North Wales has it all – lush green valleys, fine beaches, striking rocky mountains and idyllic towns and villages, which makes me wonder why I stayed away for so long.

It was years since I last visited the land of, well, their fathers and being confronted with its beauty I was overjoyed to be back.

We arrived for a short break on a Thursday evening and made tracks to our resting place for the weekend, a beautiful stone cottage converted from a former farm building.

Tressi Porffor, as it is known, has trailing, purple flowering wisteria welcoming you in to a cosy and rustic interior. We had an active weekend planned so I was elated to discover the lounge contained large sofas one could get lost in and a fireplace well-stocked with logs. The beds were equally pleasing.

The cottage is set against a stunning mountainous backdrop, surrounded by picturesque Welsh countryside and, more importantly, is only a short stroll to the nearest pub, offering delicious home-cooked food.

We were situated a few minutes’ drive from the tiny walled market town of Conwy on the north coast, famous for its medieval castle. On our first day our party took off to discover the town.

For such a small town there is so much to explore. From its winding streets lined with quaint independent shops and restaurants and harbour dotted with small fishing boats to the stunning Conwy Castle and its walls which extend around the town centre.

The walls can be walked for free, save some unstable sections, but it is well worth the small fee to explore the castle itself. Its eight huge round towers rise extraordinarily toward the sky but the highlights are the vistas from the battlements across the mountainous skyline and across the Conwy estuary are breathtaking.

Built over 700 years ago by Edward I to contain the Welsh, it is an incredible feat of engineering and testament to the workmanship that the structure still stands today, with most of the town’s walls also still intact.

We enjoyed a spot of lunch in the town before walking to Dwygyfylchi via Conwy Mountain. The views back across the town to the castle and up the estuary from here were stunning.

Returning to our temporary cottage home was a reward worth working for. After lighting a fire in the cosy lounge we settled in for the evening and made use of the sofas, DVD player and large TV, for tomorrow was to be a big day.

We set ourselves the over-exuberant task of conquering Snowdon – Wales’ highest peak. This meant rising at the unholy (considering this was a holiday) hour of 7am to fill our bellies with enough fuel to get us at least half way up this gargantuan 1,085-metre peak.

Snowdonia National Park is only a short drive from the cottage with some of the smaller but no less impressive peaks 20 minutes’ drive from door to car park. Snowdon itself, however, took us an hour to reach.

While driving through the national park you cannot help but be in awe of nature when confronted by peaks rising from the roadside, cascading waterfalls and jagged rock faces, and all this from the warmth of the car!

It becomes slightly more foreboding when, on stepping out, one realises the task at hand it to conquer one of these peaks – let alone the largest – but no less amazed and full of confidence we set off up the Pyg Track, a popular but demanding route, from Pen-y-pass.

We made it to the summit and upon seeing the Snowdon Mountain Railway saunter into the station there I realised we still had the descent to go. Unfortunately we were not blessed with a clear day as I had been told the views from the summit were far-reaching. On clear days it is possible to see as far as Ireland and Scotland.

We were advised by a fellow climber to head to Pete’s Eats in Llanberis upon our successful descent for some ‘proper grub’. We followed dutifully and were not disappointed – it was the perfect solution to empty stomachs and tired legs. The hot shower and large comfy beds Tressi Porffor is stocked with were well-appreciated at the end of this long day.

The following morning, regrettably our last in this beautiful corner of the world and equally beautiful cottage, was a slow one. After feeling sorry for myself, the very friendly cottage owner Neil’s congratulations on our successful ascent and assurance that it was ‘no mean feat’ instantly made me feel better and keen to make the most of our last slither of time in the area.

We swiftly scoffed breakfast and made our way for a far more leisurely day visiting the nearby town of Llandudno. Neil had told us to visit the Llandudno Transport Festival which was on over the weekend and we caught the road run, a carnival-style parade of old cars, bikes, buses, steam engines and more, all accompanied by marching bands and entertainers. After lunch in Llandudno we took a ride in the cable car – the longest in Britain – to the summit of Great Orme, to enjoy yet another stunning panorama.

There is so much to do for everyone in the area surrounding our little cottage. Adventure-seekers are spoilt for choice as is anyone seeking history and culture. We stumbled across small art galleries while ambling about the towns and countless places serving delicious food.

We did not even use the cottage itself to its full potential. It has a beautiful lawned garden with a barbeque, table tennis and picnic bench as well as countryside begging to be explored sprawling out from the doorstep.

With all this left to do, I am eagerly awaiting my next opportunity to visit.

Getaway

The four-star, two-bedroom Tressi Porffor cottage is available through wales-holidays.co.uk, an independent family-run agency based close by. Other cottages are available to rent nearby.

Weekly rents throughout winter are from £380 and short breaks can be negotiated.