Resort's quiet evolution into a 'boutique' destination

Bucking seaside trends, trendy restaurants, upmarket shops and prestige accommodation have emerged in Barmouth in recent years, as Andrew Forgrave reports

- 

FROM his popular chippy in the centre of Barmouth, owner Will Huntley is well-placed to check the seaside resort's financial pulse.

His Mermaid Fish Bar is surrounded by large seafront car parks and last summer they were full to capacity.

During a peak season in which the sun shone relentlessly, this was no great surprise. More unexpectedly, parking spaces are now filling over the winter months and some of the faces Will sees in his shop are less familiar.

"We're getting a lot more south Walians here than we used to," he said. "I'm not sure why perhaps it's a legacy of Covid when people were restricted where they could travel.

"We've long had returning visitors from the Midlands who fall in love with the place. Being located between Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) and Cader Idris, more people are coming from Manchester too. Irrespective of the weather, I think people want to get away from their fast-paced lives in the cities and go to somewhere they can chill out.

"With its large beach, estuary and mountains, Barmouth is ideal, and there are lots of independent shops and restaurants popping up. We have everything here and things are definitely looking up."

There was a time when the south Gwynedd resort was almost exclusively reliant on the bucket-and-spade brigade. That's now changing as a new generation of visitors discover a place next to the impossibly beautiful Mawddach estuary where Cardigan Bay meets the towering peaks of Eryri’s best-kept secret.

Watersport activities continue to blossom and golfers are lured by Gwynedd’s scenic courses. Walking is now a major market: the 10-day Barmouth Walking Festival in September, which this year features 38 guided walks, is now one of the largest events of its kind in the UK.