With a wealth of outdoor pursuits on offer within a massive, wild expanse – the land of Snowdonia has as much to offer in adventure as it does beauty. To match the adrenaline fuelled excitement, there are also relaxing cafés and gorgeously presented restaurants. If you’re looking for decent places to stay, there’s a whole host of B&Bs and guest houses in the surrounding area – so don’t go reaching for the tents and sleeping bags too soon! With prices to suit all tastes, your visit to Snowdonia can be as affordable as you like – even with the whole family along for the ride you can still make your holiday as EPIC as the area you’re staying in. Now, with no further ado, here are 5 BIG things you simply must do whilst you’re in the Snowdonia area:
Climb SNOWDON and have a cuppa at The Summit
Its a no-brainer really. You’ve come to Snowdonia, now climb Britain’s second highest peak and treat yourself to a cup of tea at the top in its recently opened £8m cafe. There are heaps of different routes to take you up Britain’s busiest mountain, so you can pace yourself up to the top (which is over 1000m above sea-level!) and even take kids up for the ride.
On the way you’ll pass plenty of other hikers, as well as rock climbers attempting some of the oldest routes in the history of British Mountaineering. Once you’ve hit the top, enjoy the view with a piece of cake. Treat yourself – you’re on holiday!
Explore Snowdon with the awesome Snowdon Mountain Railway
Of course, you can always just opt to let the spectacular Snowdon Mountain Railway take you on a memorable journey to Wales’ rooftop instead. This unique railway has taken visitors to the summit of Snowdon from Llanberis since way back in 1896. From the awe-inspiring views of the waterfall plunging into the gorge below at the beginning of the journey, or the breathtaking sights over the edge of the Rocky Valley, be sure to savour every single moment of this 1,085m climb. On arrival at the top, head to the cairn, where on clear days views stretch as far as Ireland!
Admire the raw beauty of the Ogwen Valley and ride the HUGE zip lines
The Ogwen Valley is renowned throughout Wales for its outstanding beauty. Not to slight the rest of Snowdonia, but it really does have the upper hand with more dramatic peaks and beautiful plant life (some of which is quite rare!). Loads of really well laid out paths will make sure you don’t lose your way, there’s even information points laid out to give you some extra context on the jaw dropping scenery all around you. You’ll need to pack a meaty picnic with you, if you’re planning on spending the whole day out there, not so many cafes in the wilderness! If you’re legs start tiring, you can always opt for a speedier more aerial based route with the friendly people at Zip World, who will send you hurtling through canyons and valleys at great speed. Some of their zip lines are the biggest in Europe so they really are worth visiting.
Take a nice easy stroll along the river then eat a MASSIVE lunch at Hebog Bwyty & Llety
In the village of Beddgelert, three Welsh rivers converge making it the perfect place to stay for those looking for some lovely river based hikes. A handful of charming B&Bs exist for the sole purpose of housing the legions of eager hikers that throng to the area each year. Start your stay by booking in to one of these guest houses, pick up some food for a snack on your river side walk and head out it any direction. You’ll never get lost sticking to one side of the river and you’ve got a good chance to spot some of Wales’ proliferate wildlife. When you tire of all the beauty, head back to the town in all haste and grab a lovely lunch at Hebog Bwyty & Llety, a real gem of a restaurant.
Build rafts and race them across a BIG lake
Its not always boiling hot in Snowdonia but that doens’t necessarily entail that you shouldn’t have a little fun in the water. There are plenty of Outdoor Pursuits companies offering some wet and wild activities. They range from the standards of canoeing and kayaking to the slightly more demanding gorge walking and zip-lining. One of the more memorable activities, and an absolute blast to do if you’re in a big group, is raft building. Its something that absolutely everyone can get involved with, and doesn’t necessarily have to go off without a hitch, for you to have a good time. Race your makeshift rafts across one of Snowdonia’s great lakes and claim your bragging rights for the rest of the holiday!