Prestatyn's position on the A55 expressway and the North Wales Coast Line makes it an exceptionally good base for day trips. Within an hour's drive or less you have two medieval castles, an AONB, a Victorian pier resort, a cathedral city, and the beginning of Snowdonia. The town itself may be modest; what surrounds it is remarkable.
Rhuddlan Castle (3 miles south)
Rhuddlan Castle is one of the finest surviving Edwardian concentric castles in Britain and — being off the main tourist circuit — one of the least crowded. Built by Edward I following the Statute of Rhuddlan (1284), it stands above the River Clwyd with its double ring of walls largely intact. CADW manages the site and keeps it in excellent condition. Fifteen minutes by car, under an hour on foot or by bike along the river path. Allow two to three hours for a proper visit. Admission is modest.
Bodelwyddan Castle (4 miles south)
Bodelwyddan Castle is a Victorian Gothic confection in white limestone, most notable as a satellite of the National Portrait Gallery — the house contains significant works from the NPG collection in period-appropriate rooms. The grounds include formal gardens and a deer park. The striking white church (Marble Church) in the village is visible from the A55 and worth a stop. Twenty minutes by car.
St Asaph (5 miles southwest)
Britain's smallest city by population, St Asaph has a cathedral of disproportionate significance — the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Asaph contains the William Morgan Bible (the first translation of the entire Bible into Welsh, 1588) and has been a centre of Welsh Christianity since the sixth century. The city takes about ninety minutes to explore properly and rewards careful attention. Also worth noting: Ysgol Glan Clwyd, the first Welsh-medium secondary school in Wales (established 1956), is located here.
Llandudno (14 miles west)
The grande dame of Welsh resorts. Victorian promenade intact, pier still standing, Great Orme headland with a cable car and Bronze Age copper mines, a better restaurant and hotel offer than anywhere east of Conwy. Thirty minutes by train or car. The contrast with Prestatyn is instructive: Llandudno kept its Victorian fabric and its visitor numbers; Prestatyn and Rhyl did not. A day in Llandudno is worth having for the comparison alone. Take the train — parking in summer is difficult.
Conwy (18 miles west)
Conwy Castle and the medieval town walls are among the most impressive fortifications in Britain. The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and deserves the designation. Allow a full day. The town within the walls has good independent shops and cafes. Approximately forty minutes by car or train.
The Clwydian Range
The AONB hills to the south of Prestatyn — Moel Famau, Moel Arthur, Penycloddiau — are within thirty minutes by car and provide a full day's upland walking. The summit of Moel Famau (555m) is achievable in a half-day from the Bwlch Pen Barras car park. See the Clwydian Range page for more detail.
Chester (28 miles east)
One of the best-preserved Roman and medieval cities in Britain, Chester is forty minutes by train from Prestatyn. The Roman walls, the Rows (two-level medieval shopping streets), the cathedral, the racecourse — Chester is a properly significant city and a full day trip. Take the train and avoid the parking stress entirely.