Where to get that rush of spring endorphins – here are the best places to see those stunning daffodils in Wales
Springtime is one of the best times to visit Wales. The first few days of sunshine, as the country emerges from the long, wintry murk, are so uplifting. And one of the main reasons for that is the sight of so many daffodils in Wales, as the country’s gorgeous national flower brightens up the landscape.
Known as cenhinen Pedr in Welsh, the daffodil has been the national flower of Wales since the 19th century. Many people wear the flower – or a representation of it – on March 1st, St David’s Day, the feast day of the country’s patron saint.
In this guide I show you the best places to find daffodils around Wales. It’s likely you’ll soon chance upon some daffodils wherever you travel in Wales between late February and mid-March. I’ve visited and photographed all of these places around Wales. So if you’re heading in the general direction of any of these, make a short detour for a springtime treat.
When To See Daffodils In Wales
With global warming and climate change, the seasons have definitely shifted in recent years.
Daffodils have usually begun to appear by the last week of February, flowering through much of March and sometimes into April.
This has always depended to some extent on the preceding winter – when late snows can delay the daffodils for two weeks or so.
But more recently spring has sprung earlier, with daffodils sometimes appearing in mid-February.
If you’re travelling to Wales from nearby England, and the daffodils are in bloom wherever you are, they’’ almost certainly be in bloom in Wales too.
My advice is that early March is usually the optimum time to see daffodils around Wales. It’s not an absolute guarantee, but this will give you the best odds.
St David’s Cathedral
St David’s Cathedral is the grandest and most impressive church in Wales, a mighty medieval cathedral with a homespun Welsh touch. You can see similar purple-tinged stones to those used to build it at some of the nearby beaches, including Caerbwdi Bay.
St David’s Day is celebrated on March 1st, so it’s appropriate that the national flower of Wales should flower on the feast day of the patron saint of Wales. Not only that, but it also happens to flower outside what is essentially the national church of Wales – and in abundance at that.
The vast churchyard of St David’s Cathedral is surrounded by several gardens full of daffodils each springtime. It’s a wonderful sight, well worth travelling all the way to this remote corner of West Wales to see.
See Also: Things To Do In St David’s
Bute Park, Cardiff
Many of the best places to see daffodils in Wales are in and around the capital, Cardiff.
Cardiff is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe in springtime. It has wonderful displays of snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils, magnolias, tulips and finally bluebells by late April and early May.
And it’s the iconic daffodils that really tell you spring has arrived. The temperatures warm up a few degrees, the rain clears to leave glorious blue skies. And in Bute Park – our favourite park in our former home city – there’s also the stunning backdrop of Cardiff Castle.
You’ll also find daffodils within the grounds of Cardiff Castle, and in the gardens around City Hall and the National Museum, a ten-minute walk away.
Llandaff Cathedral
Llandaff Cathedral is one of the shortest and easiest day trips from Cardiff, a 15-minute bus ride from the city centre.
Like St David’s Cathedral it is set in a hollow, its golden-stone spire and tower rising out of the low ground below the Cathedral Green.
Next to the old belltower above the Cathedral, a gorgeous patch of daffodils blooms every springtime. And a two-minute walk away, the garden in the Old Bishops’ Palace – one of the least heralded castles near Cardiff – is also planted with daffodils each year.
Caerphilly Castle
Caerphilly Castle is one of the most impressive Welsh castles, and it looks spectacular in springtime.
The Castle is surrounded by parkland, and the grass banking in front of the Castle Gatehouse is always full of daffodils around the beginning of March each year.
But the best of the daffs are on the south side of the Castle, among the trees near the top of the slope in Dafydd Williams Park (pictured above).
See Also: 14 Best Things To Do In Caerphilly
Powis Castle
Powis Castle is one of the best places to visit in Mid Wales, a 12th-century castle that became possibly the finest stately home in the country. Many people also visit for its stunning gardens with its famous yew hedges on the upper terrace.
And for a few weeks each year it’s also prime daffodil territory. The flowers grow on the lower slopes below the Castle, just above the Great Lawn.
The Castle is usually closed for part of the winter, but the Garden is open year round, including March, when you’re most likely to see the daffodils.
Beddgelert
Beddgelert is one of the prettiest villages in North Wales, with its picturesque stone and slate cottages huddled along the banks of the Afon Glaslyn beneath the steep rocky neighbours of Yr Wyddfa, Mount Snowdon.
The village is beautiful year round, and in early spring the riverbanks, gardens and fields turn yellow and green as the daffodils enjoy their few weeks in the limelight. The biggest patch of daffodils is along the north bank of the river, along the A4085 road north to Caernarfon.
Portmeirion
The Italianate fantasy village of Portmeirion is beautiful year-round, the pastel shades of the houses and cottages giving you a splash of colour on even the gloomiest day.
During the summer most visitors walk through the Gatehouse to the Piazza, but if you visit in March, you’ll be greeted by a sloping garden full of bright daffodils to your left. It’s a magnificent sight, only visible for a couple of weeks. But a good reason to travel outside the peak season! You’ll also find a few daffodils outside Castell Deudraeth Hotel, close to the main Portmeirion car park.
Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil
The Valleys town of Merthyr Tydfil was once the iron ore capital of the world. But remains of its industrial past are scant, and it’s ironic that the residence of the Crawshay Ironmasters, Cyfarthfa Castle and Park, should be the most substantial surviving reminder of this period.
The Castle and Park have long been owned by the local council, and the Park is a wonderful place to see daffodils, with a large spread of them growing around the trees between the Castle and the lake.
Llangollen
The Dee Valley – including Llangollen – is one of the most beautiful areas in Wales, and part of a mooted new National Park covering much of the region. I’ve visited many times, in all four seasons, and springtime may just be the best time of all.
A boat trip along the Llangollen Canal is a wonderful way to while away a few hours there, and in springtime you get the bonus of daffodils along the canal banks.
There is also a glorious field of daffodils just above the River Dee, in the grounds of the Bryn Howel Hotel around two miles from the town centre.
See Also: 17 Best Things To Do In Llangollen
Rug Chapel, Corwen
Rug Chapel is one of the loveliest places to visit in North East Wales. The small 17th-century stone church was the private chapel of a Royalist commander, Colonel William Salesbury, built before the Civil War in which he fought.
The simple stone exterior doesn’t hint at the stunning decoration within the Chapel, with a painted roof, intricately carved angels and much more.
And for most of the seven months it’s open each year, you don’t get much hint of how glorious this little church is for a few short weeks in springtime. We chanced upon it early one April, the grounds carpeted with beautiful yellow daffodils. If you want to see it as we did, get there as soon as possible after it opens for the season (usually in Easter) and keep your fingers crossed that they’ve been spared by the warming climate for you!
National Botanic Garden, Carmarthenshire
The National Botanic Garden is a great place to visit at any time of year – and springtime is my favourite time.
A large expanse of daffodils grows on the hillside below the Great Glasshouse, a spectacular sight, especially on a sunny spring day.
And there aren’t many places in the world where you only need to walk five minutes from the daffodils of Wales to the wondrous spring flowers of Western Australia, which can be found inside the Glasshouse.
Daffodils In Wales – Final Thoughts
I hope this article has given you some inspiration. Seeing daffodils in Wales is a great way to shake off the winter doldrums, and hopefully you’ll be able to visit some of these places this springtime.
For more inspiration on Wales, check out some of these articles:
58 Famous Landmarks In Wales – from World Heritage Castles to the peaks of Snowdonia and more
Wales Bucket List – 40 of the best places to visit and things to do in Wales
Landscapes In Wales – 22 amazing landscapes, including some of the most beautiful mountains and coastline in Europe
30 Of The Best Hidden Gems In Wales – secret beaches, a Roman road, romantic medieval abbeys and more
20 Most Beautiful Rivers in Wales – from the Teifi to the Taff, the Conwy to Wye and many more
20 Best Castles in North Wales – from Edward I’s mighty World Heritage Castles to remote mountain fortresses of the Welsh Princes
35 Best Castles in South Wales – from mighty Caerphilly to romantic Carreg Cennen, and many more
20 Best Scenic Drives in Wales – from a coast-to-coast classic to hidden mountain passes, and much more