A COASTAL town in North Wales has been named one of the happiest places to live in the UK – and it’s not a bad spot for a holiday either.
The harbour town of Porthmadog has long sandy beaches, a steam railway and plenty of views of Snowdonia.
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Recent research carried out by Regency Living, who are experts in over-50s property, revealed that the coastal town of Porthmadog was the second happiest place to live in the country.
With a happiness score of 7.51, it ranked higher than the average score of 7.33 and beat the likes of Whitstable, Bournemouth, Torquay and Crosby.
The coastal town has a busy harbour, but is very close to some great beaches like Black Rock Sands.
It has sweeping sands with rocky headland, low-tide caves and plenty of little creatures to see in the rock pools.
One visitor described it as “a lovely wide fairly flat beach, when the tide is out. We enjoyed being here and good sand for sandcastles.”
Another added: “Beautiful long stretch of coastline, ideal for family days out.
“Sand dunes to explore, rock pools, walks along the coastal path and to top it all visit Black Rock Beach Club pub and restaurant is 200yds away.”
During peak season, there’s a fee for parking on the beach, but it makes it easily accessible for visitors.
One popular attraction is also the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, which is one of the top-rated attractions in Wales.
Passengers can hop on at the steam railway at Porthmadog and venture through Snowdonia, it’s even considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in all of Europe.
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The train winds through the Vale of Ffestiniog with a stop at Blaenau Ffestiniog, which was a slate quarrying town.
It’s called the ‘Mountain Spirit’ journey and takes around three hours – tickets start at £49.50 for adults and £5 for children.
Another reason why Porthmadog is possibly one of the happiest places in the UK is because it’s one of the warmest.
Porthmadog has its very own microclimate, it’s sheltered from the cold because of the surrounding mountains in the Snowdonia National Park.
Air funnelling over the mountains then sinks into the town and warms up.
At its hottest, Porthmadog reached 31C on June 14, 2023.
The town is also a 10 minute drive from the famous Portmeirion – also known as the UK’s slice of Italy.
Writer, Catherine, recently visited with her family and said the magical village was a treat for all the family.
She added: “Made up of colourful houses and vibrant gardens set around a bay, the charming hotel-cum-holiday-park features two four-star hotels, one of which is set inside a castle, plus a motor-home park and several self-catering cottages.
“There are accommodation options to suit everyone and it really has got the wow factor that makes you think you’re a million miles away from Wales.
“On arrival, we spent a happy few hours on the giant chess set in the garden while my littlest paddled in the shallow pool nearby.”
Here’s another Welsh seaside town that’s been named one of the cheapest places for a UK beach break – with hotels under £20 a night.
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