The best traffic-free bike rides in North Wales

Hugging the cliff edge from a lower vantage point, the Marine Drive coastal road is a 4.5-mile engineering marvel that puts you right at the water's edge. The Perspectives: Looking straight up from the tarmac, massive pale limestone walls tower over you like ancient castle ramparts. Look the other way, and the road drops sheer into the deep, churning blue of the Irish Sea. Wildlife Encounters: Because you're right at sea level, it’s one of the best spots to catch a glimpse of grey seals bobbing in the water, pods of dolphins out in the bay, or seabirds nesting furiously on the ledges above. The Atmosphere: It’s a one-way, anti-clockwise loop that feels wild and exposed. Whether you're driving it, cycling it, or walking against the sea breeze, the sheer scale of the rock meeting the ocean makes it an unforgettable stretch of coast.

Colwyn Bay Beach is a golden, three-mile playground perfect for seaside strutting! With its sleek, modern promenade and soft sands, it’s a haven for: Watersports: Ideal for jet-skiing or kayaking. Relaxation: Plenty of space for sunbathing and sandcastles.

This highlight is nowhere near Manchester Airport

Uhmm - photo of Garden City's Welsh Road 'blue bridge' is NOT Saltney Ferry footbridge!! The Ferry is four miles upstream, towards Chester!

Old Chapel cafe brilliant food and excellent prices

Well priced good food. Especially enjoy the cake

Would recommend heading from Wales into England at sunset. Riding into the setting sun in such a tranquil spot

"Hawarden Bridge (/ˈhɑːrdən/; Welsh: Pont Penarlâg) is a railway bridge over the River Dee, near Shotton, Flintshire, Wales. It was built by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (which later became the Great Central Railway), as part of the Chester & Connah's Quay Railway. It opened on 3 August 1889. During the 1880s, the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Company undertook the construction of a line between Chester Northgate and what is now known as Hawarden Bridge Junction. The most significant geographical feature of the route to overcome was the River Dee. It was decided to opt for a 165 meter-long bridge to cross over the river; this structure was complicated by the need to incorporate a means of passage for the tall ships that traversed the Dee at this time. The Board of Trade, advised by Sir George Nares, decreed that the envisioned bridge would need a single navigable opening of at least 140 feet. Hawarden Bridge was designed by the civil engineer C.A. Hobson. The bridge was officially opened to traffic on 3 August 1889; the opening ceremony was officiated by Catherine Gladstone, the wife of Prime Minister William William Gladstone. A key feature of the Hawarden Bridge was its central section, which was referred to as Span 10; this allowed it to function as a swing bridge. As originally built, it was able to rotate through 90-degrees to enable the passage of tall ships on the River Dee.  At the time of its completion, this was the largest opening span of any swing bridge in the United Kingdom. Presently, the bridge can no longer open, the span having been welded shut decades ago. The last time that Span 10 was opened was during 1960. The remains of the rotating mechanism – hydraulic cylinders attached to a drive chain and sprocket – are still visible beneath the bridge. Both pedestrians and cyclists may also traverse Hawarden Bridge via a dedicated walkway. The walkway, which connected between the Wales Coast Path and the Chester Greenway Railway Path section of National Cycle Route 5, is the responsibility of registered charity Sustrans Cymru." You can read more about the bridge here; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawarden_Bridge