The Great Orme, lying close to the seaside resort of Llandudno, is a spectacular limestone headland formed during the Carboniferous era when this part of Wales lay under the sea.
Now managed as a country park, this unspoilt landscape offers much to fascinate the family from looking out for the Kashmir goats that have roamed here for 100 years to an ancient church, oddly shaped rocks, fossils and glorious views of the coastline on a clear day.
- Best walks in Snowdonia National Park
- Guide to Anglesey: best places to visit and coastal walks
- Britain’s most stunning coastal walks
Great Orme walk
5 miles/8.1km | 3 hours | moderate | 286m ascent
1. Start
Have the pier on your right and walk uphill to the Grand Hotel where you turn left to the Happy Valley Gardens. Head uphill, noting the mosaics on the toilet block depicting Alice in Wonderland characters and the Great Orme wildlife. You'll see a White Rabbit sculpture on the hill to your right.
At the top of the grassy area, walk through the botanical gardens veering right towards a fence. Go through the gate in the top corner and emerge on a path runnning alongside the ski slope.
2. Ski slope
At the top of the ski slope, ignore paths on the left and follow the main path towards St Tudno's Church.
You'll pass a farm and the spring Ffynnon Powell before emerging on a lane opposite the church. The present building dates from the 12th century and is named after a 6th-century Celtic missionary who established the first church on the Orme.
3. Great Orme
Turn left and take a track on the right that soon traces the wall enclosing the highest land of the Great Orme. At a well in the wall, look right down the slope to observe medieval ridges, remains of land ploughed by oxen.
Continuing along the path, you'll pass large boulders, glacial erratics from the Ice Age – one looks like a cottage loaf. Rounding the headland, pass limestone pavement and soon views open up of the Carneddau mountains on the mainland and Puffin Island off Anglesey.
Pass the descending Monk's Path and, when the wall bends left uphill to the summit complex, veer right to the Bishop's Quarry where fossils such as brachiopods, crinoids and corals may be found. Please don't remove them.
4. Tramway
Join a path running alongside a road and walk downhill to a track above the Bronze Age Mine. Turn left then right and after passing the Great Orme Tramway Halfway Station on your left, cross the road and tramway to a track. Turn right, go around a barrier and follow the path, looking out for goats, to rejoin your outward route above the ski slope. Turn right to retrace your steps.
Great Orme map
Great Orme walking route and map
Useful information
Starting point
Llandudno promenade, near the pier, LL30 2LR On street parking nearby (pay and display). Trains to Llandudno. No 5 buses from Bangor and No 12 from Rhyl to the Palladium, Gloddaeth Street, Llandudno.
Terrain
Surfaced, grassy and stony paths and tracks. Steady climb and descent.
Map
OS Explorer OL17
Eat/drink
Parisella's Café, Happy Valley open mid February to mid November (01492 871344) or The Loaf Caffi, Gloddaeth Street (01492 338995)
