Inspiration
Free Breakfast Hamper | Ysgubor-y-Coed
Ysgubor-y-Coed is a traditional farm holiday cottage near Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia, North Wales. This beautifully presented cottage is the ideal getaway for couples or families
Top 5 Garden Centres In North Wales
People love our garden centres in North Wales. A wide variety of plants, gift shops full of local crafts and award-winning restaurants offring home cooked food. Here are the Top 5 Garden Centres in North Wales.
Motor Race Tracks in North Wales
This might not be what you would expect from North Wales, but from international circuit days to fun afternoons with the kids, there are race tracks in and around the area that offer a great alternative day out. To give you more of an insight as to what is on offer, here are the motor race tracks in North Wales that you might be interested in visiting.
Seafood Foraging in Snowdonia | Year Of The Sea
I had the absolute pleasure of spending an afternoon with our local wildlife expert Brian MacDonald. He is a bit of local legend in these parts showing us the wonders of the wildlife we have on our doorstep. He has now shared his knowledge in his recently published book; Wildlife Diary. To carry on celebrating Welsh waters, here is a low down on seafood foraging in Snowdonia | Year of the sea…
Watersports Snowdonia Style
With its miles of stunning coastline, beautiful lakes and rivers, there is plenty of opportunity in North Wales to take part in some of the best water sports the UK has to offer. As Wales is celebrating its incredible waters this year with The Year Of The Sea, we thought we would introduce you as to what is available when it comes to Watersports Snowdonia Style…
TOP 5 RIVERS TO EXPLORE IN NORTH WALES
Here in North Wales our mountains and lakes are known throughout the world but it is the rivers that might be new to many. To give you an idea of what’s on offer, here are the Top 5 Rivers To Explore In North Wales… AFON GLASLYN The Glaslyn river flows through the village of Beddgelert, one of the most beautiful villages in Snowdonia. The walk along the river is truly stunning, taking you past Gelerts Grave and into the village itself where you will find traditional craft shops, cafes and of course the famous Glaslyn Ices where they offer some of the best ice-cream in Snowdonia. A mile south of Beddgelert in Nantmor is the Aberglaslyn Pass, a narrow gorge in the river known for its outstanding beauty. AFON TYWERWYN The National Whitewater Centre is based on the River Tywerwyn. As the rapids are damn controlled, you can be ensured of having consistent water…
10 THINGS TO DO THIS HALF TERM IN NORTH WALES
If you are coming to Snowdonia for February half term, we have lots of great things on offer for all age groups. To give you a bit of inspiration, here are 10 things to do this half term: GO BELOW Go below is the ultimate underground experience. It’s a journey through the Snowdonia mountains where you zip line through caverns, climb vertical shafts, boat across an underground lake, traverse over an abyss, scale a waterfall and abseil down to the deepest point in the UK. ZIP WORLD Fforest Coaster (an alpine coaster that runs through the forest at exhilarating speeds) opened last year to a great response at the Zip World Betws-Y-Coed location. A total of 5 activities are located here including Zip Safari (a series of 23 zip lines through the trees), Plummet (jump from a 100ft tower), Skyride (Europe’s highest 5 seater swing), Treetop Nets (nets suspended in trees 60ft above the…
Christmas Gin Cocktail Recipes Snowdonia Style
So gin is the drink of choice for 2018 and nothing pleases us more than to spread the word that Snowdonia is indeed home to three distilleries producing Welsh artisan gins that travel the world. If, like everyone else this year you’re stocking up the drinks cupboard with gin, then you might want some Christmas gin cocktail recipes Snowdonia style… to help you get into the swing of things, the creators of these local gins have each given us a cocktail recipe to spice things up this Christmas! FORAGERS GIN | SNOWDONIA DISTILLERY Using the finest ingredients and artisan craft distilling methods, the Snowdonia Distillery produce a limited amount of exceptional quality spirits. There are three gins in the portfolio; the Yellow Label, Black Label and a Mountain Strength Black Label which is for the more discerning gin drinker… THE CRANBERRY COLLINS A twist on the iconic Tom Collins and perfect to have as a…
CHRISTMAS MARKETS 2017 | NORTH WALES
There is nothing like a good Christmas market to get you into the swing of things for the festive season. Showcasing local arts and crafts they are always great places to pick up some out of the ordinary Christmas presents whilst sipping one or two mulled wines and eating mince pies! Here are the Christmas Markets 2017 not to be missed… LLANDUDNO CHRISTMAS FAYRE 16 – 19 NOVEMBER 2017 Heralded as the ‘Queen of Welsh resorts’ Llandudno is the biggest Christmas market with over 165 stalls lining the town centre. It’s a Dickensian themed market which adds to the charm of the event and this year the World Bara Brith Championships will be held here! PORTMIERION FOOD AND CRAFT FAIR 1 – 3 DECEMBER 2017 My personal favourite, set in the stunning Italianate village. Portmeirion hosts a range of exhibitors specialising in local produce, music and cooking demonstrations that will inspire your Christmas feast.…
TOP 5 | THINGS TO DO ON A RAINY DAY IN SNOWDONIA
Never let the rain stop you in Snowdonia. It’s part of the furniture and there are lots of things to do even when it pours down. So if the rain decides to visit when you are staying, here are the top 5 | things to do on a rainy day in Snowdonia. 1 – WATER SPORTS It’s wet anyway so take advantage of all the watersports we have on offer. From canyoning, gorge walking, white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking and Sup’ing, it’s all available on the many stunning lakes in the area. Snowdonia Adventure Activities, Adrenalin Addicts and Bala Watersports are some of the providers. Surf Snowdonia should also be on your to-do list in the rain. 2 – STEAM TRAINS The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highlands is a steam train that runs from Caernarfon to Blaenau Ffestiniog over the Snowdonia mountains and around the lakes. Expect stunning scenery in what is a spectacular trip. There…
Things to pack for a winter break in Snowdonia
According to Arthur Wainwright, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. As one of the most well-respected fell walkers in the UK and taking his advice on board, here is our list of Things to Pack For a Winter Break In Snowdonia… 1 | WALKING BOOTS AND WATERPROOFS Let’s get the boring and obvious ones out of the way first. A winter break in Snowdonia will involve some rain, that is pretty much guaranteed! So make sure you have suitable waterproofs and shoes so that you are never caught short and ready to enjoy whatever the weather throws at you. 2 | LAYERS Great for when you are walking up mountains or just mooching around. There is a lot of moving from the cold outside to the warm inside and so having a number of layers that you can put on and take off will be much more comfortable than having…
BARMOUTH WALKING FESTIVAL 2017
It’s that time of year again and we are on count down to the Barmouth Walking Festival 2017. This year, it runs for 10 days from Saturday 16th – 25th September. With nearly 40 walks to choose from, the festival is set on the coastal town of Barmouth in Snowdonia. Perfectly placed to experience the Mawddach Estuary, Rhinog Mountains and the Cadr Idris range, the festival was set up to help those wanting to explore the area in the company of experienced guides. Walks are graded depending on their difficulty, varying between A++ for experienced walkers, A-Hard, B-Moderate and C easier, ensuring there is something for everyone. This year sees the introduction of eleven new walks, including two ‘super walks’ which involve a 21 miles trip along both sides of the mawddach estuary and an 18 mile trip round mawddach. You pay per walk; 1 walk costs £8.50, but if you want to make a week…
EXPLORING THE SLATE INDUSTRY IN NORTH WALES
Stretching back as far as the Roman times, slate mining has been a core part of the region for so many years. Its hey day saw a workforce of 17000 working the quarries and mines and the biggest mine in the world was located here in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Along with great anecdotes of The National Gallery in London re-locating all of its 2000 works of art to the mines during WW11 for protection, the history of these places is fascintaing. If exploring the slate industry in North Wales is something of interest, then you’ll want to visit these places: THE NATIONAL SLATE MUSEUM | LLANBERIS The most notible place to visit when it comes to the slate industry. Set in the original quarry workshops, the museum re-creates the slate industry showing how the community lived and worked; ‘…it is as though the quarrymen and engineers put down their tools and left the courtyard for home just…
WOOD BURNING HOT TUB AT MELIN BYRDIR
Our guests love the joys of a hot tub when on holiday in beautiful Snowdonia. Gwion and Louise have just installed a wood burning hot tub at Melin Byrdir and we love it!
TOP 5 CASTLES TO VISIT IN NORTH WALES
There are over 600 castles in Wales and we are said to have more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Up in the North, we have some really special ones. Here are the top 5 castles to visit in North Wales: CAERNARFON CASTLE | CAERNARFON Built in the 1280 by Edward I, Caernarfon is the largest castle in the area and does not disappoint. Having included all the mod cons for its day like toilets, running water and glass in the windows, this vast building is spectatuclar. CONWY CASTLE | CONWY Conwy Castle entrance is truly impressive with two fortified gateways and made up of eight enormous towers. The great hall, private chambers and kitchen can still be seen on visiting which gives you a real sense of what it would have been like back in the day. HARLECH CASTLE | HARLECH Harlech castle is built on what is…
TOP 5 | SNOWDONIA LAKES TO SWIM IN
Snowdonia is one of the most beautiful places in the world to open water / wild swim. Gwion is due to take part in the Slateman Triathlon in 2 weeks and whilst he has been super dedicated to the running and cycling aspects of the training, the open water swimming wasn’t up there on the top of his check list… so to give him a bit of push to get out there before the big day, here are the Top 5 | Snowdonia Lakes To Swim In: LLYN GWYNANT My personal favourite. Easy to get to and simply beautiful. You can park by the side of the lake and get straight in. If you are up for it, swim to the otherside of the lake onto the rocks (known as Elephant Rock) and do the jumps. LLYN CAU This is a beautiful dark blue lake in the crater of Cadr Idris. A 350m ascent…
Top 5 Farm Shops & Delis | North Wales
It is hard not to enjoy a visit to a farm shop or deli. Just being in the presence of homegrown local produce, organic meat and pesticide free everything can make us feel very virtuous. Packed full with things like charcol salt along with delicious cheeses, salamis crackers and condiments galore, they are a great foodie shopping experience… here are our top 5 Farm Shops & Delis | North Wales. RHUG ESTATE Rhug Estate has is all. Alongside the farmshop, they have a cafe and restaurant and all sell the organic produce they rear and grow on the farm. Their organic meat is well known the world over. The shop come deli offers a great range of cheeses, olives and pies along with a wonderful selection of locally sourced condiments. The Bison Grill is an all day dining area while ‘On The Hoof’ Takeaway offer incredible burgers etc. BODNANT WELSH FOOD CENTRE With a…
The New Adventure At Zip World
The 10th of May sees the opening of the new adventure at Zip World; The Fforest Coaster… It’s another first of its kind in the UK and again, Snowdonia is the launch pad. Just another feather in the Snowdonia cap when it comes to offering unique and new to market adventure experiences…. Based on the traditional toboggan, the Fforest Coaster runs on rails making it a much faster experience. The ride is over 1000m long (over 1/2 a mile), through the stunning Betws-Y-Coed woodland where you can reach speeds of upto 40km per hour. A 500m uplift takes you to the top and then you decend from there, flying through the forest at exhilarting speeds. Unlike traditional rollercoasters, you can control your speed so for those who want the full thrill, they can go brake free whilst those who are not feeling so brave have the choice to slow things down! Open to all ages,…
A Day In Betws Y Coed By Bike
The gateway to Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed is a wonderful town surrounded by woodland, mountains and cascading waterfalls. It is ideal for outdoor activity holidays including walking, cycling and water sports with a great selection of shops, restaurants and cafes and home to the famous Swallow Waterfalls… A friend and I decided to spend a day in Betws Y Coed by bike; with Swallow falls a 45 minute walk west of the town centre and Fairy Glen a 45 minute walk south, a bike was required! We parked out of town on Ffordd Craigian off the A470 and cycled along the back road into the town centre; this is a lovely bike ride down through a quiet road flanked by trees. Making a beeline for the Swallowfalls, we followed the road round once we got to the town centre and carried on up the A5 (it’s a little steep) straight to the falls. They are beautiful, mesmerising and…
TOP 10 TRIATHLONS & MARATHONS NORTH WALES 2017
If you’ve embraced the New Year on a high of getting fit, one of the best ways to keep you motivated is to focus on a goal and you cant beat the challenge of a half/full marathon or triathon to get you on that path. There are so many great races to take part in over North Wales and the incredible landscape lends itself to cater for all abilities. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Triathlons & Marathons North Wales 2017: ANGLESY HALF MARATHON Sunday 5th March 2017 The route is undulating yet quick but most of all it is incredibly stunning. Starting on the iconic Menai Suspension Bridge and running in front of the gorgeous Snowdonia backdrop, this race is truly one of a kind. The race provides the perfect pre-London and Manchester marathon preparation. WAVES, MUD AND MOUNTAINS Sunday 26th March 2017 Surf Snowdonia are launching this competition for…
