Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.
Located on the island of Great Britain, it is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic Sea to the south-west. As of 2021, it had a population of 3.1 million. It has a total area of 21,218 square kilometres (8,192 sq mi) and over 2,700 kilometres (1,680 mi) of coastline. It is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon, its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate. Its capital and largest city is Cardiff.
Getting to Wales
Wales has the same immigration and visa requirements as the rest of the UK. All passengers travelling to the UK from outside Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man go through systematic passport/identity card and selective customs checks carried out by the UK Border Agency on arrival in the UK. There is no internal border control between Wales and England.
Worth seeing
Wales has many significant attractions, and listed below are a few of the most notable. For more details about these attractions plus information on other places of interest, check under regional sections. To protect the environment certain parts of Wales have been designated as "National Parks" or as "National Landscapes" (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
Things to do
Heritage railways are more generally thought of as pleasurable attractions rather than ways to get around, although the Ffestiniog Railway, initially depended on gravity and horse power, from Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog can be used to link places on main rail lines, and the opening of the Welsh Highland Railway has created a useful link between Caernarfon, Beddgelert and Porthmadog.
Where to eat
Wales is associated with many particular dishes, and there are a number of unique foods that you might like to try. The quality of local ingredients is often very high, with a drive towards locally sourced, organic produce in many restaurants. Roast lamb. Wales is noted for the high quality of its lamb, due to the luscious green grass they graze on. Often served with mint sauce and vegetables. Cawl (Lobscouse).
Getting around Wales the local way
- Get inof Ireland) are available, which include the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin Port.
- Get inSee also: Ferry routes to British Mainland It's possible to take several ferry routes from Ireland to Wales, the main routes are Holyhead (which is on Holy Island, linked to the island of Anglesey by a causeway, and Anglesey is linked by bridge to mainland Wales) and Fishguard on the south-west coast.
- Get inThese tend to be the cheapest and fastest, if you hunt around between the different ferry companies.
- Get inStenaline and Irish Ferries offer multiple daily services for passengers and vehicles.
- Get inStena operate the route to Fishguard, Irish Ferries operate the route to Pembroke Dock, and both operate to Holyhead.
- Go nextReachable by ferry from a number of places on the west coast.
From Wikivoyage: Wales, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Diliff (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.