MARCH 2023

Portmeirion is one of Wales’ most popular tourist attractions. I read that this Italian style colorful village was built as a filmset. It is located at the dramatic coastline of Wales and sounded like the ideal tourist attraction. When I visited, I discovered that Portmeirion was not like I expected it to be and I want to keep you from making the same mistake. Find out all about Portmeirion in this blogpost!

Practical information

Portmeirion was constructed between 1925 and 1975 by Clough Williams-Ellis who wanted to prove that you can enhance natural landscapes with colorful architecture. He used recycled pieces to create a dreamy village, that also had several businesses such as a hotel. Later on Portmeirion has been used as a filmset and now you have to pay an entrance fee to visit.

I had no idea about the background of Portmeirion and thought it was an actual village, where you would still be able to visit some historical buildings. So I was surprised when I discovered the village now has opening hours, an entrance fee of 20 pounds and a gigantic carpark. Portmeirion has become a tourist attraction and it was not the lively, touristy village that I thought it was. If I had known about the history and background I probably would have had a better experience.

Our experience in Portmeirion

When we drove up to Portmeirion everything was still rosy, as we drove through a beautiful lane of hortensias. These walls of hortensias were so striking and so colorful, I hoped it would be a preview of what was yet to come.

It was only at the entrance that I discovered that Portmeirion was more of a theme park than the quaint village I imagined. Still, I did not want to let that deter me from visiting, so we paid the hefty entrance fee of 20 pounds.

Paying an entrance fee for a village felt strange, as there is little to do besides walking around, having food and visiting a tourist shop. The architecture was also less historical than I expected, but it makes sense when you know the history of the premises. The landscaping was really beautiful, but there just isn’t a lot to do. The swimming pool that you see in many pictures actually is a fountain, so you can take a picture of it and that’s it. Overall, I was very disappointed, and I wished I had prepared better, so I at least would have known what to expect. The premises are absolutely gorgeous and if I would have come with the right mindset I would have for sure enjoyed it. But as I expected something totally different, it felt a bit gimmicky to me. Somehow I expected Positano and I received Disney. The entrance fee makes sense as I can imagine the amount of upkeep necessary to keep Portmeirion looking picture-perfect.

How to do better

Even though Portmeirion was not the authentic visit I expected, there are preferred ways to visit. One of them is by booking a two course lunch at Castell Deudraeth Brasserie or booking a Sunday afternoon tea or lunch at The Hotel Portmeirion, both restaurants are located on the premises and these reservations include a free entrance to Portmeirion park. This seems like a better value-for-money than paying an entrance fee of 20 pounds, walking around for an hour and leaving again. And if you are looking for a real swimming pool: it does exist if you book a stay at The Hotel Pormeirion.

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