Six Reasons to Visit Wales in 2026

Taste your way through Cymru

Walk the Wales Coast Path - best sections for 2026

Festivals and events you can't miss

Celtic rainforests and starry skies in the Elan Valley

Steam by the sea with a wild Welsh beach sauna

Cycle the lanes and trails of Cymru

Wales is a seriously tasty foodie destination. It’s all about top-class cooking, wonderful wild produce and lip-smacking food festivals.

Why not taste your way across Wales in 2026? We’re already planning a food-based road-trip - a summer of pootling from food festivals, to wine tastings, to Michelin starred restaurants, and loading the boot with delicious goodies from local delis as we go.

Here are some of our favourite foodie experiences in Wales:

You don’t have to go to London or Edinburgh for top-level cookery anymore, Wales has a fabulous restaurant scene and an impressive seven places with Michelin stars:

• Ynyshir, Eglwys Fach, Ceredigion. (Ynyshir actually has two stars.)
• Beach House, Oxwich, Gower, Swansea.
• Gorse, Cardiff.
• Home, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan.
• Sosban & The Old Butchers, Menai Bridge, Anglesey.
• The Whitebrook, Whitebrook, Monmouthshire.
• The Walnut Tree, Llanddewi Skirrid (near Abergavenny), Monmouthshire.

Wales has long been a larder of delicious local produce - from cheese and beer to shellfish and laverbread. Some of its regional food is so iconic it is protected by law.

Here are some unique Welsh delicacies you just have to try:

The famous Welsh delicacy. And it’s not actually bread. Laverbread is made from seaweed, cooked down into a dark, umami paste loaded with vitamins and minerals. It’s traditionally eaten with a breakfast of bacon and cockles, or spread on thick slices of toast.

Hand-raked shellfish from the Burry Inlet, traditionally served for breakfast with laverbread. Sweet, salty, and about as local-to-the-tide as food gets.

A crumbly, slightly tangy cow’s milk cheese with a fresh, citrusy edge. Traditional Caerffili, to give it its Welsh spelling, has had something of a renaissance, with many cheesemakers in Wales producing this rich and complex cheese.

There are loads of food and drink festivals happening across Wales in 2026. Here are a few top picks:

• Abergavenny Food Festival, 19th - 20th September - The granddaddy of Welsh food festivals, held in the foodie mecca of Monmouthshire. It takes place on 19th and 20th September in a massive and delicious whirlwind of street food, top chefs, cookery demonstrations and the very best and tastiest of Welsh produce.
• Cowbridge Food & Drink Festival, May (tbc) - Usually happening over the May bank holiday weekend (dates tbc at the time of writing) this food festival takes over the pretty market town of Cowbridge, in the Vale of Glamorgan. It’s fun and family friendly, and bursting with stalls, live cooking and of course fabulous Welsh food and drink.
• Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival, June (tbc) - Wales’s biggest free food festival, where chefs, producers and street food stalls set up shop in Cardiff Bay for a long summer weekend.
• Welsh Wine Week, May into June (tbc) - The Welsh wine industry is gaining international recognition for the fresh, crisp wines produced at vineyards around the country. Join Welsh Wine Week and celebrate the grape with tours and tastings.
• Wales Whisky Fest, Llandudno, 30th October to 1st November - Only a couple of years old, this new festival is a must for any whisky lover. Your ticket gets you a session tasting whiskies from around the world, music, food, plus a tour of the Penderyn Lloyd Street Distillery in Llandudno.

Did you know the Wales Coast Path is one of the few in the world to go the whole way around a nation’s coastline?

Starting at the mouth of the River Dee in North Wales and finishing at Chepstow in the south it’s one of the best coastal walks on the planet.

We’d recommend taking three months off work and walking the whole 870 miles. But if you can’t do that, here are a few must-see sections:

Spiritual, beautiful and dramatic, you’ll be following in the footsteps of pilgrims along this ancient footpath.

Stretching from Bangor to Porthmadog, the 110 mile route follows the north coast to the ruins of a medieval monastery on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) at the peninsula’s westernmost point. It then heads along the southern side past hidden beaches and tiny villages until it meets the mainland at the port town of Porthmadog.

• Uwchmynydd and Mynydd Mawr - Remote with panoramic sea views, this area along the western edge of the Llyn Peninsula feels like the ultimate rugged coastal path experience.

• Aberdaron village - Once the last major stop for pilgrims heading out towards Bardsey Island, this little village is still a magical place, with its ancient beachfront church and a local bakery for some post-walk refreshment.

• Porth Neigwl (Hell’s Mouth) - This beach is one of North Wales’s hidden gems. A three-mile sweep of sand, it’s epic and utterly spectacular. Take care though - it feels the full force of the Irish Sea and the name ‘Hell’s Mouth’ comes from its dangerous rip currents.

The jewel in the crown of the Wales Coast Path, Pembrokeshire is famous for its rugged cliffs, hidden coves and sheer beauty.

From St Dogmaels in the north to Amroth in the south, this is the longest and oldest section of the coast path. It serves 186 miles of variety, with everything you could want from a coastal walk: brightly painted fishing villages, soft sandy beaches, blustery cliffs - Pembrokeshire has it all.

• Barafundle Bay - Regularly voted one of the best beaches in the world, this is a must-see spot. With its golden sand and crystal clear waters, throw in a few palm trees you could be on the shores of a Caribbean island.

• Tenby - One of the UK’s classic seaside resorts, Tenby has four stunning Blue Flag beaches to choose from, plus a pretty medieval town of cobbled streets to explore when you’ve had enough sand.

• Strumble Head - Looking out across the Irish Sea, this headland on Pembrokeshire’s north west coast feels wonderfully windswept and elemental. It’s also a great place to spot some of the region’s wildlife - from seals sunbathing on the rocks, to porpoises and dolphins frolicking in the bay.

If you like gorgeous sandy beaches, welcome to your dream location. The Gower Peninsula has some of the best in Wales - and therefore the world.

The path takes you via a short but sweet 39 miles of picturesque coastline, starting at Mumbles and ending at the Longhour Estuary to the north. It’s all perfect beaches, ruined castles and glorious views.

• Rhossili Bay - Famous as one of the best beaches in the UK, Rhossili is a breathtaking three mile stretch of honey-coloured sand, backed by towering cliffs. At its southern end, the dramatic tidal island of Worm's Head (accessible at low tide) juts into the sea.

• Three Cliffs Bay - One of Wales’s most photographed locations - and it’s easy to see why. The bay is home to salt marshes, the ruins of a 13th century castle and the three iconic limestone mini-mountain peaks.

• Mumbles - This charmingly named village is filled with elegant Victorian architecture, plus a landmark pier and lighthouse - and makes the perfect en-route pitstop for an ice cream.

A rich cultural history, amazing music scene and a wicked Welsh sense of humour, paired with gorgeous countryside and friendly vibes gives you pretty much the perfect setting for a festival.

With no Glastonbury this year, some of the UK’s other music festivals really have a chance to shine and we think Wales has some amazing musical offerings for 2026.

You’ll also find some totally unique Welsh festivals - are you ready for competitive bog snorkelling, or could you race a horse over 22 miles?

Here’s our pick of the best festivals being held in Wales this year:

The largest independent festival in the country. With crowds 25,000 strong it still manages to feel friendly and intimate, despite its size. It’s already sold out, but if you’re one of the lucky ones with a ticket, you’ll be in for three days of impeccably curated music and happy vibes.

This unique festival happens every year in a peat bog trench at Waen Rhydd Bog, just outside the small town of Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys. The aim is to get through about 120 yards of mucky bog, wearing flippers, snorkel and any manner of fancy dress you so desire - using doggy-paddle only.

The ultimate celebration of all things Welsh, Eisteddfod is a cultural institution. It moves to a different location in Wales each year and attracts well over 150,000 visitors across the week. Traditional and folk music are at its core, but you’ll also find storytelling, dance and poetry performances.

A magical little festival held among fairy-lit woods beside the sea - Between the Trees was voted the ‘best micro-festival in the UK’ in 2025. The line-up is folk and indie rock, with performances surrounded by nature and a friendly, laid-back crowd.

Another entry for Llanwrtyd Wells - a town which clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously. The bizarre Man vs Horse Marathon began as a pub conversation in the 1980s and has since become internationally famous. The event challenges runners to race horses over a course of roughly 22 miles, crossing hills, tracks, fields and rivers. It’s part endurance race, part spectacle, and completely unique to Wales. And humans actually won in 2004 and 2007.

The Elan Valley in the Cambrian Mountains is one of the country’s great beauty spots.

Dubbed the ‘Welsh Lake District’ it’s 70 square miles of man-made lakes, dams, waterfalls and epic landscape. This breathtaking valley is top of our 2026 wish-list for its hiking, biking and fantastic starry skies.

And exciting new work is happening - this year there’s going to be a cafe built over one of the dams with panoramic views of the waterfall, and the Elan Valley Visitor Centre is building a planetarium to celebrate the area’s status as an International Dark Skies Park.

Here are some things to see and do when you visit the Elan Valley:

The Elan Valley has International Dark Sky Park status. That means it’s officially one of the best places to stargaze in the world.

Low levels of light pollution create almost total night time darkness, meaning the Milky Way, planets and constellations shine bright. Plus the stunning landscape of dams and lakes are a uniquely beautiful background for astrophotography.

The Elan Valley team suggest locations like Craig Goch Dam and Claerwen Dam for seeing the stars, with their unobstructed views, safe access and easy parking.

Where there’s rain, there can be rainforest - and Wales certainly has its fair share of weather.

In fact Celtic rainforest is a very rare habitat, only found in a handful of locations along western UK and Ireland. It requires high annual rainfall, high humidity, clean air, and consistently mild temperatures in order to thrive. And when it does, it creates a fairytale forest thick with ferns, fungus, moss and lichen growing on every tree branch and rock.

The Elan Valley is home to an ancient area of Celtic rainforest, growing since the last Ice Age.

Six massive dams span the Elan Valley, creating a chain of reservoirs. Built between 1893 and 1952 they are astonishing feats of construction, some immense and towering, others hidden entirely under the water, with only elegant bridges and little cupolas to give them away.

If you visit after it's been raining and the water table is high. you can see the spectacular waterfall which cascades over Caban Coch, the last of the dams.

Research shows that saunas have many health benefits: lower blood pressure, reduced stress, better sleep quality - and they’re great for sweating out a hangover too.

Where better to experience the magic of a sauna than a wild spot on a Welsh beach, with sea spray misting the windows and gulls crying overhead?

You’ll find saunas all along the coastline, from huts on bustling town seafronts, to mobile saunas which pop up among secluded dunes and seagrass.

Here are some of our favourite beach saunas - and one incredible seaweed experience - dotted along the Welsh coastline.

Two simple barrel saunas, one stunning location. Sat on the sands of beautiful Oxwich Bay on Gower’s south coast, these wood-fired huts each have a half-moon shaped window so you can look out at the magnificent ocean view.

Wildwater is a free-range sauna, popping up along the rugged North Pembrokeshire coast as weather and tides allow. It’s a true wild sauna experience - just the single Scandinavian style hut, a beach and the sea.

Set on the stunning shores of Porth Tyn Tywyn in Anglesey, one of North Wales’s most beautiful beaches, it’s clear why they call this relaxing wood-fired spot ‘the scenic sauna’.

A classic site on one of Wales’s best beaches, Hwyl has glorious sea views, spotless facilities and friendly, calming vibes.

Ceredigion’s first wood-fired coastal sauna, set right on Llangrannog Beach, a favourite with surfers and walkers. It’s good and hot, and comes with showers, cold plunge tubs and a stunning lookout - plus there’s a new mobile hut at various different locations.

For a unique Welsh experience, you can’t beat a barrel full of warm water and locally harvested seaweed. This unusual dip helps soothe muscles and soften the skin, using giant whisky barrels brimming with mineral-rich water from sea-salt production and Anglesey seaweed bursting with oils and nutrients.

From boneshaking mountain bike dirtroads, to gentle woodland family pedals - if you want to get outside more in 2026 Wales by bike is a brilliant option.

And with a stage of the Tour de France coming to Wales in 2027, Welsh cycling is about to get a massive boost. So now’s your chance to get ahead of the game.

Here are some of the best cycling routes in Wales, from beginner to expert:

• Great for - Beginners, families and beautiful views
• Length - 19 miles round trip, but you can do as much or little as you like.

Perfect for beginners or anyone who prefers a nice ride amid glorious scenery, the Mawddach Trail is flat and easily accessible. It follows a former railway line beside the beautiful Mawddach Estuary, with gorgeous views, quiet paths and a few ice-cream stop-offs along the way.

• Great for - Relaxed urban road cycling.
• Length - An 8 mile loop.

For a day out or city break activity, this laid-back cycle loop is the one. It’s a flat, largely traffic-free loop around Cardiff Bay, combining waterside paths, parks and city views, ideal for relaxed cycling rather than a fitness challenge.

• Great for - Families, beginners and relaxed riders
• Length - 13 miles one way

One of Wales’s best seaside cycle routes, you ride beside the sea. It’s all big skies, salt air and uninterrupted views. This is a former railway line and purpose-built path, so it’s flat, traffic-free and the sea is beside you for most of the ride.

• Great for - Serious mountain bikers
• Length - Miles of interconnected trails

For proper adrenaline- pumping mountain biking, Dyfi Bike Park is one of the UK’s premier destinations. Miles of white-knuckle trails criss-cross the steep slopes of the Dyfi Valley. It’s raw, fast, technical and built for riders who want to be challenged.

• Great for - Laid-back island exploring
• Length - 5 miles or less, to a 40 mile day out.
  Relatively flat compared to mainland North Wales, Anglesey’s cycle routes are just made for leisurely days out with a picnic in your front basket. Cycling here is about seascapes, beaches, lighthouses along a quiet network of country lanes and seafront paths.