If you’re looking for a walking holiday in North Wales, guests staying at The Imperial in Llandudno can enjoy some excellent walks around the resort from the hotel.
The Promenade is a gentle flat walk of 1.4 miles which takes you from the Little Orme to the entrance to the Pier. Add on a stroll down the Victorian Pier, which has been described as a Maharajah’s Palace floating on a lake, and you’ve added 0.86 of a mile to your lovely seaside walk.
The majestic limestone headland of the Great Orme dominates the Llandudno view. It is a nature reserve and country park and is on the Wales Coast Path, the world’s first dedicated footpath that follows the entire stretch of a country’s coastline. There are three walking routes to take you up to the summit which vary from 1 mile to 1.5 miles in length and all are clearly marked with the Summit Trail logo. Once you’re at the summit there are a number of walks that take you around the headland including the circular Nature Trail which will help you spot and identify the 400 different types of native and rare flora and two Historic Trails.
There’s also a free walking audio trail about the wildlife and shipwrecks, geology and wartime memories with 14 waymarked audio points along the 5.5 mile circular route. While you enjoy your walk keep a look out for the herd of Kashmiri Goats who have been roaming the slopes for over 200 years and are also the source of the regimental mascot of The Royal Welsh, one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The cliffs are also host to breeding colonies of seabirds such as guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills as well as Choughs.
If you head out from The Imperial Hotel and turn right to walk along the Promenade you’ll soon pick up the North Wales Path (NWP) signs which take you to the Little Orme, and while it’s not as majestic as the Great Orme it still rises 141 metres (462ft) in height and is a haven for wildlife and offers views as far as Rhyl to the East and Anglesey to the West. We recommend you take the path to Angel Bay where hopefully you will see the Grey Seals basking in the sunshine on the rocks in the bay.
Alice in Wonderland fans will enjoy walking around town and spotting the series of wooden figures including the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit which can be found between the railway station and Happy Valley. Llandudno is meant to be the inspiration behind the famous Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass tales and to help you on your way there’s a series of excellent 3D digital Apps. There’s a White Rabbit App Trail which is a 3D adventure into Wonderland, Alice’s Looking Glass App Trail which sees her imagination running wild in the form of Jabberwocky and a Town Trail Map which will take you around the 55 bronze cast footprints in the pavement around Llandudno.
