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Natural Beauty of Wales

Natural Beauty of Wales

By Sam Lucas

The beautiful landscape of Wales has long held visitors enthralled: towering mountains and stunning coastlines; rugged valleys and burbling streams; long sandy beaches and jagged limestone cliffs.  Known the world over for its captivating natural beauty, Wales will never fail to disappoint visitors who cross the English border seeking eye-opening hikes, panoramic views, beautifully framed photographs and long-lasting memories. 
 
The undoubted jewels in the Welsh natural crown are its incredible mountain ranges.  Shaped by the last ice age and situated largely in the northern and central regions of the country, the Welsh mountain ranges attract a huge number of visitors, all seeking the unspoiled views and sense of achievement that reaching a towering peak entails.  The most impressive of the Welsh mountains are located in Snowdonia, the largest of the country’s three national parks, situated in the north-west.  Snowdon, with a height of over 3,500ft, dominates the park and is the tallest mountain in the British Isles outside Scotland.  As such, it offers stunning views out over the surrounding area and is extremely popular with visitors, many of whom use the Snowdon Mountain Railway to ascend to the summit.  However, a hike to the top of the mountain is without a doubt the most rewarding way to explore Snowdon, allowing visitors to take in its unique environment which is home to a number of rare plant species and the mythical Glaslyn Lake.                
 
Having explored the dramatic mountain peaks of the Welsh interior, head to the south west and spend some time exploring the wild surf and sweeping beaches of the Pembrokeshire and Gower Peninsula coastlines.  The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is 629 square kilometres of varied landscape, ranging from rugged cliffs and fine sandy beaches to wooded estuaries and wild inland hills.  Natural arches, sea caves, and the many surrounding small islands have led the Pembrokeshire region to be named amongst the best coastal locations in the world.  Following the coastline round further south will bring you to the Gower Peninsula, an area that was designated as the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  With wide sandy beaches and medieval castles, the Gower Peninsula is famous for its stunning scenery and presents a microcosm of the British countryside; golden sand gives way to dense woodlands, wide salt marshes, and open moors, all of which are interspersed with ancient churches, picturesque villages and warm country pubs.  This small corner of southern Wales has something to cater for every taste, from the energetic outdoor explorer to the history buff and the amateur wildlife photographer.        

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