Llandudno in winter is quieter, sharper and more honest. Without the full summer crowd, the town stops performing so hard and one can see the bones of the place.

The architecture becomes more noticeable, the bay more severe, the hills more present and the ordinary life of the town less hidden behind visitors in shorts making brave decisions.

The trade-off is obvious. Some attractions reduce hours or close entirely. The tramway typically operates from Easter to late autumn. Kiosks and pier entertainments follow seasonal patterns. Some guest houses and smaller hotels operate at reduced hours or closed entirely between late October and March.

Do not come in winter expecting a Mediterranean fantasy. Come with a coat, proper shoes and enough flexibility to change plans without behaving as though nature has breached contract.

The Great Orme in winter has a different character entirely from its summer presentation. The paths are emptier, the light more dramatic and the goats more visible without the competing visual noise of summer visitors. The views on clear winter days can be startlingly good: the air is cleaner, the mountains nearer and the Irish Sea more obviously itself.

Winter suits walkers, couples, photographers, theatre visitors and anyone who likes a resort when its make-up is off. There is a particular pleasure in places that no longer feel obliged to charm every passer-by.

Venue Cymru remains open through winter and the pantomime season fills December and January with audiences who give the town purpose and the restaurants bookings. Without this, winter Llandudno would be considerably quieter.

The promenade on a grey winter morning is its own experience: a long, near-empty stretch of sea air, the bay filling most of the field of vision and the hotels standing in line with the patient look of buildings that have seen all weathers and will see more.

You may get rain, wind and a closed sign. You may also get the best light of the year, an empty promenade and the rare sensation that Llandudno is speaking more plainly than usual.

The honest recommendation: choose winter if you want the town rather than the resort, the view rather than the activity, and the company of a place that has put down the effort of entertaining you and is simply being itself.