Explore Wales

With rolling hills and valleys, stunning National Parks and a gorgeous coastline, Wales (Cymru) is a fantastic country to explore. And that's not even mentioning the rich culture and history! There's so much to see and do, but how can you choose where to visit from such a long list of must-see places?

We've whittled down our catalogue of Welsh Trails and picked out our top 10 places to explore. Take a peek at the list below for inspiration for your next Welsh adventure:

The most recent addition to our Welsh Trails catalogue, this treasure hunt Trail will take you on a magical journey around this pretty Eryri (Snowdonia) village of Beddgelert. Venture beside two rivers, and soak up the scenery as you weave along the backstreets hunting for the sneaky clues.

Be warned - this quest is only for the bravest of adventurers. You need to solve the clues scattered around the village to eliminate locations on your treasure map - which once belonged to Merlin himself - and track down the lair of the fearsome Red Dragon. Are you the legendary hero we've been waiting for?

A crime has been committed in the ancient capital of Wales - Machynlleth - once the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's parliament. On this detective mystery Trail, you'll be investigating the case of Davy 'Snake Eyes' Jones, unearthing twisting tales and fascinating facts along the way.

To discover who bumped off Snake Eyes, the renowned prospector visiting from the mountains, you'll need to examine evidence beside medieval inns, patrol past galleries and follow up on witness reports at the quaint fisherman's cottages. Can you whittle down your suspect list to reveal 'whodunnit'?

Unleash your inner secret agent on a spy mission Trail around the royal town of Caernarfon. Dr Benton Mayhem has built a dastardly device with the ability to crumble walls and is holding Caernarfon Castle to ransom for £1 million!

Your vital assignment will have you sneaking around the narrow streets, sticking to the shadows of Caernarfon's walls to avoid detection. You'll explore past the castle - where King Charles III was invested as Prince of Wales in 1969 - as you gather the intel needed to crack the dastardly device's deactivation code.

Take on an expedition around St Davids (Tyddewi) - the UK's smallest city - on a swashbuckling treasure hunt Trail. This pirate adventure will take bold explorers on a route around the winding backstreets, venturing past St Davids Cathedral - once a monastery founded by St David himself - as you search for the hidden gems.

You won't be hunting for any old hidden treasure, though - you're searching for Blackbeard's lost gold! He's said to have stashed his fortune of gold coins and jewels on neighbouring Puffin Island, but his ship was wrecked. Can you follow the clues to reveal where on the island the ill-gotten gains are hidden?

This spy mission Trail around Tintern (Tyndyrn) may be a shorter route, but that just means that there are fewer places to hide from the horrid henchmen! Bravely tiptoe around the outside of the abbey, through the village and beside the River Wye as you hunt for the crucial clues.

If you spot any ducks, take great care - Dr Madden Badd has created a device that scares off all birds, so they're probably enemy drones in disguise! It's vital that you sneakily crack the code to deactivate the device so we can bring our feathery friends back to the village and scare off the potty professor and his goons.

Please note: This Trail can only be completed Wednesday - Sunday due to the Abbey Mill being closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Something fishy is going on in Tenby (Dinbych-y-pysgod), and the police need help from top super sleuths on this detective mystery Trail. Can you reveal the truth of victim Olly Oyster's murky past and figure out who could have had the means, motive and opportunity to bump him off?

If you're brave enough to tackle this case, filled with smugglers, secrets and sabotage, you'll get to see all the landmarks the seaside town has to offer. Search for evidence alongside the medieval city wall, up the spectacular Castle Hill and through the winding cobbled streets. Keep your eyes peeled at all times - we're counting on you!

There's no time for monk-eying around on this treasure hunt Trail, intrepid explorers - a deciphered diary tells of a hidden hoard of treasure just waiting to be unearthed! Your quest will take you around the highlights of Abergavenny (Y Fenni) as you crack the clues to locate the long-lost loot.

This expedition will have you dodging booby traps in the castle grounds, ducking down winding backstreets to avoid rival treasure seekers and travelling through gardens to spot the all-important clues. Will you unearth the trove hidden by the monks of St Mary's Priory so many centuries ago?

A band of daring detectives is desperately needed on this musical mystery Trail around the lovely Llangollen. Your investigation will take in all the town has to offer, from the vibrant centre to the heritage railway. You'll even examine evidence besides the river and canal, keeping a sharp eye out for any suspicious activity as you go.

Hopefully, your inquiries won't fall flat - it's up to you to reveal which noteworthy suspect caused the demise of internationally acclaimed singer Bertha de Bluze. While DCI Eve Ninall drums up support from the public, you'll need to solve the sneaky clues to reveal whodunnit so we can get the culprit behind bars.

Image: By Rhayader clock tower by Nick Mutton, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=104349952 - cropped

Explore Rhayader (Rhaeadr Gwy) - the Outdoors Capital of Wales - on a wild spy mission Trail. Your vital assignment will take you through the town centre, along the rippling river and around the castle as you hunt for the clues. If you keep a sharp eye (and ear) out, you might spot birds and leaping salmon as you venture around this wildlife centre.

You might spot members of ROAR, too - that's the Rogue Operative Agent Racket. They want to reach the trophies of wildlife broadcaster turned poacher Chris de Sirch. Selling the trophies on the black market will fund their sinister schemes, and that can't happen! Your assignment is to decipher the code to a locked box left behind by Chris, which will help us reach the trophies first.

Image: By Rhyshuw1 at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7748196

Prophecy or proper baddy? That's for you to figure out, super sleuths! The county town of Carmarthen (Caerfyrddin) is in shock after the demise of a popular gardener Teresa Green. Many believe she's the victim of Merlin's prophecy, which spoke of Carmarthen's demise if an oak tree was removed. Can you guess who was tasked with digging up the stump?

But, the police aren't convinced and need help unearthing the truth on this detective mystery Trail. Patrol past Carmarthen Castle, around St Peter's Church and along the shopping streets, cracking clues and tracking down evidence along the way. We're relying on you to cut back your suspect list to reveal whodunnit and prove this wasn't just the prophecy coming to pass. Good luck!

Still can't decide where to explore? Well, we have 50 Treasure Trails in Wales, just waiting for ace adventurers like you to take on! Use the links below to find Trails in each region:

• Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire
• North Wales
• Pembrokeshire
• Powys
• South Wales

Archwilio hapus! (Happy exploring!)