6 Wales Small Towns With Unmatched Friendliness

Wales (Cymru), a nation within the United Kingdom, has a unique Celtic culture with its own language (Cymraeg), a deep and complex history, including the highest density of castles in Europe (more than 600), and a flag emblazoned with a red dragon. As a smaller nation located on the Irish Sea and the Celtic Sea, Wales is celebrated for its culture and friendliness, perhaps best found in its small towns.

Cozy rural villages and rugged windswept coastal towns abound, with picturesque streets and architecture, and lively and lovely town centers (canol y dref), with locally-owned shops and places to eat. Towns like Hay-on-Wye, the “Town of Books,” and Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia National Park reflect this charm. With festivals such as the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts and the Snowdonia Walking Festival, small-town life in Wales is exceptional — and exceptionally friendly.

Hay-on-Wye (Y Gelli Gandryll)

This town in Powys county sits on the bank of the River Wye, just on the Welsh side of the Wales-England border. Hay-on-Wye, or Y Gelli Gandryll in Welsh, is known as the Town of Books, for its high number of bookstores and literary events. The town is noted for its quirkiness and for its welcoming nature for visitors. This focus on literature and book collecting lends Hay-on-Wye a reputation for culture, but also as a close-knit and friendly community. Some niche bookstores include Richard Booth's Bookshop, Murder and Mayhem, a hub for crime and horror books, and Stella & Rose's Books, specializing in rare children’s books.

Hay Castle was built before 1200 CE, in the form of an earth ringwork and a stone tower. In 1200, it was reinforced with a curtain wall, expanding again in the 17th century. Restorations were completed in 2022, and the castle today welcomes visitors to learn about area history, take in public art, and visit The Honesty Bookshop, an outdoor bookshop within the castle walls, which features an honesty box for paying for books.

Hay-on-Wye is also home to a weekly market in operation for 700 years, featuring local goods, artisan wares, and vintage items. For eleven days in May each year, the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts takes place, with visiting authors, over 500 events and workshops, music, and a pop-up bookstore.

Betws-y-Coed

Located on the eastern edge of Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri), within the park itself, Betws-y-Coed is a quiet village surrounded by nature. As the gateway to Snowdonia, the village is a welcoming tourist destination, with locally-owned shops set among the Victorian architecture of its cozy town center. A 19th-century artists’ colony, walking tours take you through the history of the village and its artistic landmarks. A big draw to the village is Snowdonia itself, and Betws-y-Coed provides direct access to plenty of nature walks and hiking grounds. As such, outdoor enthusiasts will find much to love here.

It is also known for being dog-friendly and accommodating for all families. The Snowdonia Walking Festival takes place over a weekend in November every year, with professionally guided walks, at various levels of difficulty, taking visitors through the mountains and forests of Snowdonia. In October each year, Gŵyl Fach Eryri is a one-day festival celebrating the park.

The Pont-y-Pair Bridge, a stone arch bridge spanning the River Llugwy, was built in the late 15th century. A medieval engineering marvel, the bridge offers views of the river and the surrounding woodlands. Go Below Underground Adventures provides guided trips of abandoned slate mines, where visitors can zip-line and boat through the depths of the old mines.

Narberth (Arberth)

Narberth, Arberth in Welsh, is a town in the county of Pembrokeshire. The county lies in the southwest corner of Wales, surrounded by the sea on three sides. Narberth is known for its independent spirit, a colorful high street and town center, and a deep history of Welsh culture. A big draw for both visitors and locals is the town's thriving antique culture.

Antique hunters flock to Narberth to visit such shops as the Malthouse Antique Centre and Narberth Antiques and Interiors, with an eclectic collection of pieces from various periods and styles. The town center is a lively commercial district with a focus on independent shops, cafes, and restaurants.

For a further exploration of local history, Narberth Museum is located in the former Bonded Stores. This storage facility once contained hundreds of kegs of whisky, brandy, and rum, accessible only with two keys for the double locks on the door: one for the manager, the other for the Revenue Officer. Narberth Castle is the ruins of a Norman fortress, dated to around 1116 CE.

The castle forms part of the Landsker Line, the language border between the Welsh-speaking and the English-speaking areas (called Little England beyond Wales) of Pembrokeshire. An annual event, the Narberth Food Festival takes place in September, featuring food stalls, workshops, guest chefs, and entertainment. The Narberth Cheese Festival is held each August and features Welsh cheeses, cider, beer, and artisan products.

Beddgelert

This village, nestled in a valley at the confluence of the Afon (River) Glaslyn and the Afon Colwyn, is known for the surrounding natural landscape and the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the village. One of the many local legends is that the name Beddgelert comes from Gelert, a hound from Welsh folk tales. Gelert’s association with the village is celebrated with the purported grave of the hound, located at the south end of the village. In reality, the site was created by the owner of a village hotel in the 18th century to promote tourism, while the town name actually comes from an early saint of Celtic Christianity, known as either Kilart or Celert.

Located at the heart of Snowdonia National Park, Beddgelert is a popular base for excursions into the wilder areas of the park, with many hiking trails located nearby, including the Aberglaslyn Pass, a rocky gorge through the River Glaslyn. The gorge is traversed by the heritage Welsh Highland Railway, a steam train that winds around the Snowdonia mountains, and includes a stop in Beddgelert.

Nearby lies Dinas Emrys, a wooded hillock that is the mythical home of the red dragon of Wales, as well as the wizard Merlin from the Arthurian legends. On the site, you will find the ruins of a 12th-century Welsh castle and a fifth-century stronghold, accessible through two miles of walking trails.

Llandeilo

Located in the southwest county of Carmarthenshire, Llandeilo is known as the western gateway to the Brecon Beacons. This mountain range features South Wales’ highest peak, Pen y Fan. The mountains are located in the Brecon Beacons National Park, with Llandeilo serving as a hub for travelers to the park. Llandeilo is also celebrated as one of the best places to live in Wales, with national newspapers touting the town as a shopping destination, rich in local arts and crafts.

Llandeilo’s town center and high street are known for their family-run shops, as well as unique boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, particularly Rhosmaen Street, with antique shops and local craft studios. The Cawdor is a boutique hotel in a coaching inn dating from 1796, close to the train station in the heart of Llandeilo. The White Horse Inn, located on Rhosmaen Street, is a 16th-century coaching inn and is one of Llandeilo's oldest buildings.

Dinefwr Castle is a ruined castle that served as the chief seat of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in the 12th and 13th centuries. It lies on the northern bank of the River Towy, featuring a steep drop of 100 feet to the river. Dinefwr Park is part of the National Trust’s Dinefwr Estate, featuring a deer park and Newton House, a country house initially built in the Jacobean style in 1660, with extensive renovations in the Venetian Gothic style in the 1850s.

Aberdaron

This seaside village is located at the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in northwest Wales, extending into the Irish Sea. Aberdaron, and its county, Gwynedd, are known as part of the area where the Welsh language was most preserved before its 20th-century revival. The village is known for its pristine beaches and its seaside culture. The village center is known for its traditional pubs, laid-back eateries, and cafes. Because of its location at the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula, it is known as an End of the Road village, and its maritime culture includes boating and exploring hidden sea caves along the coast.

Boats travel from Porth Meudwy to the island of Ynys Enlli, a designated National Nature Reserve, providing panoramic views of the sea. To get to Porth Meudwy, the Wales Coast Path is a coastal path where you can take in the sights of old fishing boats, plus ample birdwatching opportunities, including the rare red-legged chough. Aberdaron lies in one of Wales’ darker-sky coastal areas, making it well known for stargazing and clear night skies. Aberdaron is considered one of the best places in the world for stargazing without light pollution. The RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Poetry & Arts Festival takes place annually and celebrates Welsh poetry, art, and literature.

Spend Time in the Friendliest Towns in Wales

Wales is known as an ancient land, filled with castles, rugged nature, and mystery. The Welsh people are particularly known for their friendliness, and this is most evident in some of the small towns found throughout this small country within the United Kingdom. The unique Welsh culture is on full display in these towns and villages, where historical and colorful town centers provide a full immersion into all things Welsh. You can take in a literary festival, drink a pint, or wander into the natural world that is never too far from these towns, and experience all that Wales has to offer.