Walking holidays in Wales

For some people, the holiday season is the perfect time in which to simply put one’s feet up, lounge about, and enjoy the (somewhat limited) delights of daytime TV. Physical exertion is not on the cards: the holidays are a time to recuperate and bask in glorious freedom, perhaps even on a beach or by a lake.

Then there’s another kind of person: one who really relishes the opportunity to get out in the fresh air after being stuck in an office for the most part of the year. Why would you spend your days sitting around doing nothing when you could be stretching your legs and reconnecting with Mother Nature?

For this latter sort of holidaymaker, Wales is the ideal British destination for this kind of refreshing and outdoorsy holiday. Although the urban areas may look just like those all around Britain, it is the countryside that is truly spectacular, making Wales a region of peace and quiet completely unlike any other.

While you may think that Wales has nothing more to offer than other walking holiday destinations such as the Lake District or the Quantocks, it is an absolutely magical place to experience first-hand. You can walk for hours without meeting another soul, an almost unheard-of factor in this massively overcrowded island.

Wales’ landscape is simply staggering. With an astonishing number of national heritage sites, it’s as if the whole country is worth preserving and protecting, and it’s easy to see why with picture-book wildlife, and gushing rivers carving their ways through valleys, being as commonplace as they are.

It’s also great if you’re a serious walker, as well. There isn’t very much flat ground in Wales, and you’ll definitely feel the burn in your legs after a couple of days of walking, but this could be just the kind of leg stretch you need to get your fresh air fix.

Although walking in Wales is a fairly safe holiday compared to, say, cross-country skiing or rock-climbing, it’s advisable to take out some travel insurance, especially if you’re intent on tackling some of the more mountainous and consequently dangerous paths. Fortunately, however, companies like AA Travel Insurance offer great deals on single trip holiday insurance, and are perfect if you want that extra sense of security.

There are corners of Wales which rank among the most beautiful well-kept secrets of the UK, and its ability of helping you recharge is astonishing. The dramatic landscapes of soaring peaks and plummeting depths are both stunning and offer fantastic terrain for walking, making Wales the calm, quiet slice of paradise that it is.