Portmeirion
A Fantasy Village Built Between 1925 And 1976 By The Architect Clough Williams Ellis, With Italianate Buildings, A Hotel And A Sub Tropical Garden. Best Known As The Setting Of The 1967 Television Series The Prisoner. A Private Estate With An Entry Charge. · Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales
Portmeirion is a fantasy village on a wooded peninsula above the Dwyryd estuary in Gwynedd, built between 1925 and 1976 by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis. It looks Italian, with pastel colours, domes, arcades and a campanile, but it is not an authentic old town: it is a private estate and a deliberately theatrical piece of design, made from salvaged parts of other buildings. It was the setting of the 1967 television series The Prisoner, and fans still come for that. There is an entry charge at the toll gate, a hotel, cafes, shops and sub-tropical gardens, with paths down to the sands. It suits people who like architecture, odd places and photography, and families on a day out, but it is small and can feel like a set. Midday in summer is crowded with day-visitors. Hotel guests get a quiet, almost empty village in the evening and early morning. Allow three to four hours, and check opening times and prices before you go.
Pastel-coloured Italianate village on a wooded peninsula above the Dwyryd estuary in Gwynedd, entered through a toll gate, about 4 km from Porthmadog, Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales, United Kingdom
The village is open to day-visitors through the main season, typically from mid-morning to late afternoon or early evening, with last entry earlier, and it is open most of the year with seasonal changes. It is a private estate, so entry is through the toll gate and requires a ticket, with different arrangements for hotel guests and restaurant diners. Cafes, shops and the hotel keep their own hours, and some close in winter or on quiet days. Evenings are the privilege of hotel guests, when day-visitors have left. Hours and days change by season, so confirm opening times and ticket terms before you travel.