Coederyr

The walk up Coederyr from near Caernarfon takes you into proper Welsh mountain country without the crowds you'd hit on Snowdon. It's a modest peak by Snowdonian standards, but that's rather the point - you get the views and the sense of achievement without queuing for hours.

The route itself is straightforward enough, a good pull through moorland that gets steeper as you climb. Allow two to three hours up and down depending on fitness. The summit isn't dramatic, more of a cairn on open hillside, but the views across the Strait toward Anglesey and back toward the Menai Strait are genuinely worth the effort. On a clear day you can see for miles.

Walkers will get the most from this one. It's not technical, so anyone reasonably fit can manage it, but families with young kids might find it a slog without the payoff of a proper peak-top structure or café. There's no admission charge - just park sensibly and go.

If you're based at Bryn Dinas Camping Pods or Llyn Gwynant Campsite nearby, this makes a cracking half-day outing to break up a holiday. It's far less polished than the Snowdonia hotspots, which is exactly why you should do it. The silence up there is brilliant. No gift shops, no crowds, just you and the Welsh hills doing what they do best.