Alastair Sawday's Special Escapes: Self-catering in the UK

Carmel

Carmel, Pontllyfni, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, Wales

Off the main coast road, past the little bungalows, and you're heading down to the sea. Carmel is the second of three cottages facing the bay; cross its little grassy garden and you're on the sands. It's a fabulous site and at high tide the sea almost laps the garden wall. Sunsets are dramatic and the sky is an ever-changing delight; watch the show from the sitting room's comfortable chairs. In this picture-window'd room are well-preserved pitch pine floors topped with a circular Sixties rug, a new-granite fireplace taking up one wall, a desk for budding writers, and good, bright, modern Welsh art on the walls. At the back is the terracotta-tiled kitchen, fitted with attractive handmade units and marble-effect tops, and a pretty antique dining table for four. If you tire of cooking – or firing up the barbecue – then there's a treat in store: book in for dinner at John and Eluned's nearby. (They're lovely hosts and the food is a treat!). Then it's back to Carmel's bedrooms, tiny but snug. Get cosy under the duckdown and let the waves lull you to sleep. It's a great spot: families have the sands, historians have the castle (majestic Caernarfon, up the coast), adventurers have Anglesey, and poets have solitude and the sound of the sea.

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Details

Carmel

Contact: Dr John & Mrs Eluned Rowlands

• Tel: +44 (0)1286 830942
• Sleeps: 5
• Rooms: 1 double, 1 twin, 1 single; bath/shower room.
• Price: £250 – £600. Price dependent on number of guests and time of year
• Closed: Rarely

Checklist

• Dishwasher
• Electricity included
• Washing machine
• Microwave oven
• Central heating
• Mobile reception
• Television
• BBQ
• Beach within 3 miles
• Cooked meals available
• Restaurant nearby
• Short breaks possible
• Extra bed/cot available
• Shop within 3 miles

Points of interest

• The medieval castles of Caernarfon, Beaumaris, Conwy, Cricieth and Harlech are just a few miles away.
• You can climb Snowdon from Llanberis (20 mins. away by car), or take the train to the summit.
• The Italianate village of Portmeirion (with its excellent restaurants) is about 30 minutes away.
• You can explore the Llyn Peninsula, Snowdonia, the Isle of Anglesey and the North Wales coast at leisure.
• A list of excellent local restaurants or gastropubs is available on request.
• There are National Trust properties in the vicinity, and interesting museums (eg, slate museum at Llanberis, and slate caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog).

This information is provided by owners and is not endorsed by ASP. If you have questions about it, please contact the owners.