St Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers and her special day is marked every year on 25th January – the most romantic day of the year in Wales!

Romantic Llanddwyn Island

Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St Dwynwen's Day) is the Welsh equivalent of St Valentine’s Day and it is the day people all over Wales celebrate love and lovers. People give cards and gifts, have special meals with loved ones, exchange intricately carved lovespoons and generally act in a romantic way.

Of course you don't have to be Welsh to join in, so if you’re in Wales on vacation, or you would just like another excuse each year to show your love for a special person, you’re invited to join in the celebrations!

Breathtaking Newborough Beach

Sometimes known as Dwyn or Donwen, St Dwynwen was a fifth century Welsh princess who lived in what is now the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. The daughter of King Brychan Brycheiniog, Dwynwen fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill, but King Brychan had already arranged for her to marry another prince. The distraught Dwynwen fled to the woods to weep, and begged God to help her. She was visited by an angel who gave her a potion to help her forget Maelon, but this turned him into a block of ice.

God then granted Dwynwen three wishes. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second wish was for God to help all true lovers and her third wish was that she would never marry. In gratitude, Dwynwen became a nun and set up a convent on Llanddwyn Island, a beautiful little spot just off the coast of Anglesey (Ynys Môn), near Newborough Nature Reserve. Her name means 'she who leads a blessed life'.

Picturesque Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park

For the ultimate expression of love, make a pilgrimage to St Dwynwen's Church on Llanddwyn Island on St Dwynwen’s Day. The quaint seaside town of Llandudno, just an hour away from Llanddwyn Island, is the perfect base for your visit. Nearby Conwy Castle and Caernarfon Castle should not be missed and a trip on a Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways steam train through the scenic countryside will add to the romance!

Picture-perfect Portmeirion

Some of the other romantic places you might want to enjoy on your trip to Wales include Portmeirion, the delightful Italian-style village; quirky Laugharne (Talacharn) once the hometown of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas; majestic Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) and the magnificent Snowdonia National Park (Eryri) in North Wales, which offer some of the most romantic vistas anywhere in the UK.

Fairytale Castell Coch

Castell Coch, or the ‘Red Castle’, which rises up from the ancient woods around Cardiff like a vision from a fairytale; the rolling hills, sparkling waterfalls and starry skies of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park – once the home of St Dwynwen – and atmospheric Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley which once inspired the Romanic poets, all offer an idyllic backdrop for a little well-earned time together, 

If you and your loved one would like to enjoy a romantic escape to Wales on St Dwynwen’s Day, please do contact our friendly team and we can put together a delightful itinerary for you, staying at the most romantic hotels, enjoying delicious meals just for two and exploring the most atmospheric sights in Wales. Or perhaps you would like to rekindle the romance elsewhere in Europe - if so we can help!

All photos © Hawlfraint y Goron / © Crown copyright (2025) Cymru Wales.