Some Of The Best Spots North Wales Has To Offer..
Are you heading to wales to explore or up for a hike? Maybe looking at where to stay or places to visit while you are there.
In this blog I'm going to share some of my favourite spots I have recently been too and let you in on some of the hot spots, tips and costs.
Lets just jump straight in...
Snowdonia
If you are heading to Wales, then you need to visit at least one mountain whilst your there (RIGHT!!) Snowdon was mine. I have done this hike twice so far starting from different directions. I have started from both Pen-y-pass Minors Track and The Llanberis Path.
The last time I hiked Snowdon I stayed at the YHA Pen-Y-Pass hostel which is full of walkers as it is based at the start of the track, across the road in the car park. The rooms range from £40 a night for a private room or if you are wanting to share or maybe there is a big group of you, you can book a shared room which starts from £20 per night.
Tip: If you are staying in the YHA Hostel there is some free parking bays outside the hostel however these do get booked up quickly with people coming and going all the time. If not, you can park up in the Warden Centre car park here which was quite expensive from £40 per day from when I stayed there.
Climbing Snowdon the weather can change dramatically from the base walking along the path to climbing up and reaching the summit. When we started the walk it was sunny, when we reached the top it started to snow. So, make sure you have all your waterproof clothing ready!
The hike can take between 4 - 6 hours depending on how fast you walk or how long you stop at the top for (as on a clear day, the views are unreal).
Getting to the summit, you can also get the train which runs up the face of the Snowdon mountain and once you reach the top, there is a cafe which is only open in the summer months when they get busier.
Aber Falls
During our few days in Wales, after finishing at our hostel in Snowdonia we wanted to see a waterfalls whilst here. Aber Falls is outstanding!
We did visit during the rainy season therefore we got SOAKED due to the high rain fall but with the rain this has its advantages as the waterfall was in full flow.
Even stood back from around 400 yards the spray was hitting the ground and spraying right at us - you could barely see.
Getting to the waterfalls is pretty easy. There is a car park which was around £5 for the day. Once parked up we headed straight through the forest following the path. This leads you through a trail all the way up to the waterfall.
There is also a smaller waterfall to the right if you carry on walking round, if you fancy taking a look too!
Beddgerlert Forest
The forest is located in Snowdon in North Wales. It has both walking and cyclying routes with a map in the car park with different directions for you to take.
I'm glad I visited Beddgerlert as it was somewhere I stopped whilst being in North Wales. It is a rather large forest so you could always take a photo of the map on your phone.
Whilst walking around you come across a lake in the middle on the forest which has a little piece of the island emerging out into the water with picnic benches overlooking the hills and trees. The time in which we visited was so quiet and peaceful we didn't many people around.
We came across a railway track and horses in the fields. Definetly a place I would re-visit.
Secret Infinity Pool
Yes! You heard that right. There is a secret infinity pool which we visited a while ago and only a few people actually knew about as the location was kept quiet and you had to find it yourself. However, recently there has been many people visiting as the location has been let out!
All I will say is - it's near Pen-Y-Pass!
This secret infinity pool was built and created by a farmer himself up in the hills which you have to climb to get to.
But once you reach it, the views are breathtaking and the setting is so special and quiet. A quick side note, the water is freezing!! But I'm all for a cold water dip but still do be careful it is a big shock!
Wakin Path + Waterfall
This was a place we planned to visit for sure during our time here. Watkins path is a stunning area of natural beauty. You can actually start your walk to the summit of snowdon from here. However we had already done that the day before (so we was a little tired for round two).
There are hills, trees, waterfalls flowing all around you and definetly a place to visit if you wanting to escape into nature for a while, take a backpack and head out for the day.
You can park on the road in the near layby or you can park up like we did in the car park. The walk starts across the road where you will see a stone edge with the sign saying Watkin Path. Once you walk throught he forest and reach the hills, you can head straight up the stone path (which is quite steep) but once at the top you will reach the amazing waterfall with old stone buildings.
Carry on a little further and you will reach the newly build infinity pool. Once I reached this I was blown away that something so nice like this was set in the middle on the hills. You have to pause for a second here to appreciate it!
After your walk or even before if your fancying a coffee like I always do! There’s a lovely little rennervated café called Caffi Gwynant which serves hot or cold drinks, food and snacks, they also allow dogs which I love!! If you lucky you could grab a seat outside in their new wooden cabins with fairy lights for a cosy afternoon drink.
There’s many more places I could write about of my adventures around Wales but there will be more blog posts to come. A Wales adventure is pending soon.
So, let me know what you think and if your planning on visiting any of these spots you havent already done.
For now, sending my love.
