Holyhead
- Posted on May 14, 2012
- in Cruising
- by Cruise Critic: Ports of Call RSS Feeds
Located on the very northwestern tip of Wales, facing out to the Irish Sea, Holyhead is a traditional rail and road terminus with a scruffy town center. Though the town itself has very little to offer visitors, its location on the scenic Isle of Anglesey gives cru Located on the very northwestern tip of Wales, facing out to the Irish Sea, Holyhead is a traditional rail and road terminus with a scruffy town center. Though the town itself has very little to offer visitors, its location on the scenic Isle of Anglesey gives cruise travelers easy access to some of the best attractions in the country, most within an hour and a half.
Cross the fast-flowing Menai Strait via one of the historic 19th-century bridges, and you'll soon come face-to-face with the greatest network of medieval castles ever built, stark evidence of the English kings' domination of the Welsh, beginning in the 13th century. Eight turreted fortresses constructed during the reign of Edward I rise above waterside towns, such as Beaumaris, Conwy and Caernarfon. They are fun to explore, especially as you can climb the towers for views over the towns below and out to sea.
Deeper into the interior, Snowdonia National Park covers over 800 square miles of mountains, valleys, tidy towns and former mining sites, interlaced with scenic one-lane roads, hiking trails and two preserved, narrow-gauge steam railways. Both lines date back to the very early days of train travel. An additional rack-and-pinion railway snakes up Mt. Snowden, the highest peak in Wales.
Cruise-ship visitors typically spend the whole day on day trips through Wales. If you prefer to explore on your own by public transit, the three nearby medieval castle towns can be easily accessed by train and bus. It's best to take advantage of your cruise line's shore excursion program (or other organized tours) to experience the more distant Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Steam Railway.
Holyhead is included in summertime castle and garden cruises that circumnavigate the U.K. and Ireland. Cruise lines that call include Azamara, Crystal, Fred. Olsen, Holland America, Princess and Swan Hellenic.ise travelers easy access to some of the best attractions in the country, most within an hour and a half.
Cross the fast-flowing Menai Strait via one of the historic 19th-century bridges, and you'll soon come face-to-face with the greatest network of medieval castles ever built, stark evidence of the English kings' domination of the Welsh, beginning in the 13th century. Eight turreted fortresses constructed during the reign of Edward I rise above waterside towns, such as Beaumaris, Conwy and Caernarfon. They are fun to explore, especially as you can climb the towers for views over the towns below and out to sea.
Deeper into the interior, Snowdonia National Park covers over 800 square miles of mountains, valleys, tidy towns and former mining sites, interlaced with scenic one-lane roads, hiking trails and two preserved, narrow-gauge steam railways. Both lines date back to the very early days of train travel. An additional rack-and-pinion railway snakes up Mt. Snowden, the highest peak in Wales.
Cruise-ship visitors typically spend the whole day on day trips through Wales. If you prefer to explore on your own by public transit, the three nearby medieval castle towns can be easily accessed by train and bus. It's best to take advantage of your cruise line's shore excursion program (or other organized tours) to experience the more distant Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Steam Railway.
Holyhead is included in summertime castle and garden cruises that circumnavigate the U.K. and Ireland. Cruise lines that call include Azamara, Crystal, Fred. Olsen, Holland America, Princess and Swan Hellenic.
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