WHEN David Cox painted his famous 'Rhyl Sands' in 1854, a picture which still hangs in the Tate Gallery, the North Wales Coast was already a popular destination with visitors from the cities of Northern England.
It has remained so to this day, with coachloads of visitors pouring into Rhyl, Prestatyn, Llandudno and Colwyn Bay every summer weekend.
The bracing fresh air which Cox successfully depicted remains the same. But nowadays a range of more modern attractions compete with the beach for visitor's attentions. The Sun Centre is the best known, a tropical leisure complex complete with surf pool which was highly innovative when the centre opened in the 1980s and remains very popular.
Prestatyn's newer Nova Centre also has a fun pool for children. Rhyl now also has the sealife aquarium, the ocean beach funfair, and the skytower.
The resorts of North Wales are all very different. Rhyl is the place for partying youngsters. Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay and Rhos on Sea have a more genteel air, while Llandudno is the dignified old lady of Welsh seaside towns.
Other popular holiday towns like Pensarn, Kinmel Bay and Towyn fill the coastal strip between the west end of Rhyl and the market town of Abergele.
Llandudno, its beach a graceful curve between the Great and Little Ormes is one of the most attractively situated towns in Britain. Its promenade stretches along the beach and is a relaxing place to stroll and enjoy the sea air.
The town's famous pier retains its Victorian charm, and a walk to the end of it is an essential part of any Llandudno visit.
Indeed, the whole town harks back to an era before package tours to Ibiza and budget airlines revolutionised the holiday experience. Llandudno speaks of gentler times, its small shops and ice cream parlours a world away from the glossy but bland shopping malls to be found elsewhere.
The visitor to Llandudno is never short of options. Marine Drive, which winds around the edge of the Great Orme is a very scenic car trip - with a small toll to pay. From here, a journey can be made to the top of the Orme. At the summit are a range of attractions: the bronze age copper mines, a country park, dry ski slope and a Victorian tramway.
The resorts along this section of the North Wales coast are not the place to go if you are seeking Welsh culture or scenic splendour. But, for those wanting a traditional British seaside break - with attractions, lively nightlife and family fun - they are perfect. And, in Llandudno, North Wales has one of the finest coastal towns in the UK.
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