Colwyn Bay

Colwyn Bay (Welsh: Bae Colwyn) is a coastal town in north Wales. As with much of the north Wales coast, the town has suffered with the decline in the tourist industry since in the mid-20th century. While it does not have the charm of nearby Llandudno, it hasn't declined as much as nearby Rhyl.

Understand
While "not as bad as Rhyl" may seem like a spurious fame to claim, Colwyn Bay still has many interesting locations.

A new water-sports centre is being built near the pier and is likely to attract more week-end holiday makers and 'day trippers' from Liverpool and Manchester which are both about an hour away by car. There is already a dedicated jet-ski area.

The greater Colwyn Bay area includes Old Colwyn to the east and Rhos-On-Sea at the north west end of the 3-mile (5-km) wide bay. If you are driving past is well worth taking the detour to the coast road as there is free parking next to the sea. The pier is the biggest eyesore as it's in a sad state and is closed. This is largely due to eccentric private ownership.

The beach however is sandy and relatively big when the tide is out. A nice aspect of the bay is the train line which runs along half of it and has prevented building behind the promenade, this gives a windswept feel.

Several wind farms are visible from the shore. These are not pretty to some but are hypnotic and others see them as essential to a modern landscape. (Rhyl flats, Gwent-y Mor and North Hoyle.)

By road
Colwyn Bay is right on the main east-west road passing through north Wales, the A55.

By rail
Colwyn Bay station is also on the main north Wales route that services Holyhead, with its links to Ireland.



By bus
The bus service up and down the North Wales coast is good. You can get direct buses to Rhyl, Llandudno, Conwy, etc. The current operator is arriva. Day Rover tickets are good value.

Get around
Buses run throughout the Colwyn Bay area.

Do

 * Rugby League: North Wales Crusaders play the 13-a-side game at Eiras Stadium. They play in League One, the third tier, with a Feb-Sept season.
 * Rugby Union: RGC play in the Welsh Premiership, the amateur top tier. They too play at Eiras Stadium.
 * Walking - Colwyn Bay offers some good opportunities for walking - Bryn Euryn in particular offers great views over the local area and the ruins of Llys Euryn, a historical late medieval house are worth exploring. Pwllycrochan Woods in Upper Colwyn Bay is also well worth visiting.
 * Rugby Union: RGC play in the Welsh Premiership, the amateur top tier. They too play at Eiras Stadium.
 * Walking - Colwyn Bay offers some good opportunities for walking - Bryn Euryn in particular offers great views over the local area and the ruins of Llys Euryn, a historical late medieval house are worth exploring. Pwllycrochan Woods in Upper Colwyn Bay is also well worth visiting.

Buy

 * Station Road has a WH Smith, Boot's and independent stores. There's also a bi-weekly market on Thursdays and Saturdays, it's not that great but there's some local and freshly grown goods among the tat.
 * The Bay View Shopping Centre has a Morrison's and an Iceland, but not much else of note.
 * There are a few independent book and antique and second hand furniture.

Eat
There are numerous places to eat in the town. Most are independent fast food places (fish and chips, kebabs, Chinese, etc.) In addition there is:

Drink
Some of the pubs in Colwyn Bays have seen better days.

Many locals steer clear of the centre at night, a more salubrious night out can be found in Old Colwyn or Rhos-On Sea.

Colwyn Bay can get rough on occasions

Sleep
Prior to the building on the A55, there used to be hundred of hotels and guest houses in Colwyn Bay but many have been closed and converted to other types of living accommodation. This was probably because the journey times from the main conurbations of Liverpool and Manchester was with the jams tortuous.

There are still some guest houses above the promenade towards Rhos-on-Sea and a smattering of hotels dotted around



Connect
Colwyn Bay and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of Aug 2022, 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * Llandudno - A Victorian seaside resort that has kept much of its charm and well worth a visit.
 * Conwy - The medieval castle and walls are excellent.
 * Conwy Valley - A trip up the beautiful Conwy Valley will take you to Bodnant Gardens, Betws-Y-Coed and beyond to the Snowdonia National Park.