16 adventures for your Wales family holiday
Family holidays in Wales can take a lot of different looks, from serene outdoor getaways with hiking, cycling and kayaking on the open waters to thrilling waterslides and splash parks. You can find toddler play areas, rustic log cabins, exciting live entertainment and all manner of other pursuits to keep everyone active and entertained.
Whether you stay in a Wales holiday park, head for action and adventure in the outdoors, or choose a place that’s tot-friendly, you’re sure to find the solution to create memories that will last a lifetime. Check out some great adventures to have on your Wales family holiday.
Explore Wales holiday parks
1. Shoot archery at Hafan y MôrHoliday Park
Hafan y Môr Holiday Park offers a wide range of attractions to keep the entire family entertained for your whole stay without ever leaving. The grown-ups can visit the bar and catch live shows in the evening, and the kids will love the waterslides and bubble pool. Adults can relax on the lazy river, and if you’re into more active adventures, you’ll find bungee trampolines and activities like an archery range and fencing classes.
Play areas are on offer for the little ones, and you can even play paintball or try your hand at an outdoor survival course at Dragon Raiders paintball park and Dragon Lake Adventure Village. Criccieth Castle lets you climb the parapets and look out over the picturesque bay below.
2. Have animal adventures at Kiln Park Holiday Centre
Kiln Park Holiday Centre puts you within easy reach of many different attractions, making it among the more popular Wales family holiday parks. It’s an easy walk from the park to the beach with golden sands and cool, clear waters. The park itself has both indoor and outdoor pools, so you can go for a swim even on rainy days.
You can head for the Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo to have an animal adventure or visit Millie’s Cookies for fresh-based sweet treats. Grab a table and a bite while you catch live entertainment, zoom around go-kart tracks or tackle the high-flying ropes trail. Climb the towers of Carew Castle and overlook a millpond spanning 23 acres.
3. Swim, jump and play at Trecco Bay Holiday Park
Trecco Bay Holiday Park is a fantastic option for family breaks in Wales, with tons of options for kid-friendly activities. It’s just a stone’s throw from one of the country’s Blue Flag beaches, and you can choose from a lodge or a caravan to stay. The indoor pool ensures that even when the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can still go for a dip or lounge poolside with a drink and a good book.
Trecco Bay is one of the largest holiday parks in the UK and features a high ropes course, bungee trampolines and an outdoor splash park. Head out for the bay nearby to go rock-pooling. Special Kids’ Club experiences ensure that no matter how old or young your little ones are, they’ll still have a great time with youth activities and costumed characters.
4. Find endless fun at Bluestone National Park Resort
Bluestone National Park Resort offers a full luxury experience that’s among the best family holidays in Wales. It has a massive indoor pool, a subtropical ‘Blue Lagoon’ area and the unique and fun Serendome, a completely covered area that’s large enough to enjoy what are normally outdoor activities, but you can do it even when the weather is bad.
Outdoors, it features a lake that allows you to get out and take on water sports like coracle racing or kayaking. The park spans over 200 hectares and offers both lodges and cottages in which to stay. On-premises restaurants and shopping are available. You can go on nature walks or get pampered at the Well Spa. Kids can attend a Myths and Legends workshop, ride the Wacky Racers or engage in sand play. With so many adventure activities, they’ll never want to go home.
5. Play football at Pencnwc Holiday Park
Pencnwc Holiday Park places you just a few miles from a quaint fishing village with indie shops and superb seafood dining. In the park itself, you can enjoy a special kids’ club with play areas for children of all ages and an indoor heated pool. You can even get out on the site’s fishing lake, which is stocked with carp. Rent a home, caravan or even touring caravan experience.
Live entertainment is held regularly by both resident acts and touring bands, artists and comedians. The kids can play classic games in the arcade and, in nice weather, you can even get out on the park’s football field to play a match with family and friends.
6. Experience the sea air at Greenacres Holiday Park
Greenacres bills itself as the point where the mountains meet the sea. The park lives up to that motto, offering a focus on fresh sea air and gorgeous panoramic mountain views. Here, your Wales holiday with kids can take you on any number of adventures, from the indoor pool to the outdoor water park, lots of food and drink options and a new marina.
You and the kids can enjoy a mini-golf course, mini 10-pin bowling alleys, a video arcade with classic games, a covered multiuse sports court and even a toddlers’ pool for the littlest ones. You can take a walk on a nature trail where you can experience themed nature activities, or you can stay in and catch a live entertainment show. It’s a full family holiday all in a single jam-packed resort.
Take on some action and adventure
7. Explore an epic playpark at Snowdonia National Park
Snowdonia National Park is a vast national park with breathtaking views, and it also offers a wide range of active entertainments that are packed with pulse-pounding thrills for your Wales family holiday. You can enjoy activities such as hiking and mountain climbing, tracking through glacial valleys, cycling beneath the thick green canopy, abseiling or even surfing inland at the inland surf lagoon, the first of its kind.
Multiple zip-line experiences are available that will take you at breakneck speeds over quarries and gorges. You can visit castles and historic sites, take a ride on historic narrow-gauge railways and enjoy unmatched stargazing under the clear night sky. You’ll experience gorgeous panoramic views and photo ops, fresh air and exciting adventures all in the expansive parkland.
8. Experience the Anglesey Outdoors Centre
The isle of Anglesey, over the Menai Strait, offers the Anglesey Outdoors Centre, which can serve both as a base of operations to explore the entire island and to offer a world of adventure for family holidays in Wales. Here, you can arrange family activities like paddle boarding, snorkelling, coasteering and other activities. Not far off is a working windmill where flour is still produced. You can also head for the Anglesey Sea Zoo or walk the walls of a genuine castle that dates to the 14th century.
Other activities available at the Anglesey Outdoors centre include abseiling, wild swimming excursions, kayaking, rock climbing, gorge walking and even guided bushcraft experiences. It’s a great place to get your outdoors on with the whole family, though many of the activities are best for families with older kids as opposed to tots.
9. Head for the Teifi Valley from the town of Cardigan
Cardigan is a small town with tons of exciting activities to get your heart pumping, juxtaposed with great areas to chill and relax after a day’s adventure. You can visit Cilgerran Castle, which is perched on the cliffs above the Teifi Gorge, or take a boat tour of the bay to look for porpoises and dolphins, seals and rare waterfowl.
You can combine art viewing, shopping and dining all in one place at Stiwdio 3 or check out the iconic outdoor market at the town centre for local arts, crafts, toys, memorabilia and food. When dinner time rolls around, you won’t want to miss the artisan pizza available right along the riverfront. You can even take in a live theatrical production. In Cardigan, you’ll find plenty to do to entertain adults and kids of any age on your family breaks in Wales.
10. Head for the Welsh capital to adventure in Cardiff
The capital of Wales, Cardiff is a compact city with the heart of a metropolis. You’ll find so much to do here that the biggest question is where to start. This place has been the home of such diverse and notable figures as Roald Dahl and Doctor Who. You can take a tour of Cardiff Bay, explore historic sites and filming locations or visit a cafe, ice creamery and board-game emporium to challenge each other over a bowl of ice cream.
In Bute Park, next to Cardiff Castle, your family can enjoy a picnic or explore the castle itself. Walk the rows and booths at Cardiff Central Market for treats, arts and crafts. You can take in live entertainment at the many local theatres or catch a movie at the local cinemas. Of course, you can also cast your net a bit farther abroad and tour the many quaint small towns and villages of the surrounding communities.
11. Explore the bright waters of St David’s
St David’s is a small city named for the patron saint of the country. It’s the home of the magnificent and historic St David’s Cathedral as well as stunning beaches like Whitesands, the Blue Lagoon and others where you can go surfing, rock-pooling or coasteering. This area even has quirky local attractions like a zoo focused on sustainable farming and tropical bugs. You can take in some culture at the Oriel y Parc Gallery with displays of important classic artists from the National Museum of Wales right alongside the collections of up-and-coming local artists.
See the Gothic ruins of the Bishop’s Palace or take in some art and relax at a combination gallery and espresso bar nearby. Of course, the region is also known for its wild and untamed offshore islands, and a boating tour to check these out can let you glimpse puffins, porpoises, gannets and dolphins to thrill the kids on your Wales family vacation.
12. Go camping at Llangrannog
If you’re looking for cheap family holidays to Wales, camping is a great way to save money, build memories and reconnect with those closest to you. Llangrannog is famed for its camping opportunities. From your campsite or holiday cottage here, you can explore the Wales Coast Path, relax on Tresaith or Penbryn beaches and catch sight of a cascading cliffside waterfall. You can find such diverse options for adventure as dry skiing, go-karts and horseback riding.
If you’re into history, you’ll want to check out the Iron Age Castell Henllys roundhouses on the foundations of an ancient hill fort. Bringing your furry family friend along? Poppit Sands offers a dog-friendly beach where you can let Fido run and play while you enjoy rock pools and local tea rooms.
Find toddler-friendly accommodation
13. Relax in Clydey Cottages in Pembrokeshire
If you’re on a Wales family holiday with a toddler, you’ll want family accommodation that’s welcoming and supportive, and Clydey Cottages in Pembrokeshire is a solid option. This area offers a cottage cluster that’s geared specifically for babies and toddlers. The cottages are situated on a farm where the little ones can help collect eggs and feed animals during daily sessions. The accommodation also offers an indoor soft play area, a playroom and a swimming pool.
Even better, if the grown-ups want some time to themselves, the cottages offer childcare options that are completely complimentary. That allows you to enjoy the hot tub or spa treatments while the little ones play and laugh with their friends.
14. Try Showman’s Wagons at Folly Farm Adventure Park
Showman’s Wagons are a different and unique place to stay. These funky caravans are designed to evoke the feel and look of traditional fairground and theme park rides, like those you’ll find at the Folly Farm Adventure Park. Just steps away from your wagon, a whole world of adventures awaits for your family breaks in Wales.
The adventure park itself offers a range of activities geared towards kids of all ages, including a zoo with up-close animal experiences, a fairground with rides and games set up just for little kids and a play area with themed play from indoor obstacle courses to outdoor pretend experiences, toddler-sized racing, pirate adventures and even the construction-themed Destruction Playground. For older kids, a go-kart track, games and thrill rides are sure to give them the time of their lives.
15. Stay at Barmouth Bay Holiday Park
At Barmouth Bay Holiday Park, you’ll find one of the best family holidays in Wales that’s dedicated to the toddler experience. It’s nestled between the sea and the Snowdonia mountains for beachfront adventures and breathtaking views. You can get easy direct beach access just a few steps from your rental cabin, swim in the indoor heated pool if the weather doesn’t cooperate and let the kids run, jump and bounce in the kids play area.
You can hire a bicycle to hit the trails in the surrounding wilderness or enjoy the multiuse sports court. The facility is dog-friendly, too, so there’s no worry about bringing your 4-legged family friend on your travels. If you’re looking for luxury family holidays in Wales, you can rent luxury caravans or glamping pods here.
16. See the mountains from Brynowen Holiday Park
Brynowen Holiday Park overlooks Cardigan Bay and has the Cambrian Mountains as a backdrop. It places you within easy access of both Borth Beach and Aberystwyth. There are plenty of things to do here on your baby-friendly holidays in Wales, from an adventure playground to a soft play area, an indoor swimming pool with a waterslide and other adventures.
Older kids are sure to enjoy the multiuse sports court and the mini 10-pin bowling alley. From Kids Clubs for kids aged under 4 to teens to great onsite dining and entertainment, there’s plenty here to keep everyone happy.