The Imperial Hotel has a reputation for not only providing luxury accommodation with outstanding food and service, but also for its staff being knowledgeable with first-hand experience on the variety of attractions in the region, so we put a bike ride up the Great Orme to the test.
Knowing we would be using electric bikes that had a little bit of power to help us along the way the decision was made for us to tackle The Great Orme, which at 679 feet high and with some serious inclines is no mean feat!
We left the hotel car park under a clear blue sky and streaming sun and proceeded along the Promenade. From the Prom we took the road up to the Great Orme and decided to take Marine Drive, which at 4-miles long circumnavigates the headland. Although it was slightly hazy the views were still amazing so there were quite a few stops to admire the outlook across to Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey, down the Conwy Valley and over Llandudno.
We were also joined by a couple of very agile Kashmiri Goats who scrambled over the wall and trotted down the road in front of us which alone was a sight worth seeing.
We were having so much fun that when we reached the end of Marine Drive we decided to continue and make our next stop the summit and this was where the power assistance was invaluable. The power went on and the level of assistance required went higher and higher and despite my legs getting a good workout the bike was still a joy to ride. It was even more pleasurable when we overtook two very fit lycra-clad men on bikes struggling on a particular steep incline, however it wasn’t very long before they realised that we had a bit of battery assistance although I’m sure they preferred being overtaken by us on a bike rather than in a car!
In under an hour and half we had cycled around Marine Drive and been up to the Summit, before taking the route down past the Copper Mines and the Tram and then back along the Prom to the hotel and we loved every minute of it and despite living here it gave us the opportunity to really appreciate the beauty of the area that we often take for granted.
Would we do it again? Definitely and can’t recommend it enough to our guests – whatever your age or level of fitness as it really was the perfect outing.
View our breaks and offers to book your cycling adventure in Llandudno.