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Welsh Mountain Zoo
Attractions in Colwyn Bay

Visit Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay

Visitors to Colwyn Bay can choose from 5 castles, 3 historic houses and 3 museums. Only one place to visit is inside Colwyn Bay’s built-up area, but 19 more are within 5 km of its edge. Of these, 3 are looked after: 2 by Cadw and 1 by the National Trust. Go 24 km out for Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle.

Photo: Welsh Mountain Zoo, Frombowen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
In Colwyn Bay
1
inside the built-up area
Within 5 km
19
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
5
in or near town
Castles & historic places
9
in or near town
Cared for
3
National Trust, English Heritage, Cadw and others
Best known

Leading places in Colwyn Bay

After Welsh Mountain Zoo, look out for 3 castles, a historic house and a fort.

ZooWelsh Mountain Zooin townCastle · CadwConwy Castle3.5 km outside town, to the westHistoric houseThe Smallest House in Great Britain3.7 km outside town, to the westCastleDeganwy Castle3.9 km outside town, to the westCastleGwrych Castle4.3 km outside town, to the eastFort · CadwConwy Town Walls3.8 km outside town, to the west

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

Mapped

The farthest of them, Brynffanigl Castle, is 8.4 km out.

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The dashed line is Colwyn Bay’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022

By kind

Grouped by kind

9 are castles or historic places; museums or galleries come next with 5.

Museums & galleries 3 museums · 2 art galleries0 in town · 5 nearby
Castles & historic places 5 castles · 3 historic houses · 1 fort0 in town · 9 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 2 piers · 1 zoo1 in town · 2 nearby
Other attractions 3 attractions0 in town · 3 nearby

Green: inside Colwyn Bay. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

3 places are cared for: 2 by Cadw and 1 by the National Trust (Conwy Castle, Conwy Town Walls and Aberconwy House).

Every place

Place by place

First the one in town, then the 19 within 5 km of its edge.

Mostyn

Art gallery · 4.3 km outside town, to the northwest

Art gallery in Llandudno, north Wales.

Run by MOSTYN Gallery Limited
About Mostyn →

The one inside Colwyn Bay comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

117 listed buildings and 1 scheduled monument are on Colwyn Bay’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Colwyn Bay →

Big names nearby

Further afield

The standout of the 12 is Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle, 24 km from town.

Castle · CadwCastell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle24 km westCastle · CadwRhuddlan Castle18 km eastGarden · National TrustBodnant Garden8.6 km southwestCastleCastle · CadwCastell Dolbadarn33 km southwestCastle · CadwCastell Dinbych24 km southeastCastleCastle · CadwCastell Dolwyddelan29 km southwestHistoric houseBodelwyddan Castle16 km eastCathedralSt Asaph Cathedral20 km eastCathedralBangor Cathedral28 km westCastleCastell Aberlleiniog23 km westCastle · CadwTwthill Castle18 km eastCastleGwydir Castle19 km south

Places well known beyond Colwyn Bay (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Seeing Colwyn Bay: your questions

What are the main attractions in Colwyn Bay?

The place to visit inside Colwyn Bay’s built-up area is Welsh Mountain Zoo. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 19 more within 5 km.

Does Colwyn Bay have a museum?

5 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Colwyn Bay: Mostyn, Academi Frenhinol Gymreig, Llandudno Museum and Home Front Museum.

Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Colwyn Bay?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Colwyn Bay, 3 places are cared for: 2 by Cadw and 1 by the National Trust (Conwy Castle, Conwy Town Walls and Aberconwy House).

What are the best-known days out near Colwyn Bay?

Within 40 km: Castell Biwmares / Beaumaris Castle (24 km), Rhuddlan Castle (18 km), Bodnant Garden (8.6 km), Castell Dolbadarn (33 km).

Where are Colwyn Bay’s historic buildings listed?

Colwyn Bay has 117 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Cadw’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Colwyn Bay when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (23)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.