11-Bedroom Hot Tub Cottage in Pontardawe

Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary sits between Caehopkin and Abercraf in Powys. It began as a hill farm and grew into a final home for unwanted primates, including chimpanzees, baboons, spider monkeys, capuchins and marmosets. Its first chimpanzees arrived in 1999, when seven were taken in from Penscynor Wildlife Park after it closed.

The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea's Maritime Quarter tells the story of industry and innovation in Wales over the last 300 years. It is part of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, housed in an original listed warehouse linked to an ultra-modern slate and glass building.

Tip: There's no dedicated car park, but several pay and display car parks are a short walk away. For satnav, the museum's site suggests postcode SA1 3ST.

Swansea Museum is the oldest museum in Wales, opened in 1841 in a Grade II* listed neo-classical building in the Maritime Quarter. Its six galleries hold objects from Swansea, Wales and the wider world, with everything from an Egyptian mummy to a Welsh kitchen. Temporary exhibitions change through the year, so there is usually something different to see.

Tip: Parking at the museum is limited to a few free spaces, so the City Gates NCP or East Burrows Road car parks, both about a 4-minute walk away, are a good fallback.

Margam Castle is a Grade I listed country house near Port Talbot. Thomas Hopper designed it in the Tudor Revival style for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, and it took five years to build. It stands in Margam Country Park, the former estate, which is also Grade I listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS register of historic parks and gardens in Wales.

Zip World Tower is an adventure park on the site of Tower Colliery near Aberdare, which was the oldest continuously working deep-coal mine in the UK until it closed in 2008. The preserved mining structures surround the rides, so you get a good look at the history as you go.

Tip: Book in advance, and arrive 30 minutes before your start time. Wear warm clothes with boots or trainers, and no sandals or open-toe shoes.

Oystermouth Castle is a Norman stone castle in the village of Mumbles, overlooking Swansea Bay on the east side of the Gower Peninsula. It dates back to the 12th century, and the de Braose family rebuilt it in stone as a comfortable residence, with a high curtain wall, a chapel and three-storey living quarters with fireplaces.

Tip: There is no parking at the castle. Try the car parks on Mumbles Road, or the Underhill car parks at the top of the village, which are a 5 to 10 minute walk. Check the Swansea Council visiting page for current opening and guided tour times.

Coity Castle, also called Castell Coety, is a ruined Norman castle in Coity Higher, near the town of Bridgend. It was built by Sir Payn de Turberville, said to be one of the legendary Twelve Knights of Glamorgan. Today it is a Grade I listed building, and plenty of the medieval castle is still there to explore.

Tip: A small parking area sits beside the main gatehouse on the west side of the ruins, but it isn't clearly marked.

Castell Coch, Welsh for "red castle", is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle above the village of Tongwynlais. Its conical-roofed towers rise out of the ancient beech woods of Fforest Fawr, and it has often been voted a favourite building in Wales. The architect William Burges rebuilt it for the third Marquess of Bute on the remains of a 13th-century fortress built by Gilbert de Clare.

Tip: The castle car park is free during site opening hours, and booking online saves 5% on tickets. Check Cadw's visitor notice for conservation work first.