As the Isle of Man will be full of leather clad Germans during next year’s spring half term we are looking at Plan B (formerly Plan A before Plan A Rev 1.0 came along).

So… Anyone been to Criccieth? We’re after a quiet week away for three generations of the family.

Want – Beach, pub, paper shop, nice little town.
Don’t want – Hoards of idiots.

Driven through on the way from Harlech to Abersoch. Didn’t seem to be a lot there, certainly not for a weeks stay…and if I remember correctly it’s quite a pebbly beach that didn’t look that great.

Sure someone will post a better review that’s spent more than 20 mins there though.

Want – Beach, pub, paper shop, nice little town.
Don’t want – Hoards of idiots.

Go a bit further down the coast to Barmouth. Lovely spot.

It’s a long time since I’ve been to Criccieth but it didn’t strike me as a place I’d want to spend a week. Nice castle though, one of Edward I’s.

Criccieth has the best Fish and Chip shop in the world.

Worth going for that alone.

The Castle is OK with good views, the beach is a bit pebbly but clean, it’s very near to Black Rock Sands and worth the trip up to Whistling sands as well.
Portmerion is a nice day out and it’s near a few tourist steam train routes as well.

Sunday lunch has to be taken at the Rhiw Goch Inn at Trawfyndd just up from CYB.

It’s a nice little place.
Quiet but cheap to stay in.
It#s the perfect base to explore the Lleyn peninsula and North Wales.
It is a pebbly beach but the fishing is really good there.
There’s also an amazing ice cream shop.
It covers your wants and dont wants perfectly.

It’s kind of an old-fashioned place, though. Think tatty B&Bs and guest houses, one road of average shops on a busy through road… a smallish castle and a pretty average beach.

If you want the east Llyn, I’d go for Porth Madog instead, just because there’s a bit more going on. But the west is way better. Top beaches and a much cooler vibe. It’s a pretty obvious choice, but Abersoch area really knocks the nipples off Criccieth.

Especially given your wish list.

Very quiet. Bit of time warp small seaside town. We went for a day out there this summer and it was great. Beach pebbly. I like it. But prob not for a week.

Go a bit further down the coast to Barmouth. Lovely spot.

Agree with that.

My Mrs had a (one of many) blonde moment driving through Criccieth, she said upon noticing a street sign “ooh that traeth beach is supposed to be nice isn’t it……..”

Alternatively, you could try Morfa/Nefyn on the north Llyn coast. There’s less going on there than Abersoch, but there’s pubs and the like and it’s a chilled out place. Top notch beaches and the Rivals mountains behind you, too.

We’ll just use it as a base for days out – Abersoch, Portmerion etc. Evenings will be spent in the holiday house as the age range of the group is between 4 and 72 with perhaps one family pub meal and one restaurant meal (for me and the missus) out.

To give an idea of what we like we went to New Quay (the Welsh one) last year and that was perfect.

I remember going to cricieth with my gran in the 70s for half term, worked well. We went through a couple of years ago, didnt seem to have changed much. As people have said quiet enough and assuming you have transport, all other places mentioned are a short drive away.

Newquay (the Welsh one) IMO is way nicer than Criccieth.

On that basis, I’d say your 72 year old rellie may well feel at home, your 4 year old won’t give a toss either way so long as there’s pebbles to chuck in the sea, but you may well feel an urgent desire in Criccieth to purchase some crimpoline and lose yourself in a gallon of sherry.

Okay it’s not that bad. But there’s better out there IMO.

Not a bad little spot, but most places nearby are better. On the Llyn I’d not bother staying east of Pwllheli/Nevyn as all the good spots are west of these. If you’re not actually aiming to make it a Llyn holiday, maybe Barmouth/Harlech etc for the sandy beaches. You’d like the northern Cardigan coast too Aberaerorn, New Quay, Trsaith, Aberporth, Cardigan. You really don’t want to be out on the pointy bit of Cardigan though, Solva, Marloes, Dale and the like, horrible, crowds worse than Northumberland. 😉

Have a look at the Smugglers Cove, Frongoch near Aberdyfi
We had a family week there and it was very good. Aberdyfi is up the road for beach, sailing, etc and Machynlleth is quite near too for MTB fun

Barmouth + 1

small enough and big enough – estuary, railway path with fab views (walk bike pram), everything you’ll need, can take train N or S
Portmeirion, Harlech etc
think scenery/variety better than Lleyn

Don’t they have a rabbit farm at Cricceith? That should keep the little one happy.

Thanks for the input.

Just booked a week in Criccieth at a house overlooking the beach about 200m from the castle.

Barmouth looked nice, but was further away from all of the places that we wanted to explore.

Kids will be happy with a beach at the front door and a swing park.

FIL will be happy that we can sit in the front garden and look at the sea and only has to walk a short distance for his paper.

Wife will be happy if there is a pub nearby that we can all get out to.

I will be happy if everyone else is happy.

Job done.