Family adventures in Wales

Wales invented coasteering, has more castles per square mile than anywhere in Europe, and turned its old quarries into the world's fastest zip lines. It is also cheaper and quieter than the Lakes or Cornwall. For adventurous families, it might be the best-value destination in Britain.

However many of these you tick off, capture each one as it happens — a photo, a voice note, where you were — with a family adventure log like PocketTreasures, and turn the best of them into a printed family photo book at the end of the year.

The best family adventures in Wales

Coasteering in Pembrokeshire

The original: wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets, then scrambling, swimming and (optional) jumping along the sea cliffs near St Davids. From age 8 with providers like TYF.

Zip World Penrhyn Quarry

Velocity 2 is the fastest zip line in the world (100+ mph, age 10+); the quarry karts and smaller lines cover younger children.

Climb Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) by the Llanberis Path

Nine miles round trip, no scrambling, café at the top. Or take the mountain railway up and walk down.

Conwy Castle and town walls

The most complete medieval walled town in Britain. Children can walk the full circuit of the walls above the rooftops.

Barafundle Bay and Stackpole

A beach you can only reach on foot over the dunes — regularly voted among the world's best. Combine with the lily ponds at Bosherston.

Bounce Below at Llechwedd

Giant trampolines strung inside a Victorian slate cavern, glowing with coloured light. Exactly as fun as it sounds.

Dolphin spotting in Cardigan Bay

Boat trips from New Quay have a high hit rate for bottlenose dolphins all summer.

When to go

June and September for the coast; the zip lines and underground attractions work year-round and are a brilliant rainy-day bank. Welsh castles are at their atmospheric best in autumn.

Make it last longer than the drive home

The difference between a day out and a memory is what you do in the 30 seconds after it happens. Log the photo, say one sentence about it into your phone, and let PocketTreasures turn it into a story your children will read back for years. See all our 40 UK family adventure ideas for the full national list.