Towns and Villages

Pwllheli

Pwllheli is Llŷn’s principal town, and recently celebrated 650 years since receiving a royal charter from the Black Prince (Edward III) in 1355. The name Pwllheli means saltwater pool, and the sea has played an important part in the town’s history and development, from shipbuilding and fishing at the turn of the last century to the development of the harbour as a marina making Pwllheli one of the best places for sailing in the UK.

The Welsh language and culture are very much alive here; according to the United Kingdom Census of 2001, 80% of the town’s population speak Welsh, with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in the 10-14 age bracket at 94%.

The AONB team are based at the Gwynedd Council offices in the Pwllheli.

Nefyn 

Nefyn is Llŷn’s second town with a population of around 1,000 people. Like Pwllheli it was granted a royal charter in 1355 and earned the right to call itself a town. Nefyn was also the site of a jousting match in 1284 held by King Edward I to celebrate his victory over the Welsh people.The sea has played an important part in the development and history of Nefyn – at one time it was an important shipbuilding centre and fishing (especially for herring) was a way of life for many. The Llŷn Maritime Museum was established here in 1979 and efforts are now underway to reopen this valuable local attraction. 

Aberdaron

A fishing village at the far end of the Peninsula, Aberdaron is a stronghold of the Welsh language; the last census showed 76% of the local population to be fluent Welsh speakers. With a strong tradition as a fishing village, many here still earn their living from the sea, either by fishing or catching crabs and lobsters, running pleasure cruises around Llŷn or ferrying travellers over to Enlli.

Abersoch

Abersoch is Llŷn’s surfing, dinghy sailing and jet-skiing centre. The small fishing village has developed into a tourism hot spot, with plenty to entertain – shops, cafes, bars, festivals and regattas all adding to Abersoch’s appeal.

Rhiw

From the top of Rhiw Mountain you can see both sides of Llŷn, from Hell’s Mouth over towards Morfa Nefyn. Rhiw is a very special place with a rich history of farming, mining and several amazing stories. Rhiw.com is a brilliant website with everything you could possibly want to know about the area – follow the link to find out more.