Bangor

Bangor makes a practical, well-connected base for a North Wales hotel stay, sitting right where the coast, the Menai Strait and the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) meet. The city itself has a handful of central hotels and guesthouses within walking distance of the cathedral, the station and Garth Pier, useful for visitors without a car who are relying on the North Wales Coast Line or a stop en route to the Holyhead ferry. Prices tend to be more modest than in Anglesey's coastal resorts or Snowdonia's honeypot villages, while still putting both within a short drive.

Further out, country house hotels and farmhouse B&Bs dot the hills around Bangor and along the Ogwen Valley road towards Snowdon, popular with walkers and climbers heading into the mountains. Across the Menai Strait, Anglesey adds a wider spread of hotels overlooking the water, many geared towards the beaches, coastal path and watersports on the island. Whichever you choose, Bangor's position means a hotel base here can realistically combine a city break with mountain walking, castle visits and coastal days without much time lost to driving.

Bangor is small enough to see on foot, with its best sights clustered around the cathedral and the pier.

• Bangor Cathedral — one of the oldest cathedral sites in Britain, with origins said to date to the 6th century; the current building mixes medieval and Victorian work and holds regular organ recitals.
• Garth Pier — a restored Victorian pier stretching around 1,500 feet into the Menai Strait, lined with kiosks and benches, and one of the best-preserved examples in Wales.
• Bangor University — founded in 1884, its grand main building overlooks the city from the hillside and is a Bangor landmark in its own right.
• Storiel — the city's museum and art gallery, housed in the former Bishop's Palace next to the cathedral, covering local history and contemporary Welsh art.
• Menai Strait — the tidal channel between the mainland and Anglesey, overlooked by Thomas Telford's and Robert Stephenson's historic bridges a short drive away, and popular for coastal walks and sailing.
• Penrhyn Castle — a vast neo-Norman castle built for the Pennant family on the profits of the Penrhyn slate quarry, now in the care of the National Trust, with extensive grounds and a narrow-gauge railway museum.
• Gateway to Eryri (Snowdonia) — Bangor sits right on the edge of the national park, putting Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), the Ogwen Valley and Bethesda's climbing and walking country within a short drive.
• Gateway to Anglesey — cross the Menai Strait for the beaches, coastal path and historic sites of Ynys Môn, all within a few minutes of the city centre.

The high street and surrounding streets hold a mix of independent cafes, bakeries and pubs alongside the usual chains, reflecting the city's large student population. Blue Sky Bangor is a popular café on the high street for coffee and brunch, while the Union pub on Garth Road serves food close to the pier. For a proper pint, the Tap & Spile on High Street is a long-standing favourite for real ale, and the seafront chip shops near Garth Pier are a reliable choice after a walk along it.

Wild camping without the landowner's permission is not legal in Wales, Bangor and its surroundings included, so a pitch on a proper site or a landowner-approved spot is the way to go. That said, the terrain around Bangor is built for it: campsites dot the foothills of Eryri (Snowdonia) a short drive south, offering pitches with views towards Snowdon and the Ogwen Valley, while sites closer to the coast and across the Menai Strait on Anglesey put you nearer the beaches and the Wales Coast Path. Many combine straightforward touring and tent pitches with glamping options such as pods, yurts or static caravans for visitors who want the scenery without carrying full kit.

Summer offers the longest days and the best odds of dry weather for pitching and packing up, but it also brings the busiest bookings, particularly for sites near Snowdon and the more popular Anglesey beaches, so booking ahead in July and August is sensible. Spring and early autumn are quieter and often still mild enough for comfortable camping, with the added bonus of autumn colour in the valleys. Whatever the season, North Wales weather can turn quickly given the mountains and coastline nearby, so a sturdy, properly weatherproof tent and warm layers are worth having even in summer.

Because Bangor sits between mountains and sea, campers get an unusually easy choice between the two: a mountain-view pitch within reach of Snowdon and the Ogwen Valley's classic walks and scrambles, or a coastal one looking out over the Menai Strait towards Anglesey's beaches. Both put Bangor itself, with its cathedral, pier and cafes, within a short drive for supplies or a day off from the outdoors.