Welsh village ‘inspired by Italian towns’ is ‘best seaside destination’

In 1925, Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis set out to design and build a folly tourist village with aesthetic similarities to the fishing village of Portofino on the Italian Riviera. The village of Portmeirion is now a popular holiday destination in the UK and is home to an array of hotels, shops, restaurants, cafes and incredible views.

Portmeirion has also been named as the “best seaside destination” in Wales by experts at Which?.

The Which? experts said: “The best seaside destination in Wales, Portmeirion in Gwynedd, is also one of the UK’s most unusual holiday villages. It was dreamed up in the 1920s by Welsh architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, who described it as a ‘home for fallen buildings’.”

The village is known for its pastel-coloured Italianate buildings surrounded by lush greenery and looking out to views across the Dwyryd estuary. At the heart of the town is the central piazza, complete with a garden and campanile.

“Visitors loved the architecture and its setting above a wide, sandy estuary – giving it five out of five stars for tourist attractions and for its seafront. It got a customer score of 83 percent,” commented the Which? Report.

Though the village is rather small, Williams-Ellis used an array of arches, slopes and window sizes to create the illusion that the area is larger than it is. Cobbles, statues and colourful houses add a touch of whimsy at every corner.

If you want to get a little closer to nature, Portmeirion is home to The Gwyllt, a ten-hectare woodland and Edwardian wild garden designed by Caton Haigh.

Portmeirion is also home to a diverse range of accommodation types, from contemporary renovated luxury hotel rooms to small self-contained holiday cottages. The Hotel Portmeirion opened in 1926 and is a four-star hotel which was once described as the most picturesque of all the summer residences to be found on the sea-coast of Wales.

Castell Deudraeth is an early Victorian Castellated mansion which has been renovated to offer 11 contemporary bedrooms, as well as two main dining areas, a bar, a meeting room and a walled Victorian garden.

The village has 32 serviced rooms with views of the piazza and surrounding waters. There are also 13-self catering cottages with full access to the pool, spa, restaurants and bars.

Alternatively, Portmeirion has 23 brand new motorhome pitches within the village with five-star facilities.