Forget dry January or hitting the gym five times a week. This year, we’re challenging you to do something different. Something that connects you to the land, the language, and the culture of Wales. We’ve put together 12 resolutions that celebrate everything it means to live in, love, or simply appreciate this corner of the world. Some are easy. Some will push you out of your comfort zone. All of them will give you stories to tell. Tag a friend, pick your favourites, and let’s make 2026 count.
1.Learn Some Welsh You don’t need to become fluent. You don’t even need to hold a conversation. But learning enough Welsh to order a paned (cuppa), say diolch (thank you) properly, or greet someone with bore da (good morning) will change how you experience Wales. The Welsh language is alive and thriving, spoken by over 800,000 people daily. When you make the effort, even a small one, you’ll notice doors opening. Locals appreciate it. Signs suddenly make sense. Place names transform from tongue-twisters into stories. Start with Duolingo’s Welsh course for five minutes a day, or try Say Something in Welsh if you want to focus on actually speaking rather than reading. By December, you’ll surprise yourself.
2. Visit All Three National Parks Wales punches well above its weight with three national parks in a country smaller than New Jersey. Most people tick off Eryri (Snowdonia), but far fewer make it to the Pembrokeshire Coast or Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons). Each park has its own character. Eryri gives you dramatic peaks, mountain railways, and that feeling of being properly small against ancient geology. Pembrokeshire delivers some of the best coastal scenery in Europe, with hidden coves, seabird colonies, and beaches that rival anywhere in the Mediterranean on a good day. Bannau Brycheiniog offers rolling moorland, waterfalls, and some of the darkest skies in the UK for stargazing. Challenge yourself to spend at least a full day in each. Walk, cycle, swim, or simply sit and take it in. By the end of the year, you’ll have covered ground that most visitors to Wales never see.
3. Sea Swim Every Month Yes, including January. Especially January. Wild swimming has exploded in popularity, and Wales has over 1,680 miles of coastline waiting for you. The mental health benefits are well documented: cold water immersion triggers endorphin release, reduces inflammation, and gives you a natural high that lasts for hours. But beyond the science, there’s something about getting into the sea when everyone else is wrapped up warm that feels rebellious and alive. The Welsh wild swimming community is welcoming and slightly mad in the best way. Join a local group on Facebook or just find your spot and make it a ritual. Pro tip: invest in a good changing robe and keep a flask of tea in the car. February is the coldest month for sea temperatures, not January, so if you make it through that, the rest is easy.
Where can you Outdoor Swim in Cardiff?
4. Climb Snowdon Before 9am Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) sees over 600,000 visitors a year, making it one of the busiest mountains in the world. On a summer weekend, the paths can feel like a motorway and the summit like a festival. But catch it early, and you get a completely different mountain. Start at dawn, and you might have the Pyg Track almost to yourself. Reach the summit for sunrise, and you’ll understand why this place has inspired poets and painters for centuries. The summit café opens at variable times depending on the train schedule, but even if it’s closed, there’s something special about standing at 1,085 metres while the rest of Wales is still asleep. Bring a head torch, check the weather obsessively, and pick a clear morning. The views across to Ireland and the Llŷn Peninsula are worth the early alarm.
The Ultimate Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) Climb: Which Trail Will You Take? Interactive Map
5. Support Your Local or National Sports Team There’s something about Welsh sport that goes beyond the game itself. When 74,000 people sing Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at the Principality Stadium, it’s not just an anthem. It’s a declaration. But you don’t need a Six Nations ticket to feel that connection. Welsh football is having a moment, with the national team building on their Euro 2016 fairytale. The Welsh Premier League has clubs with passionate followings and proper community roots. Local rugby clubs are the heartbeat of towns across the country, and they need supporters now more than ever. Pick a team. Show up. Buy a scarf. Learn the songs. Sport in Wales isn’t just about winning. It’s about belonging.
Is Cardiff Principality Stadium worth Visiting?
6. Visit a Castle You’ve Never Been To Wales has more castles per square mile than any other country in the world. Over 600 of them, from mighty Edwardian fortresses to crumbling hilltop ruins that most maps don’t even mark. The famous ones are famous for a reason. Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech, and Beaumaris are UNESCO World Heritage sites and genuinely spectacular. But dig deeper and you’ll find hidden gems with fewer crowds and more atmosphere. Try Carreg Cennen in Carmarthenshire, perched dramatically on a limestone crag with a cave beneath. Or Raglan in Monmouthshire, an elegant late-medieval palace that feels like stepping into a different era. Castell Coch near Cardiff looks like something from a fairy tale, all turrets and painted interiors. With 600 to choose from, there’s no excuse for not finding one you’ve never explored.
Caerphilly Castle Near Cardiff
Castle Coch Cardiff Fairytale Forrest Autumn Walk
7. Walk, Run, or Volunteer at a Parkrun Every Saturday morning at 9am, thousands of people across Wales lace up their trainers for Parkrun. It’s free, it’s timed, and it happens in some of the most beautiful locations in the country. You can run it, jog it, walk it, or push a buggy around it. Nobody judges, and everyone gets a result. The community aspect is what makes it special: regulars become friends, volunteers become family, and that post-run coffee becomes sacred. Wales has Parkruns in stunning settings. Try Aberystwyth along the seafront, or Barry Island with the beach as your backdrop. Pontypool follows a canal towpath, while Coed y Brenin takes you through forest trails. If running isn’t your thing, volunteer. They always need marshals, timekeepers, and tail walkers. It counts towards your tourism, and you’ll be supporting something genuinely good.
8. Walk a Section of the Wales Coast Path The Wales Coast Path runs for 870 miles, making it the first country in the world to have a dedicated walking route around its entire coastline. Walking the whole thing would take around eight weeks, but that’s not the challenge here. The challenge is to walk any section you haven’t done before. Pick a stretch that interests you, check the tide times, pack a lunch, and spend a day following the markers. Some highlights: the Ceredigion coast between Aberystwyth and Cardigan is wild and relatively quiet. The Gower Peninsula section takes you past Three Cliffs Bay, one of the most photographed beaches in Britain. The Anglesey stretch includes dramatic cliffs, hidden beaches, and views across to Snowdonia. The path is well-maintained and clearly signposted. All you need is decent footwear and a willingness to see where it takes you.
Things to do in Rhyl – Unlock Hidden Attractions & Local Favourites on the Welsh Coast
Portmerion: Wales Most Beautiful Coastal Village
Love Dinosaurs: Where to find Dinosaur Footprints in Wales?
9. Attend a Local Eisteddfod or Welsh Festival The National Eisteddfod is the largest festival of competitive music, poetry, and performance in Europe. Held in a different location each year, it’s a week-long celebration of Welsh language and culture that attracts over 150,000 visitors. But the magic isn’t just in the big event. Throughout the year, villages and towns across Wales hold their own eisteddfodau. These local competitions are where children perform their first pieces, choirs battle for bragging rights, and communities come together in halls and chapels. Even if you don’t speak Welsh, the atmosphere is infectious. You’ll hear harp music, see traditional costumes, and witness a cultural tradition that has survived for centuries. Many areas also hold festivals celebrating food, literature, music, and more. Check local listings and show up. You won’t regret it.
10. Stay Somewhere Properly Rural No phone signal. No streetlights. No noise except the wind and the sheep. That’s the challenge. Wales has some of the darkest skies and most remote landscapes in the UK. The Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales are one of the least populated areas in Britain. Parts of the Llŷn Peninsula feel like the edge of the world. The Elan Valley offers Victorian reservoirs surrounded by miles of empty moorland. Book a cottage, a cabin, or a shepherd’s hut where isolation is the selling point. Spend a night without checking your phone, not because you’re disciplined but because there’s genuinely no signal. Watch the stars. Listen to the silence. Remember what darkness actually looks like. It’s not for everyone, but if you’ve never done it, you might be surprised how restorative genuine disconnection can be.
11. Support a Welsh Independent Business Every Month The high streets of Wales are fighting for survival. Independent shops, cafes, and makers are up against online giants and rising costs. They need your support, and they deserve it. The resolution is simple: once a month, consciously choose to spend money with a Welsh independent business. It could be a coffee from a local roaster, a gift from a Welsh maker, dinner at a family-run restaurant, or supplies from a village shop. Look for the names you don’t recognise. Ask locals for recommendations. Check out Welsh craft markets, food festivals, and online directories of Welsh businesses. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of Wales you want to see. By the end of the year, you’ll have discovered twelve new favourites and supported twelve businesses that genuinely need it.
12. Actually Pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch You knew this was coming. The village on Anglesey with the longest place name in Europe is a tourist attraction in itself. The railway station sign is one of the most photographed in Britain. But most visitors just stare at it, laugh nervously, and move on. This year, you’re going to learn to say it properly. The name translates to “Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.” It was invented in the 1860s as a publicity stunt to attract tourists, and it worked. YouTube has dozens of tutorials. The trick is to break it down: Llan-fair-pwll-gwyn-gyll-go-ger-y-chwyrn-dro-bwll-llan-ty-silio-go-go-goch. The “ll” sound is the hardest part for non-Welsh speakers. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth and blow air around the sides. Practice until it clicks. Then go to Anglesey, stand in front of the sign, and say it out loud. You’ve earned it. Take the Challenge You don’t have to complete all twelve. Pick the ones that excite you, challenge you, or feel achievable. Even three or four would make 2026 more Welsh than any year before.
Tell us which ones you’re starting with. Because Wales isn’t just a place.
It’s something you do. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda. Happy New Year.
