Porthmadog Holiday Cottages
Porthmadog is a bustling harbour town with access to Black Rocks beach only 5 minutes drive away. It is a great location point for exploring the Llyn Peninsula as well as the more mountainous regions in land. A great selection of cafes and restaurants are situated on the high street along with gift shops.
Porthmadog
A popular harbour town on the west coast of Eryri (Snowdonia), Porthmadog is a great destination for all ages and holiday preferences.
The town has a bustling high street full of independent shops, as well as an excellent selection of restaurants and cafés. Nearby day trips include Harlech, Criccieth, and the beautiful mountain village of Beddgelert.
The much-loved fantasy village of Portmeirion is just a couple of miles down the road, and Porthmadog is right at the gateway to Pen Llŷn (the Llŷn Peninsula), home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK.
Things to do in Porthmadog
If ever there were a place to sit back and enjoy the nostalgic pleasure of steam, this is it. Jump on board the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways in the centre of Porthmadog to enjoy comfortable plush carriages and the gentle chuff of the engine as it moves through spectacular mountain landscapes.
The railway was originally built to transport Welsh slate from Eryri’s mountains to Porthmadog’s harbour. Find out more about the local slate, shipping, and ship building tradition by visiting the Porthmadog Maritime Museum on the harbour.
If you’re a fan of real ales, you can’t come to Porthmadog without visiting the Purple Moose microbrewery and shop – a great place to stock up on some flavoursome beers brewed right here in North Wales. Explore the high street to enjoy some of the town’s many independent shops and cafes, including the iconic Browsers Bookshop.
The nearest swim-friendly beach is at Morfa Bychan / Black Rock Sands. If you’d like to try some surfing or bodyboarding, head to Harlech beach for consistent rolling waves and beautiful views of the Gwynedd coastline stretching to the north and south.
Eryri’s huge adventure playground is right on Porthmadog’s doorstep – from oodles of organic free stuff like mountain walks, wild swimming, and mountain biking, to world-class adventure experiences like Zip World and Go Below. Nearby Harlech boasts a spectacular medieval castle as well as one of the UK’s best links golf courses at Royal St David’s. Fancy a round?
Off the beaten track ideas:
Explore secret beaches – Porthmadog sits at the gateway to Pen Llŷn, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a real gem of the British Isles. One of the least explored parts of Wales, it is the kind of place where you can take a picnic to a ‘secret’ cove or beach and feel like you have the whole place to yourself – because you probably will. Head to Pen Llŷn’s Porth Iago, Porth Oer (Whistling Sands) and Porth Ysgo to enjoy some of the best ‘secret’ beaches’ in the UK.
Book an epic adventure in Eryri – for guided adventure activities in some of the UK’s most awe-inspiring mountain landscapes, check in with Snowdonia Adventure Activities. They offer expert guides for gorge scrambling, canyoning, stand up paddleboarding, scrambling and plenty more. Based in Llanbedr, 12 miles.
Porthmadog is a coastal town in Gwynedd, Wales, on the Glaslyn Estuary. To the west of Eryri’s mountains, it is a short distance from Criccieth, Harlech, and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
There is no shortage of excellent independent cafés and restaurants in and near Porthmadog. Some of our favourites include Breaktimes, and The Port Deli and Café. Head to the Eating Gorilla in nearby Penryndeudraeth for an excellent vegan menu. Y Sgwar and Yr Hen Fecws are both excellent restaurants in Porthmadog, and it is worth the short drive to Criccieth to experience Dylan’s delicious seafood and pizza in a gorgeous Art Deco seafront setting.
Porthmadog is just two miles from Portmeirion. Designed by Welsh Architect Clough Williams-Ellis in the early 20th century, Portmeirion Village is an eccentric collection of Riviera-inspired houses, ornamental gardens and colour washed villas. It is also home to the spectacular Gwyllt woodland – ten hectares of trees and ornamental shrubs, with big views over the Dwyryd Estuary towards Harlech. There are plenty of cafés and shops to browse, and fabulous Italian Gelati at Caffi’r Angel. Lunch on the lawn outside the beautiful Art Deco Hotel Portmeirion is the perfect holiday treat.
