Five wonderful Wales sites

Portmeiron town, Wales. Photo / Pamela Wade

Find natural and man-made beauty in the principality

The Welsh rugby team has gone home with its memories of New Zealand and its pride a little dented. But here at Travel we have a soft spot for Wales and would encourage any UK-bound traveller to put the principality on their itinerary. Here are five places to seek out next time you're in the 'hood.

1 Pembrokeshire Coast

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Britain's only coastal national park, is a beautiful area to explore. Its coastal track was voted the second-best walk in the world. There's cliffs, beaches, coves, neolithic stones, puffins and more than 300km of walks.

2 St Davids

The smallest city in the UK, has a 12th-century sandstone cathedral and the nearby Chapel of St Non and St Non's well. This spot marks the birthplace of St David, the patron saint of Wales. The rugged coastal path is also worth a stroll.

3 Portmeirion

A charming hotel resort in Gwynedd, North Wales. Built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925-1975 and designed along the lines of an Italian fishing village, guests get the place to themselves when the gates close for the night. The setting for films and TV shows - including The Prisoner - Portmeirion is a must-see for anyone planning a trip to Wales.

4 Isle of Anglesey

Separated from mainland Wales by the Menai Strait, the Isle of Anglesey showcases a series of quaint fishing villages along its pretty coastline. Popular with day-trippers and campers, the island is connected by a bridge to the smaller Holy Island, which has two lovely promenades. Nearby is one of the world's most famous photo ops on the railway platforms of the town with the hard-to-say place name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

5 Angel Hotel

One for the ages. Cardiff Arms Park sits in the shadow of Millennium Stadium, where France toppled the All Blacks 20-18 in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Not far away is the Angel Hotel, a landmark Victorian inn which hosted the 1972 All Blacks after they defeated Wales 19-16 on December 2. Early the next morning, giant prop Keith Murdoch had a contretemps with security guard Peter Grant, who at 193cm had the height advantage. Murdoch was dispatched into rugby ignominy by manager Ernie Todd and headed for the Australian Outback. The Angel endures.