The pretty seaside town of Criccieth is often described as "the pearl of Wales on the shores of Snowdonia" and it doesn't take long to see why. As you enter the town from the east on the A497 from Porthmadog, you get a fantastic view across the bay to the castle, a view that is even said to rival one in Naples!

The town has all the services you need, with a long High Street and pretty park area's providing the focal points for the town's annual participation of "Britain in Bloom" competition, often doing very well too! The annual festival and fairs are popular events in the town's calendar.

The castle dominates the skyline for much of the town and is now open to the public during the season - it is the smaller of the two castles that face each other across Tremadog Bay, Criccieth and Harlech. The town has two beaches, both mainly shale, one either side of the castle.