From sea level it's difficult to gauge the sheer scale of the limestone chunk known as the Great Orme (Y Gogarth), yet it's 2 miles in circumference and 207m in height. Named after a Norse word for 'worm' or 'sea serpent', this gentle giant looms benevolently over Llandudno. Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the headland is home to a cornucopia of flowers, endemic butterflies and sea birds, and a herd of around 150 wild Kashmir mountain goats.
Three waymarked trails (of which the Haulfre Gardens Trail is the easiest to negotiate) lead to the summit; at various points you can find a neolithic burial chamber, a Bronze Age mine, the remains of an Iron Age fort, and an ancient church dedicated to Llandudno's namesake, St Tudno. At the summit there's a cafe, a bar, a gift shop, minigolf and other amusements, and the Great Orme Country Park Visitor Centre, which has lots of fascinating displays, including a 15-minute video. Views – across the Irish Sea and its fertile wind farms in one direction, overlooking Llandudno towards Snowdonia in the other – are stunning.
