Review of the Path

So, how was the North Wales Path? Here are some reflections on the Path as whole.

I can't help thinking that maybe this was meant to be walked East to West, not West to East as I have done. Certainly the Path divides into two distinct sections, either side of Conwy, and west is harder.

East of Conwy, this is a walk along the coastline, with occasional diversions inland. That means it is mostly low-lying and level, and can be quite dull when all you are doing is walking along a beach. It also means it is very accessible, with plenty of places to buy ice-creams etc. in summer, and really not much need to bring a picnic at any time because you are never too far away from shops.

West of Conwy, it is a hillwalk, and more strenuous. It mostly (though not always) looks down on the coast. As I have said, there is absolutely nowhere on the Path between Port Penrhyn and Conwy town walls where you can spend money, even if you wanted to.

Much of this path is very quiet indeed: I saw very few other walkers on the more rural stretches. I did see lots of dog-walkers and cyclists on some parts of the Path more suited to that. Aber Falls also is a popular destination.


Rail Access
This Path is made for rail access, which is how I did it. Conwy, Llandudno Junction, Deganwy, Colwyn Bay, Abergele and Prestatyn stations are virtually on the Path, with Bangor, Llandudno and Rhyl stations just a short walk away. At  Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr, the access suffers slightly from the Path being on Snowdonia foothills and the stations being at sea level, but even then it's not too far. 

Circular Walks
It's ocourred to me that parts of this Path couuld be done as circular walks:
Great Orme: the Great Orme circuit as I did, crossing back to where you started from Llandudno North shore to West shore. This could link back to Llandudno station.
Colwyn/Llanddulas: the inland part of the North Wales Path, doubling back along the coast cycle track. 
Rhyl/Prestatyn: the inland part of the Path, returning along the shore: in a straight line; the additional distance between Rhyl and Presttayn is only 4 miles.
 
This Blog
I may have indulged my personal interests in (alphabetical order) Architecture, Geology, History, Ornithology, Prehistory and Railways; other people may have noticed different things; but then that only shows what different treats the walk has to offer.