It’s the holiday season! So, if you and the family are feeling ready to get away, but are looking for ways to reduce your holiday footprint, why not make it a staycation and head over for a family break in North Wales.
Here, not only will you fall for the sea views and mountains, you’ll love the local attractions, farms and eco-friendly family adventures available right on our Llandudno doorstep.
You can’t spend every day building sand castles or hiking up mountains when you have little legs in tow, so book time for some wonderfully wholesome family-friendly escapades, and ones you can feel good about, knowing they are doing their best to reduce their impact on the environment and to protect and conserve local wildlife too.
Here are our recommended local farms and eco-friendly adventures for families near Llandudno:
GreenWood Family Park
Location: Y Felinheli, Gwynedd
Distance from The Imperial: 23.4 miles
GreenWood Forest Park is an award-winning family adventure park with sustainability at its heart. Home to Solar Splash, the UK’s first solar-powered ride, GreenWood invites you and your family to collect memories, not things. Capture the view of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) from their Snowdon View Point, ride the ‘people-powered’ Green Dragon Roller Coaster, take to the TreeTop Towers or try your luck in the Dragon Maze.
Despite having their own options, they welcome you to bring your own picnic to enjoy in the park or you can choose between their many different hot and cold food options, drinks and sweet treats; sit down and unwind in their lovely Woodbarn Café or grab something from a snack bar – a quick bite for those wishing to get straight back to the play.
In July of this year, GreenWood was shortlisted in the UK Theme Park Awards in the Best Sustainability Initiative category, recognising GreenWood’s commitment to reducing their environmental impact. (You can still vote for them here: https://ukthemeparkawards.com/vote – good luck GreenWood!)
Photo Credit: Visit Wales
Manorafon Farm
Location: Abergele, Conwy
Distance from The Imperial: 10.9 miles
If it’s ‘hands-on’ farm fun and time to play you and the family are looking for, Manorafon Farm Park is a great option during your North Wales stay. You can’t get any better than spending a day with farm animals, surrounded by nature and making great holiday memories.
The fun begins with Pets Corner, full of ‘furry friends’ including rabbits and guinea pigs, then discover their exotic Reptile Hut, the Field Trail with larger animals and then meet their Baby Animals, which differ throughout the year – they even have fun daily pig races you can watch!
Refuel at The Greedy Goat Hut, or treat yourselves to some delicious ice creams, then when it’s time to burn off all of that excess energy, head to the play areas where you and the kids will discover The Clamber Castle, for exactly that… climbing and clambering! There’s also the Digger Zone, the Tractor Driving School, their little play Village, Bouncy Pillows and the indoor Play Barn.
Photo Credit: Visit Wales
Anglesey Sea Zoo
Location: Brynsiencyn, Isle of Anglesey
Distance from The Imperial: 28.6 miles
Visit the fascinating Anglesey Sea Zoo; the unique aquarium that is home to more than 40 tanks with over 100 species of fish and sea life, showcasing the best of British marine wildlife. The whole family will enjoy exploring their different aquarium areas, including the cold-water Pier Tank and the No Bone Zone full of jellyfish, The Shipwreck where the conger eels reside and the Shark and Ray Pool. Visiting and learning all about the marine wildlife is also a fantastic way to support the conservation work that the centre does to preserve and save British marine habitats.
Sustainability and conservation is at the forefront of everything they do at the Anglesey Sea Zoo; having developed their captive breeding, release, conservation and education programmes, they were the first aquarium in the UK to be powered by solar energy; they ensure that 95% of waste on site is recycled or composted, they regularly organise beach cleans at Tan-Y-Foel Beach which provides data to the Marine Conservation Society, and the water in their tanks is pumped directly from the Menai Strait creating a natural environment in the aquarium. They even source local and sustainable ingredients wherever is possible in their café.
RSPB Nature Reserve
Location: Llandudno Junction, Conwy
Distance from The Imperial: 4.1 miles
Created from waste, the Conwy RSPB Nature Reserve was once the location of discarded material from the A55 tunnel, and is now a thriving habitat and wonderful place to visit for the whole family; an abundant wetland on the east bank of the Conwy estuary that is home to a variety of wildlife.
Explore the nature trails through mixed scrub and grassland, sit and admire the views and spot flora and fauna; birds, bees, dragonflies and butterflies from the various watch points. Between August and March, look out across the lagoons for the impressive waders and waterbirds, while at the southern end, you might spot the hardy Carneddau Mountain Ponies, that eat not only the grass, but help to keep the brambles at bay.
Visit the café for coffee and cake or a spot of lunch, and don’t miss the shop for all you need to continue your wildlife watching at home. If you have questions or are looking for advice, the RSPB’s friendly and knowledgeable team are always around to assist.
Photo Credit: Visit Wales
You and your family can tread lightly during your North Wales hotel stay by supporting these wonderful local attractions and initiatives that invite families in with open arms, not just to play but to appreciate nature in all its wonder; to get hands-on, to feel inspired and learn how to carry it forward and preserve it all for future generations.