good little base for Snowdonia - - on the other hand, Portmadog's only about thirty minutes away. Don't make any scenic railway reservations in advance - - you might get weathered out. You can find plenty of places to rest your head when you're done for the day - - no need beating yourself to death in advance.

The above should easily use up six or seven days. For the other few, you'd have a choice of running the middle of the country along the drover trails (the castle route, above, follows the coast in a track like the letter 'C'), working up the Wye Valley, or sticking in Anglesey between Caernarfon and Conwy. It's a hard choice, but I'd pick the latter. Cardiff is worth a night and a day. Catch the National Museum and do a harbor tour, skip the castle. Tintern Abbey is just north of Chepstow and worth a quick stop. What I haven't touched on are megaliths and iron age hill forts, both a study of their own. Repost if you have any interest. Most will require some serious tromping.

I agree with all of Ed's suggestions, but would add that somewhere in your trip you should try to stay on a farm for a few nights. IMO, Staying in the countryside is the best way to really experience Wales. There are many B & B farm stays throughout Wales.