Not only is today St David's Day but it is also two days into Wales Tourism Week, a celebration of all things Welsh and call to arms for UK holidaymakers to look no further afield for a summer getaway than their own doorstep. So what better time is there to consider the wealth of attractions the country has to offer. Such as Bodnant Garden, pictured, in Conwy, included in our guide to the 50 best days out in the UK.
Read on for 11 reasons to visit Wales.
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Watch brave folk dive from cliffs
Don't try this at home. Held every September at the Blue Lagoon in Abereiddy, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series sees elite competitors fling themselves from a platform 27 metres above the water. Red Bull's website, selling the competition to its American audience, says: "Wales is steeped in history and also has its own language, which is spoken by almost a quarter of the population. Pembrokeshire is a spectacular maritime county measuring only 20 miles from north to south, yet has 186 miles of breath-taking coastline. It has a diverse landscape of unspoilt pocket beaches, lakes, woodland and quaint villages, which have been the backdrop to films including the blockbuster, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Well, there you have it.
Seek out one of Britain's forgotten railway stations
The author Dixe Wills unearths dozens of tranquil request stops in his book Tiny Stations, and once chose his 10 favourite for Telegraph Travel - four of which were in Wales. They include Sugar Loaf on the Heart of Wales Line (heart-of-wales.co.uk), which receives an average of five passengers a month, and Penychain, on the site of a former Butlin's holiday camp.
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Ride Europe's longest zip wire
The Big Zipper at Penryhn Quarry carries riders over a distance of more than a mile - making it Europe's longest zip wire ride. The ride has also spawned a number of mutant zip wire experiences in the area, including a four-person ride and a mightily impressive subterranean zipwire network.
For more white-knuckle days out, see our guide to the seven outdoor wonders of Wales, which includes the world's first inland surfing lake.
Credit: Geoff Pugh
Walk the Offa's Dyke path
Sam Llewellyn followed the route for Telegraph Travel: "This 177-mile path links Prestatyn in North Wales with Chepstow on the Severn estuary, more or less following the Welsh border in the shape of the great earthwork thrown up by the eighth-century King Offa of the Mercians. Academics are still arguing about its precise length, and whether it was built as a practical fortification or a symbolic barrier. What is undeniable is that it is a long, beautiful and not too difficult walk over wild and sometimes mountainous country. And that the day's walk between Kington in Herefordshire, and Hay-on-Wye, home of the book festival, is quite possibly its most beautiful stretch."
Step inside the Dr Who Experience
This attraction moved from London to Cardiff back in 2012. Expect shrieking Daleks, props galore, and a few suitably wobbly sets, says Telegraph Travel's Johnny Morris. Since his visit, an interactive journey featuring Doctor #12 Peter Capaldi has become one of the stand-out attractions.
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Get close to the coast
As Telegraph Travel's Lizzie Porter discovered, coasteering (which involves scrambling over rocks, swimming, and lots of jumping into the sea) is a "liberating, exhilarating, and downright fun" day out. And Pembrokeshire is one the best places in Britain to have a go. Or try cliff-camping in Anglesey where, instead of a tent with an inflatable mattress, you sleep in the empty space between sea and sky on a portaledge, a ripstop nylon tray suspended from webbing.
Credit: Preseli Venture
Explore the Brecon Beacons
Glorious upland, beautiful waterfalls, and amazing wildlife awaits visitors to the Brecon Beacons. The best view? Jon Pimm, a warden at the park, suggests Mynydd Illtud Common, close to the village of Libanus. "On a clear day you can see the four main hill ranges that make up the park and the view is dominated by Pen y Fan, the highest point in the National Park at 886m," he says. Read our in-focus guide to the National Park
Credit: Brecon Beacons NPA
Eat a Michelin-star supper
Wales is rapidly improving as a destination for gastronomes. The Walnut Tree, near Abergavenny, Tyddyn Llan, at Llandrillo in Denbighshire, and The Checkers at Montgomery, all possess Michelin stars, while Coast at Saundersfoot - run by acclaimed chef Will Holland and awarded the AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales title last year - is aiming to join them.
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