landmark
Portmeirion
Fantastical Italianate village on the shores of Cardigan Bay, designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis and famous as the setting of The Prisoner.
3 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Porthmadog
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Porthmadog
Porthmadog works well as a base: 10 minutes from Penrhyndeudraeth, 8km from Pass of Aberglaslyn.
Porthmadog is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 3,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Penrhyndeudraeth, about 4 km away.
Porthmadog (Welsh: [pɔrθˈmadɔɡ] ), originally Portmadoc until 1972 and known locally as Port, is a coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, Wales, and the historic county Caernarfonshire. It lies 5 miles (8 km) east of Criccieth, 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Blaenau Ffestiniog, 25 miles (40 km)Read more
north of Dolgellau and 20 miles (32 km) south of Caernarfon. The community population was 4,185 in the 2011 census and was put at 4,134 in 2019. It grew in the 19th century as a port for local slate, but as trade declined it continued as a shopping and tourism centre, being close to Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Railway. The 1987 National Eisteddfod was held there. It includes nearby Borth-y-Gest, Morfa Bychan and Tremadog.
Where to Stay in Porthmadog
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Porthmadog?
Within an hour or so of Porthmadog: Portmeirion (3 km), Harlech Castle (8 km), Aberglaslyn Pass (8 km), Cwm Pennant (8 km).
Are there any good drives near Porthmadog?
The nearest famous roads are A498 Nant Gwynant, A4085 Beddgelert to Caernarfon and Crimea Pass.
Where is Porthmadog?
Porthmadog is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Penrhyndeudraeth.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 2,981
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 52.9292, -4.1314
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Porthmadog
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
Harlech Castle
Mighty concentric fortress built by Edward I in the 1280s, perched on a dramatic crag with sweeping views across Cardigan Bay to Snowdonia.
8 km · about 15 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Aberglaslyn Pass
A gorgeous wooded gorge where road, river and steam railway thread beneath steep crags near Beddgelert.
8 km · about 15 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cwm Pennant
A quiet dead-end valley of drystone walls and abandoned slate workings, celebrated in Welsh poetry as a place of longing.
8 km · about 15 min drive
natural wonder
Pass of Aberglaslyn
A tight wooded gorge where the Glaslyn river races between crags, with the Fisherman's Path along the old railway.
8 km · about 15 min drive
natural wonder
Llyn Dinas
A quiet lake between Beddgelert and Nant Gwynant, ringed by oak woodland and linked to the legend of Merlin and the dragons at Dinas Emrys.
11 km · about 20 min drive
famous road
A498 Nant Gwynant
The road from Beddgelert to Pen-y-Gwryd past Llyn Gwynant and Llyn Dinas, one of Wales's most photographed valleys.
13 km · about 25 min drive
natural wonder
Llyn Trawsfynydd
A large upland reservoir built for hydro power and later a nuclear station, ringed by a walking trail with Rhinog and Moelwyn views.
13 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Porthmadog
9 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 60km.
- Right hereAberglaslyn PassA gorgeous wooded gorge where road, river and steam railway thread beneath steep crags near Beddgelert.
- Right hereCwm PennantA quiet dead-end valley of drystone walls and abandoned slate workings, celebrated in Welsh poetry as a place of longing.
- Right hereA498 Nant GwynantThe road from Beddgelert to Pen-y-Gwryd past Llyn Gwynant and Llyn Dinas, one of Wales's most photographed valleys.
- Right hereNant Gwynant ValleyThe valley of two lakes between Beddgelert and Pen-y-Gwryd, widely rated the most beautiful drive in Snowdonia.
- 16 kmSnowdon / Yr WyddfaWales's highest peak at 1,085 metres, accessible by multiple walking routes or the Snowdon Mountain Railway, with views spanning to Ireland.
- 16 kmA4085 Beddgelert to CaernarfonA flowing Snowdonia road past Llyn Cwellyn beneath Mynydd Mawr, quieter than the Llanberis Pass and just as scenic.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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