Most visitors go to the Great Orme for the views. The wildlife is the thing worth going back for. The headland is a designated Special Area of Conservation and supports an extraordinary range of species in a relatively compact area. The sea cliffs host colonies of guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills, ravens and little owls. The limestone grassland is home to rare butterflies including the silver-studded blue — found nowhere else in Wales — and the grayling. The flora includes hoary rock-rose, wild thyme and the endemic cotoneaster integerrimus, which grows only in remote corners of the headland.
The Conwy Countryside Service and National Trust both offer guidance on what to look for and where. The best approach is to walk the upper paths slowly and look carefully — the Orme rewards those who take their time. Free access. Open year-round.
