Right, I will not attempt to explain the history behind Harlech as I will probably come up short and give some misleading information. Instead I will review the town itself and give you my honest opinion. I do think that it is one of the best long weekend spots in the UK, despite having little to compare it too, however due to some flaws it does not deserve the full 5 stars. This is based on the premise of its location, both a charm and a curse. This is due to the fact that it is relatively remote, lying on the Welsh coast, close to Snowdonia. This remoteness allows for it to be one of the more unspoilt towns of its type and although it does cater for tourism it has not been overwhelmed by the influx of them like some other places. This however does have its drawbacks, for instance the town is very small and I would not suggest going for more than 4 days. Saying this it does have facilities as a public swimming pool and train station which is very handy.

The castle itself is beautiful, a true historic monument and is well worth a visit, we are lucky to have things of such historical significance right on our doorstep and should make the most of that if you ask me. Furthermore the overall surrounding is stunning, when in the town, which is up a hill of a fairly steep gradient there are many cafes with balconies to sit on and admire the view that Harlech has to boast, such as the beautiful beach to the Snowdonia region, it is simply breathtaking, especially on a fine summers day.

The beach is home to some of the largest sand dunes in the UK and these are accordingly sectioned off, for their preservation and safety of us. However the rest of the beach is made up of some fine sand and is reasonably unspoilt. Golfers would also appreciate the course which is literally right next to the beach, and what I believe to be a very good course.

Like I have discussed the major negatives would be the effort in getting to a place that is best only to visit for a few days, however I think it is worth the trek.