CAMBRIAN COASTLINE LLŶN PENINSULA SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK 2017 Llyn Ogwen THE WAY AHEAD Things are changing in Snowdonia Mountains and Coast. We’re now home to a bucket list-full of outdoor activities like ziplining, canyoning, underground adventures and – would you believe? – inland surfing. Zip World Penrhyn Quarry Then there’s our accommodation walks and castles, vital Celtic identity scene. You can stay at hotels that and strong sense of place. There’s rare leap straight off the pages of interior quality and variety in the things to see design magazines. Or go cool camping and do here, from our charming little or glamping under our Dark Skies, railways to engaging family attractions. stargazing from around the campfire. You’ll barely scratch the surface on a Times change too – by which we mean day trip, so do yourself a favour and that travel experiences and short breaks book in for a few days or weeks. It’s throughout the year are as much part all here in this guide, together with of our portfolio as traditional summer information on the The Wales Way, a seaside holidays. collection of curated touring routes that help you make the most of your visit. Having said all that, let’s not forget the It’s the way to go. bedrock of our appeal – our rugged landscape and sweeping coastline, Snowdonia Mountains and Coast Roger Thomas, Editor Contents THE WAY 2 Travel 12 The Wales Way 30 Cycling and information mountain biking 16 All year round 4 At a glance - 32 Festivals and a snapshot of our 18 Attractions events six holiday areas and activities, adventure and 34 In the know – 6 Snowdonia relaxation, further AHEAD National Park food and information accommodation 8 Be Adventure 35 Adverts Smart – safety 26 History and advice heritage 10 Along the coast 28 Walking Join the conversation and keep in touch visitsnowdonia.info facebook.com/visitingsnowdonia Keep up to date with what’s happening and twitter.com/visit_snowdonia what’s new by joining us on our social networks. flickr.com/visit_snowdonia Don’t forget, it’s a two-way process. Let us know pinterest.com/visitsnowdonia what you think, and share your thoughts, images instagram.com/visitsnowdonia and videos with others. youtube.com/VisitSnowdonia Visitsnowdonia Taking care We all want to do what’s best for our precious – and increasingly fragile – environment. A few simple measures can go a long way. Please use public transport (it’s a real pleasure in this part of the world) and recycle wherever possible, and keep the use of plastics and single-use items to an absolute minimum. Here in Wales we’re committed to making the country the world’s first refill nation, with the initial focus on providing refill stations for free drinking water along the Wales Coast Path. For more details go to refill.org.uk/refill-wales ws 20,451 vie Take a look at some of our best shots at instagram.com/visitsnowdonia. To share pics of your visit, use the hashtag #visitwales #ndyourepic #croesocymru #gwladgwlad #snowdonia #eryri #visitsnowdonia #thewalesway #orddcymru #walescoast #arfordircymru #yearofoutdoors #blwyddynawyragored visitsnowdonia.info 1 To reach this part of the world you’ll be travelling with a light footprint. And when you arrive, there are plenty of green alternatives for getting around. For more information go to traveline.cymru Getting to us By bike Reach bike-friendly Snowdonia By train Mountains and Coast by following Direct services take you to the popular the National Cycle Network North Wales coastal destinations from (nationalcyclenetwork.org.uk). Quiet, most parts of Britain. Make inland traffic-calmed and traffic-free routes connections via the Conwy Valley Line give good access from the surrounding Travelling light Travelling (conwyvalleyrailway.co.uk) which area and further afield. runs through the Snowdonia National Park to Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Services from the Midlands By air through Shrewsbury and Machynlleth Transfers available from the link up with the Cambrian Coast international gateways of Manchester, Railway thecambrianline.co.uk. For Liverpool, Birmingham and Cardiff. National Rail information and enquiries manchesterairport.co.uk visit nationalrail.co.uk liverpoolairport.com birminghamairport.co.uk cardiff-airport.com By coach For National Express information visit nationalexpress.com Getting around Plug in and charge By car If you’re visiting in an electric vehicle, There’s quick, straightforward access you’ll find plenty of charging points from the North West along the M56 and throughout Snowdonia Mountains and A55. Motorway links with the Midlands Coast. Plug in and recharge everywhere are good too, and the same roads – the from the National Trust’s Cwrt Farm M6, M5 and M1 – also bring Snowdonia at the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula to the Mountains and Coast within easy reach Centre for Alternative Technology near of the South of England. Machynlleth. For a full list of charging points visit zap-map.com By sea Irish Ferries (irishferries.com) and Local services Stena Line (stenaline.co.uk) operate Avoid the hassle of bringing regular and high-speed services to a car and travel green on one Holyhead from Dublin. For southern of our local bus services. The Snowdon Snowdonia Mountains and Coast, Sherpa is an easy-to-use option that ferry services from Rosslare to allows you to enjoy the spectacular Fishguard and Pembroke Dock sights and attractions of Snowdonia are a handy alternative. Mountains and Coast while someone else does the driving. Head to gwynedd.llyw.cymru/publictransport Snowdonia Mountains and Coast for info on this and other local buses. 2 Be an explorer Stopping over Snowdonia 360 - Pick up an Explore Wales There are pay-and-display Providing a focus of pass from Transport for car parks where you can discovery for visitors, Wales (tfwrail.wales/ leave your vehicle overnight the Snowdonia 360 ticket-types/explore- in towns like Aberdyfi, (snowdonia360.com) is wales) and enjoy four days’ Bangor, Barmouth, a circular tourism route travel within an eight-day Caernarfon, Dolgellau and through Conwy, Anglesey period by train and most Harlech. While many accept and Gwynedd. A mixture bus operators. For shorter card payments, be aware of coastal, country and stays, grab a North Wales that some are cash only. mountain roads – bringing Rover (tfwrail.wales/ For the latest information together the best of the rovers-and-rangers/ go to (gwynedd.llyw. Snowdonia region. 364 miles north-wales-rover) which cymru/parking) of stunning scenery, things gives you unlimited access to do, places to stay and eat to trains and buses for a along the way. whole day. I Conwy Morfa Tal-y-cafn Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr Nantmor Llangwm Cricieth Porthmadog Llandderfel Morfa Bychan Llaniestyn Porth Iago Porth Oer/ Whistling Sands Park Llyn Myngul Talyllyn Gwobr Traeth Beach Award Canolfan Groeso Tourist Information Centre visitsnowdonia.info 3 Welcome to Snowdonia Mountains and Coast. Perhaps we should change our name, for our rocky peaks and sandy beaches are just the start of the story. We cover a whopping near-1,000 square miles, a space that embraces not just Snowdonia’s summits but also hidden valleys, misty moors, ancient oakwoods, dreamy estuaries, secluded coves, forest- fringed lakes and rushing rivers. The outdoor activities and experiences And it’s all here, ready to go, on tap are equally varied. There are throughout the year. Your season little trains and big castles, adrenaline ticket lasts 12 months, taking in sports and wish-list walking trails, everything from the green shoots arty galleries and an appetizing food of spring to cosy, cossetting winter scene. Not forgetting the green appeal breaks. We don’t expect you to take all Six in the mix of the Snowdonia National Park and of this in in one gulp. To ease you into Llŷn Peninsula, a designated ‘Area of what’s on offer we’ve split our region Outstanding Natural Beauty’. into six areas. Criccieth, Cardigan Bay Southern Porthmadog and the A castle-crowned Snowdonia Vale of Ffestiniog Cambrian Coastline More mountains – plus Oakwoods, beaches and lakes and forests a shot of adrenaline Along with the Llŷn Peninsula, We have our own north/ There’s coast – the Cardigan Bay puts the south divide. Southern southern shores of the ‘coast’ into Snowdonia Snowdonia still has Llŷn Peninsula and the Mountains and Coast. mountains – lots of hauntingly beautiful Mountains meet the them – but they are Dwyryd Estuary. And sea all along this lovely greener and rounder there’s country – lots shoreline – but most than those up north. of it, including chunks memorably at two Cader Idris dominates of mountain and outstandingly beautiful the scene, rearing the wooded Vale of estuaries, Mawddach its misty head above Ffestiniog. So you’re and Dyfi (part of the Dolgellau, while further not short of scenery. environmentally east the Arans, Arenigs This part of Wales is outstanding UNESCO and Berwyns rise above especially rich in history, Dyfi Biosphere Reserve). Bala and Llyn Tegid, heritage and culture. Other highlights include Wales’s largest natural Don’t miss the unique mighty World Heritage lake. There are forests Italianate village of Site-designated Harlech too – most famously, Portmeirion and Blaenau Castle, Barmouth (come the Coed y Brenin Forest Ffestiniog, the old slate for the seaside – and Park, known far and capital reborn as an spectacular sunsets), wide for its world-class internationally acclaimed picturesque Aberdyfi mountain biking. and little railways at Snowdonia Mountains and Coast activity centre. Fairbourne and Tywyn. 4 Llyn Mwyngil, Tal-y-Llyn Conwy Valley and Bangor, Caernarfon, Llŷn Peninsula Hiraethog Llanberis and the Landscapes, seascapes History, wooded hills Villages of Snowdonia and nature reserves and heather moors Tops for mountains, castles and activities It’s ‘Snowdon’s arm’, a What a difference a few wildly beautiful peninsula miles can make.