Top Choice

Great Orme

Llundudno beach at sundown with the Great Orme

From the top of the vast, windswept limestone plateau known as the Great Orme (Y Gogarth), you get all-encompassing views across the restless Irish Sea, the mountains of the Carneddau range, and Anglesey's shores. Named after an Old Norse word for "sea serpent," this giant looms over Llandudno. Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the headland is home to a cornucopia of flowers, endemic butterflies and seabirds, and is best explored on three waymarked walking trails leading to the summit.

Of the trails, the Haulfre Gardens Trail is the easiest to negotiate. At various points you can find a Neolithic burial chamber, a Bronze Age mine, the remains of an Iron Age fort, an ancient church dedicated to Llandudno's namesake, St Tudno, and a herd of around 150 wild Kashmir mountain goats. At the summit there's a cafe, and the Great Orme Country Park Visitor Centre, which has lots of fascinating displays, including a 15-minute video.

Get here by car, on foot, on two wheels or via the tramway or cable car.

Book popular activities

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.


Must-see attractions