Abergele

Half an hour's drive from Llandudno and you're already in quieter, more authentic North Wales territory. This market town sits back from the coast, giving it a proper Welsh feel that some of the bigger resorts have lost to tourism. The high street still has working shops rather than just gift emporiums, and you'll hear Welsh spoken in the cafes.

Gwrych Castle dominates the landscape here - the Gothic Revival pile that recently housed I'm a Celebrity. It's been through the wars but restoration work continues, and the Northern Towers are worth exploring. The views from Bryn Castell Gwrych above the castle are cracking on a clear day.

Walking is what this area does best. Pen Y Corddyn Mawr offers proper hill country just minutes from town, while the ancient Pen-y-Corddyn Mawr Hillfort shows this has been strategic ground for millennia. Coed y Gopa provides gentler woodland walks when the weather turns.

Abergele Golf Club keeps the links tradition alive, though it's not as well-known as courses closer to the coast. That works in your favour - fewer crowds, easier bookings.

The A55 brings you here from Chester in an hour, or it's a quick hop from Colwyn Bay on the coast road. Staying at one of the holiday parks around town puts you within striking distance of both Snowdonia's foothills and the North Wales coast, without the premium prices of Llandudno or Conwy. You get the countryside on your doorstep but can reach Conwy Castle in twenty minutes when you fancy proper sightseeing.