Great Orme from Colwyn Bay

The Great Orme

© Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Great Orme is a limestone headland that rises steeply from the sea above Llandudno — one of the most dramatic coastal landmarks in Wales. At 207 metres, the summit commands views over the entire sweep of Colwyn Bay, across the Conwy estuary, along the coast toward Anglesey, and on clear days to the Isle of Man and the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland. It is accessible from Colwyn Bay in under 25 minutes by car or just over 20 minutes by train to Llandudno.

The Great Orme is part of the wider Llandudno offering — see llandudno.com for the full visitor guide to the resort, accommodation and all the Great Orme’s attractions in detail.

What to Do on the Great Orme

Great Orme Cable Car: The cable car from Happy Valley Gardens near the seafront to the summit is one of Britain’s longest cabin lifts — a classic seaside experience. Booking in advance is recommended in July and August.

Bronze Age Copper Mines: The Great Orme Mines are one of the most significant prehistoric industrial sites in the world. Worked for over 3,500 years, the mines produced enough copper to supply much of Bronze Age Europe. The guided underground tours are genuinely impressive — this is not a typical “tourist mine” experience but a serious heritage site with real depth. Allow 90 minutes including the guided tour.

Great Orme Tramway: Britain’s only remaining cable-hauled public street tramway runs from the town to the summit in two stages from Victoria Station on Church Walks. It has operated since 1902.

Summit Walk & Country Park: The Great Orme Country Park has open access walking across the headland. The limestone grassland hosts rare flora and resident Kashmiri mountain goats (a genuinely wild herd that roams freely across the headland). The lighthouse at the western tip of the headland is another good walking destination.