Plasyngheidio Touring Caravan Park

It's a 10-minute trip by car to the wide, south-facing sands at Pwllheli, a former haunt of smugglers and pirates. You'll find it quite a bit calmer these days, especially if you follow the fab Llŷn Peninsula Coastal Path round the peninsula for views and wildlife and splendid sea air. Sandcastles, paddling and rockpool exploration are all there by the sea, but don't overlook the town and its lively twice-weekly market. Head half an hour to Port Meudwy and catch a boat to Bardsey. Occupied since Neolithic times, later home to monks and saints, this wild little outcrop is a place of peace and beauty with an array of birdlife; you might spot grey seals swimming by the boat too. Check out Caernarfon Castle, sturdily built in the 13th century and still going (35 minutes' drive): dungeons and battlements as well as the odd re-enactment are on offer here. At Greenwood Forest Park (45 minutes), there's a fine spread of family thrills with an ecological twist: ride the solar waterslide, experience the world's first people-powered rollercoaster and whoop your way round the 70-metre sledge run.