The North Wales Pilgrims Way – 140 miles – 2 weeks – Holywell to Bardsey Island. A long time ago pilgrims in their thousands were finding their way to Bardsey Island, drawn to the place where the sun sets over the watery horizon at the end of the world. Today a route has been waymarked there from Holywell in Flintshire, which has an extraordinarily large holy water swimming pool in which you can kneel underwater on St Beuno’s Altar Stone, submerged completely in miraculous holy water. The route goes via prehistoric stone circles, ancient churches, thousand year-old stone crosses, sacred springs and waterfalls. You will pass through magical woodlands and across great rivers, up mountains and along coast paths spattered by salty air, along ancient roadways, through wilderness and human settlements. Tiny stone churches nestled into the hills provide shelter and rest along the Way, much as they would have done in the past- feeling particularly like pilgrim places. Manley Hopkins, RS Thomas and several great Welsh poets have all taken inspiration here, as you may do too. If you are lucky you may experience the most poetic pinnacle of all, the tricky crossing to Bardsey Island in a simple boat, as so many have done before you in seeking transcendence.

Highlights
Strong start and end holy places
Diverse landscapes
Poetry-inspiring pedigree
Developed travel industry for the route