North Wales: Majestic mountains, valleys and lakes

A travel guide to North Wales & Snowdonia

Somewhat of a novelty trip, being the first travel anywhere since the covid pandemic hit the UK in March 2020. With all but essential foreign travel banned, a “staycation” within the UK was the next best thing. So in a mad internet booking rush, a few days in Snowdonia were hastily secured, staying in a characterful 19th century coaching inn on the shores of lake Tal-y-llyn, Gwynedd.

First impressions? Green, stunning mountains and valleys, quiet roads, lots of sheep!

Places to visit in North Wales

Tal-y-llyn

Just south of Dolgellau, this is a good base for exploring the southern parts of Snowdonia National Park on foot and by car, with the bonus of waking each day to beautiful views across Talyllyn Lake (aka Llyn Myngul) glacial ribbon lake, nestled between the impressive mountains Cadair Idris and Mynydd Rugog. You may see early morning swimmers in the lake itself, though caution is advised since the lake can be very cold despite being just three metres deep on average.

Talyllyn Lake

Like many mountains Cadair Idris is steeped in folklore and named after a mythical giant, its full name meaning Idris’s Chair. Popular with climbers, conquering its steep sides offers the reward of a bowl-shaped lake near the summit, sometimes mistaken for a volcanic crater.

You can walk around two sides of Talyllyn Lake, a 2-3 mile gentle sloping amble which offers some bird life (not least the numerous low-flying sandpipers), cattle and plenty of sheep, many delicately balanced in scree on steep slopes. You may also hear the low rumbling of distant jets (or if you’re lucky, very close screaming jets) which regularly use the area for military training exercises – see next section.

Common sandpiper, Talyllyn Lake

Be prepared for some very loud and sudden noise at times. The lake is a spur off the Mach Loop, a circular training route through the valleys for military aircraft. Jets commonly fly at 200-300 feet, sometimes even lower, making for superb photo opportunities for the quick-witted, and temporary deafness for others.

The Mach Loop

The Mach Loop, named after nearby Machynlleth, is a circular route through valleys that is used by air forces from various countries for jet pilot training. Typically the jets fly very low, particularly at the south end near Tal-y-llyn (Cad East, Cad West and Corris Corner) which makes up Tactical Training Area TTA7T, in turn part of Low Flying Area LF7.

Flights in this military training zone are weather-dependent and unannounced, though always limited to 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Jets include Red Arrows training Texans and Hawks and American F-15s (but sadly no longer the immense Typhoon), with slower jets, helicopters and transporters also using the hills for training. Search “Mach Loop” on YouTube for some superb footage.

Cad East, Mach Loop

If you’re not lucky enough to catch the low flying jets, you can sometimes see planes taking off and landing at RAF Valley on Anglesey, a fast-jet training base about an hour and a half’s drive from the Loop (more on this below).

The machloop.co.uk website provides useful safety information for those considering climbing Cad East or Cad West for that special view. Both are very steep!

Dolgoch Falls and railway station

Just off an S-bend on the B4405 road between Tal-y-llyn and Tywyn is Dolgoch Falls. The (paid) car park leads to a short footpath walk alongside a river then slate steps to a set of small waterfalls and pools in verdant woods with moss-covered rocks and trees – follow the river, passing under a viaduct, then take either of the slate stepped routes. Both offer good viewpoints, photo opportunities and wildlife along the way.

Viaduct at Dolgoch Falls

Once at the top, the peacefulness is ideal for a picnic, where you are accompanied by treecreepers spiralling up oak tree trunks, warblers, nuthatches, song thrushes and robins, plus the occasional large bird of prey circling above the canopy. Along the river you can see dippers too. When not dipping for snacks they’re zooming up and down inches above the water surface as though it’s some kind of wet superhighway.

Warbler, Dolgoch Falls

Due to the moisture and altitude – this is technically rainforest – it can get somewhat chilly at the top, though if you’re lucky enough to see the rare Welsh sun this will penetrate the tree foliage. The ground covering of moss and ferns (some rare) provides a brilliant green background for photography here. Dolgoch translates as Red Meadow, which presumably represents the location’s autumn colours.

An alternate route up and down to the falls goes via the Dolgoch railway station. Constructed in the Victorian era this was an important station on the Talyllyn line, where steam trains would refill from water towers. The line stills runs today as a preserved heritage route for tourists and narrow gauge steam train buffs alike, from Nant Gwernol in the east to Tywyn Wharf on the Cardigan Bay coast.

Castell-y-Bere

A few miles further west, hidden among woods high up, is Bere Castle, ruins of a 13th century castle overlooking the valley and its cattle pastures. Built in the 1220s by Llywelyn the Great to protect his princedom from invasion by English kings, the castle was taken by Edward I later that century. Despite its current dilapidated state the castle’s linear structure is still visible; the keep, moat, barbican and towers all recognisable.

Castell-y-Bere

Free to visit, the ruins is a 5 minute drive from the village of Abergynolwyn and then from the small car park a brief but fairly steep ascent up a wooded footpath.

Bird Rock

Overlooking the old estuary west of Castell-y-Bere is Bird Rock, a 250 metre high protected nesting site for cormorants and choughs. Once visited by Charles Darwin the hill juts out over what was in years gone by the coastline, now farming fields. Being Wales’ largest inland nesting site for cormorants (two miles from the today’s coastline) it is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Bird Rock

Bala Lake

Fed by the River Dee, Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid) is a large freshwater glacial lake in the heart of Snowdonia, the largest natural lake in Wales in fact. Nearby fast flowing rivers are popular for fishing, canoeing and rafting, Cyclists wanting a challenge can get some serious climbs and adrenalin-inducing descents in this area too.

Bala Lake view

Bala itself is a small but historic market town, pleasant enough for a visit if you’re passing. Check out the Tower of Bala, a 30 foot high moat-hill so more of a small hill than a tower but a part of Roman history nonetheless.

Welsh slate

Driving around North Wales you’ll notice a lot of slate; on hills, in rivers, by roadsides. Slate has been quarried in the area for over 1,800 years, by the late 19th century employing over 16,000 workers and producing nearly half a million tonnes of slate a year. Big business. A lot of this was used for roof slating in and beyond the UK; in 1830 half of New York’s buildings had Welsh slate roofs.

As of July 2021 the slate landscape of northwest Wales is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, setting it alongside such wonders as the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China.

Llechwedd slate mine and zip wire

Llechwedd quarry near Blaenau Ffestiniog is an impressive sight, huge mounds of slate like you’ve never seen. For those wanting to learn about the history of slate mining, there is a deep mine tour of the disused slate caverns via the Miners’ Railway. This takes you 500 feet underground so it’s perhaps not for the claustrophobic.

The Llechwedd visitor attraction is perhaps better known more recently for its zip line – at time of writing the fastest AND longest in Europe. One of many adventures to be had in Snowdonia, if not the natural type.

Cardigan Bay

One of Wales’ foremost attractions and its largest bay, Cardigan (Ceredigion) extends a full 65 miles and being west-facing to the Irish Sea provides some good sunset action. The bay is home to porpoise, bottlenose dolphins and grey seals, plus other occasional visitors including minke whales and basking sharks. On the birding front, oystercatchers, gannets and curlews are commonly sighted, and it’s said puffins can be seen too.

Cardigan Bay view to the South from Tywyn

Harlech Castle

At the north end of Cardigan Bay an imposing World Heritage Site guards the town of Harlech. The impressive castle is built on a large rocky outcrop, which the sea originally came right up to. Built by Edward I in the 13th century, the structure has a concentric fortification – think walls within walls. The gatehouse is worth checking out too. Amazingly the castle was built in just seven years.

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway

There are a few heritage railways running in North Wales, one of the finest being the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway. There is a return route from Caernarfon to Beddgelert and three more return routes from Porthmadog in the estuary just above Harlech to Beddgelert, Tan-y-Bwlch or Dduallt. Each offers it own unique vistas of breathtaking Snowdonia countryside – mountain views, wooded climbs and expansive green valleys.

Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railway

Portmeirion

Famed for its pottery, Portmeirion was also the filming location in the 1960s cult TV series The Prisoner. Not cheap to get in – it’s essentially a privately owned village – it’s a fantastic fairytale village of colourful buildings, enchanting sub-tropical gardens and whimsical Italianate architecture. In former recent years it’s also been the host to the ‘No. 6’ music and arts festival.

Portmeirion village

Follow the meandering paths to the viewpoint over Afon Dwyryd estuary for a view that constantly changes with the tide. Portmeirion is highly recommended for its magical photographic opportunities.

Caernarfon Castle

Pushing further on up the coast you’ll reach Caernarfon and its well known castle. It’s a compact and enjoyable town to visit with ice cream parlours and historic pubs, and narrow streets leading to a pleasant seafront walk that culminates in a superb view of the huge Caernarfon Castle.

Another Edward I project utilising the skills of his military architect Master James of St George, this time adding town walls and a quay into the mix. The result is a stunning waterfront fortress from the Middle Ages, and more Instagram gold.

Caernarfon Castle

Anglesey

Just across the water from Caernarfon, over the Menai Strait, is the island of Anglesey. There are two bridges that cross to the island, the older being the Menai Suspension Bridge which is worth a look for its classic if somewhat functional 19th century Thomas Telford design.

We’ve already mentioned RAF Valley in the west of the island, where you may catch jets departing to or returning from the Mach Loop or other training areas. It’s where the Red Arrows team do a lot of their training. Near here is Rhosneigr, a small village with a great family beach for wind and watersports, and rockpooling.

A little further west again is Holy Island (not to be confused with Lindisfarne/Holy Island on the north east coast of England) where you can catch ferries to Ireland and search out some neolithic structures.

There are more ancient standing stones and burial chambers (cairns) on Anglesey. These date from around 3,000-4,000 years ago and so it’s quite astounding that they have survived the ravages of the weather on such a low-lying island in the Irish Sea, not to mention various invaders across the ages.

Barclodiad-y-Gawres cairn, Anglesey

Sites worth checking out here are Bryn Celli Ddu burial chamber near the A55 bridge at Llanfair, the standing stones at neighbouring Bryn Gwyn and, on the west coast, Barclodiad-y-Gawres burial chamber with its spiral-decorated stones. Bear in mind neolithic sites on Anglesey can be remote and hard to find, and that the weather can quickly take a brutal turn. Take a good map and sensible clothing.

Gigrin Farm Red Kite Feeding Centre

South of Snowdonia at Rhayader in Powys is Gigrin Farm, where you can book in to watch red kites being fed. We don’t mean a handful of birds here, we’re talking 300-400 – quite a sight. The farm is well signposted from the main road (A470) and it’s pretty much bang in the middle of Wales.

Red kite

Having been a threatened species in the UK in the past, a reintroduction programme has meant red kites are now pretty common, easily spotted circling over most rural parts of Wales.

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Travel tips for North Wales

• Approaching from the South West of England the drive up the Wye valley is picturesque. and you can stop off at some lovely places along the way such as Ross-on-Wye, Hay-on-Wye, Monmouth. From the Midlands, the East and the South East you can cut across the borders – again some nice driving and scenery through the counties along the border: Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. From the North, you can drop pretty much straight into Snowdonia via historic Chester or Wrexham.
• The roads in North Wales are well maintained, seemingly missing the potholes and deterioration that has become the norm in England in recent years. There are of course lots of smaller country roads, farm tracks and narrow lanes so as ever do take care, and heed the ‘Araf’ (‘Slow’) markings that you’ll constantly see. On mountain passes you can hit bad weather and poor visibility very suddenly, so watch your speed – driving through clouds is fun to start with but also pretty tiring and dangerous!
• Now, the weather… Like the scenery, it can be dramatic. With so many micro-climates in valleys and high up it can change in an instant, one minute clear blue sky, the next grey cloud and rain. Sensible precautions are worth mentioning again here – take layers of clothes, wet weather gear, water, decent maps, and if you’re going hiking proper, take the local guidance seriously.
• Since there are so many historic sites in the area and most are not free, it can be worth buying an annual membership to the appropriate managing organization, usually the National Trust or CADW. Check their entry prices and membership costs to see if it’s worth the expenditure; CADW also offers an Explorer Pass. Likewise, for ornithologists the RSPB offers an annual pass which pays for itself after a handful of birding site visits.
• Don’t rely too heavily on your mobile phone as signals can be poor, even non-existent, in remote areas. Particularly in the deep valleys of Snowdonia you may have no signal until you reach a more open space.

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North Wales and Snowdonia photo gallery

Click on a photo to view a larger version. All images are copyright ©snappytravels.uk – please do not use without permission. To purchase hi res photos email hello@snappytravels.uk

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North Wales and Snowdonia bird list

There’s quite a lot in North Wales and Snowdonia for the birdwatcher. It of course depends on the time of year you’re visiting, but here’s what we saw on our midsummer trip:

• Pied wagtail
• Grey wagtail
• Robin
• Song thrush
• Wood pigeon
• Red kite
• Chaffinch
• Bullfinch
• Goldfinch
• Blackbird
• Wren
• Common sandpiper
• Blue tit
• Great tit
• Coal tit
• Long-tailed tit
• Swallow
• Carrion crow
• Jackdaw
• Magpie
• Grey heron
• Cormorant
• Oystercatcher
• Curlew
• Canada goose
• Gulls (various)
• Swan
• House sparrow
• Dipper
• Nuthatch
• Wood warbler
• Treecreeper

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