Autumn Short Breaks in Wales
Autumn is one of the best times for a short break in Wales, with the heat and bustle making way for a whole different holiday experience.
Milder days, shades of brilliant yellow, orange and red make the countryside an ideal place.
Wander around farmers markets, spend evenings in warm cozy country pubs.
Alternatively, Autumn is a great time to indulge in outdoor activities, coasteering or surfing or maybe casual walking - its a great time of year to visit Wales.
We have put together a short guide for the best ways to get the best out of autumn breaks in Wales.
Local, Seasonal Welsh Food
Autumn is a great time to enjoy seasonal food in Wales. Traditionally the time of harvest, autumn sees many different vegetables and variety of meats coming into season that produce some stunning local dishes.
As the days draw in and get cooler, dishes such a hot cawl - a delicious thick meat and vegetable soup - are fantastic for warming you up after a long country walk or an adventurous day surfing.
Light autumn lamb is another fine autumn dish, and has been described by the Telegraph as “a forgotten autumn treat”. Produced from small mountain breeds which graze in highland areas, the meat offers a stronger taste than that produced from lowland spring lambs, and results in a more hearty and fulfilling dish.
There are a many fantastic restaurants in Wales offering seasonal, local dishes which make the most of fantastic winter ingredients which come into season in the autumn months such as;squash, parsnips, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, wild rabbit, pheasant, and Snowdonia mountain lamb.
Festivals & Events
As winter approaches, enjoy the high octane, high adrenaline action of the Wales Rally GB event, or for a more sedate day, the Abergavenny Food Festival takes place this year on the 20th and 21st of September, with 2008 being the festival’s ten-year anniversary.
There are some fantastic music festivals which take place throughout the year in Wales, and in September Wales plays host to Jazz in the Park and North Wales International Music Festival - a week of classical music which is held at St Asaph Cathedral.
Whatever your interests, Wales has so many fantastic options for short breaks in the autumn. For accommodation across Wales in the autumn months, our search facility will help you find the perfect option.
The Active Short Break
Surfing
Wales offers some of the best surfing in the UK and Autumn is a great time to take advantage of some of the best Welsh surfing beaches.
Surfing in the autumn months is a great experience, although you’ll still need a wetsuit, the water hasn’t got as cold as it does later in the year and the seasonal stormy weather creates excellent surfing conditions along all of Wales’ top surf spots.
And don’t be put off if you’re just a beginner, there are plenty of locations around Wales that are ideal for learning to surf, such as Llangennith on The Gower. The British Surfing Association has lots of tips on how to get started and remain safe.
Great surfing spots include the Gower Peninsula, Swansea, Pembrokeshire and Hell’s Mouth near the Llyn Peninsula.
Nature and Wildlife in Autumn
Autumn is a great time for spotting winter migrant birds like fieldfares and redwing, which can both be seen in the Tywi Valley in Carmarthenshire. During the autumn months waders and wildfowl also flock to the Dee Estuary on the North Wales/England border.
Autumn is a fantastic time of the year for viewing seals and their pups on the rocks along the Pembrokeshire coastline. When the tide retreats and reveals the rocks that dot the coast, grey seals congregate, enjoying the windy rugged shores whilst the common seal prefers areas with calmer waters.
Autumn is also the time to see the newborn white-furred seal pups, who are born between the months of September and November - another great reason to visit this beautiful stretch of coastline as they remain on land to wean.
The Pembrokeshire Coast can get pretty windy, so remember to bring warm clothing and waterproofs.
Don’t forget your camera ! This part of the world provides plenty of great photo opportunities - in fact all of the images on this page were taken by people on holiday in Wales (courtesy of Flickr).
We also would love to see your photos and share them - why not upload them to Wales1000things so you can also keep up with what people have been doing on their holiday in Wales
This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 11:46 am and is filed under Autumn Breaks wales. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
