Holiday rentals in Barmouth

Barmouth is one of Wales’ most dramatic and beautiful coastal towns. With three miles of sandy beach that sit against the mountainous backdrop of Southern Snowdonia, it emerges from the estuary of the mighty Afon Mawddach (Mawddach River) at the end of a North Wales valley where gold was once mined. Unsurprisingly, this landscape is beloved by hikers, swimmers, and cyclists, and has been celebrated by English writers such as William Wordsworth. Barmouth itself has shops, cafés, and arcades, and in the summer a fun fair, donkey rides, and a land train along the promenade make it a popular destination with families. Its historical quarters also give the town a distinctive character. Barmouth Old Town is dotted with slate-roofed cottages, accessed not by road but by steep stone staircases, while the town’s maritime history is celebrated by museums overlooking the wild Irish Sea.

Summer is busy in Barmouth, but with three miles of beach, there is room for families, couples, and solo travellers to spread out and enjoy both sand and tide. The town is also protected by mountains — locals think of them as guards against the weather — so Barmouth is often warmer than other parts of North Wales, including in autumn and winter. This means the town is a great place for festivals out of summer season: September brings the Heart of Wales Lorry Rally and in October, the Motocross Festival, where hundreds of motorbikes and quad bikes race by the shore. Some shops and cafes shut for the winter, but it’s a lovely time for walking, especially when the snow settles thickly on the nearby peaks.

Dinas Oleu

Walk through the steep narrow streets of Barmouth Old Town to this gorgeous gorse-covered hill, which provides one of the best views in all of Wales. On a clear day, you can see the whole expanse of the West Wales coastline, undulating with bays and coves, and the 58,000 acres of Snowdonia.

The Dragon Theatre

A gorgeous independent cinema in one of Barmouth’s former chapels, The Dragon Theatre has been run by the community since the mid-20th century. The distinctive turquoise and red mosaic dragon above its doors is a much-loved emblem of the town.

The Mawddach Trail

This beautiful, flat, and accessible 9.5-mile route along the old railway track on the southern side of the Mawddach Estuary is suitable for walkers, cyclists, and wheelchair users. It begins in the slate-roofed market town of Dolgellau before following the river to Barmouth. There are other well-loved trails like the New Precipice, on the old goldmine tramway, and the tough 27-mile Mawddach Round, which takes in the mountains Cadair Idris to the south and Diffwys to the north.