Snowdonia National Park has some of the highest peaks and the best views in Britain. You can also claim some of the oldest rocks on earth. This quick rundown of Snowdonia’s superlatives should tempt you to this beautiful part of North Wales.
Snowdonia claims to fame
Snowdonia’s jagged peaks are among the oldest rocks on earth. The local culture is also quite old, with music and poetry dating back to the Bronze Age. More than half of the local population speak Welsh, one of the oldest spoken languages in Europe, as their mother tongue. Snowdonia also has:
- Mount Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales
- Swallow Falls, the tallest continuous waterfall in Wales
- The Fairy Glen, also called Fairy Falls, a green and mist filled gorge on the River Conwy
- Betws-y-Coed, a town named after the prayers in the forest.
- Morfa Dyffryn, the best nude beach in the UK.
Statistics and superlatives about Snowdonia
Snowdonia National Park covers 840 square meters of North West Wales, 570 square meters protected for conservation or special scientific interest. 20 percent legally protected for its wildlife. The park also has:
- 90 peaks over 2,000 feet and 15 over 3,000 feet.
- 9 mountain ranges covering 52% of the earth
- 1,700 miles of public trails, bridleways, and rights-of-way
- 75% of its area is privately owned and the rest is owned by the Crown, the National Trust, the MOD, the Forestry Commission and other public bodies.
- The highest peaks are Snowdon (3,560 feet) in the north and Cader Idris (2,929 feet) in the south of the national park.
Main cities and towns
Most of Snowdonia’s population, about 26,000, is concentrated along the coast, between Barmouth and Harlech. The rest live in a scattering of small market towns. This is a mountainous region, mostly empty, with very few popular centers. If you’re on tour or camping in Snowdonia, here are the key places for boating, supplies, and contact with others:
- Aberdyfi A beautiful harbor complex where the River Dyfi meets Cardigan Bay.
- Bala One of the largest cities in the park and a center for water sports, swimming, boating, boating, and rafting.
- Beddgelert Charming, small stone built village that is linked to one of the saddest legends in Wales. It is the burial place of the legendary Gelert, the faithful hound of the Medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great who was mistakenly murdered by the prince.
- Betws-y-Coed Gateway to Swallow Falls and Fairy Glen, and one of the most beautiful settings in North Wales
- Dolgellau Another of the largest cities regions. A local man, Rowland Ellis, led a group of Quakers to settle in Pennsylvania in 1652. They named the city they founded in honor of Ellis’s farm, Bryn Mawr, which, in turn, gave its name to a prestigious American university. .
- Harlech Site of an impressive castle.
Castles
They say that Wales has at least one castle for each day of the year. Some of the most impressive are in Snowdonia. The area is dotted with old fortifications, some unique ruins, some magnificent, and at least one converted into a B&B.
- Harlech
- Conwy Just outside the park but worth visiting, this is a true fairy tale of a medieval castle.
- Dolwyddelan Castle A ruin with stunning views.
- Castell and Bere Many castles in Wales were built by the English to subdue the Welsh, but these very substantial ruins are a native Welsh castle, probably built by Prince Llewellyn the Great.
- Dolbadarn Castle Fabulous views of rugged and dramatic mountains from another of Llewellyn’s castles. At 50 feet tall, the round tower is still very impressive.
- Gwydir Castle A privately owned fortified Tudor house, the paneled dining room was recently returned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is a B&B and is open, seasonally, for day visits as well. In case you didn’t know, Henry VII, (Henry VIII’s father and founder of the Tudor dynasty) was a Welsh nobleman.
- Penrhyn Castle This National Trust property is a 19th century fantasy worth visiting for the contents, grounds and views.
More information on castles in Wales
More National Trust properties in Snowdonia
A selection of historic houses, gardens and rural areas owned by the National Trust and open to the public include:
- Aberconwy House 14th century house in Conwy, believed to be the oldest in Wales.
- Conwy Suspension Bridge Elegant suspension bridge, designed for Conwy Castle by Thomas Telford in 1826
- Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant A 16th century farm, the birthplace of William Morgan, the first Welsh translator of the Bible
Mountain roads
There are nine mapped trails in Snowdon and Cader Idris, all rated as tough mountain hikes. With lots of help, the Snowdonia National Park website includes ascent and descent videos so hikers can judge the level of difficulty for themselves. These are among the best.
- Llanberis Trail The most popular tourist trail in Snowdon
- Snowdon Ranger Path
- PYG Track For experienced and equipped walkers
- Miners Track A safe ride up the mountain for the less experienced
- Rhyd Ddu Path Easier and less used
Other paths
One of the best aspects of Snowdonia for hiking enthusiasts is that there are paths and trails at all levels for all abilities. The Mawddach Trail, considered one of the best cycling and walking trails in Britain, is among several easier trails for people with reduced mobility. Snowdonia National Park Walking Pages include Hard, Moderate, and Easy Recreational Hikes, Archaeological Hikes, and Accessible Hikes.
Get around by car
Except for a section of the M4 in South Wales, Wales is free of motorways. However, there are good quality ‘A’ paths that wind through the park. The A470 runs north-south through Snowdonia, intersected by the A5 (Betws-y-Coed-Bangor), the A494 (Dolgellau-Bala) and the A487 (towards Porthmadog and Caernarvon). Use the A493 and A496 for the beaches.
Driving is easy, and the roads are usually quiet, but they are not fast and you can share them with cyclists, pedestrians, and occasionally sheep. During the summer, on holidays and weekends, the roads around Betwys-y-Coed can be crowded.
Get around by train
Consult the National Railway Inquiries for routes and schedules to these main railway stations within the National Park:
- Barmouth
- Porthmadog
- Betws y Coed
and outside in the Snowdonia Gateway towns of:
- Bangor
- Conwy
Three scenic rail services operate within the park:
- Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway between the port of Porthmadog and the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, the world’s oldest operational passenger railway, and between Caernarvon on the coast and Rhyd Ddu, a town on the slopes of Snowdon.
- Conwy Valley Railway connects the north shore to the heart of the park.
- And the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a truly magical way to climb to the top of Wales’ highest mountain in comfort and safety with spectacular views.
The Snowdon Sherpa: the best travel deal in Snowdonia
Sherpa buses traverse the northern section (Gwynedd) of Snowdonia National Park, connecting villages, recreation areas and trails. A day pass, for unlimited hop-on, hop-off travel on the day of purchase, costs just £ 5 (£ 2 for a single ride).
More information and hours for the Snowdon Sherpa.
Seven coolest things to do in Snowdonia
- Get on your bike Mountain biking and cycling are popular in the Gwydyr forest, near Betws-y-Coed.
- Have tea in the garden Visit the world famous Bodnant Garden, owned by the National Trust, for its beautiful forests, its views of Snowdon, its gardens of azaleas. Then stop for a cup of tea with homemade goodies.
- Go down the mines in the slate caverns of Llechwedd. Descend Britain’s steepest passenger railway for an underground son et lumiere in the Victorian slate mines.
- Climb Snowdon Climb Mountain the easy way on the Snowdon Mountain Railway, a spectacular 2.5-hour ride to the summit.
- Ride ’em Cowperson Pony trekking is a quiet way to see the best of the National Park. Snowdonia Riding Stables has information on how to organize a horse riding holiday.
- Go very, very wet white water rafting on the Tryweryn from the National White Water Center. This is a river released by a dam, flowing when other UK rivers are dry and providing year-round white water experiences.
- Get Natural boasts flaunting at Morfa Dyffryn, regularly selected as one of the best official nude beaches in the UK.
See views of Snowdonia
Not sure if you would enjoy a visit to Snowdonia? These images will give you an idea of what to expect:
- Images of Snowdonia
- Castles of Snowdonia
And some last tips
- Find a place to camp in Snowdonia
- Be safe and check the weather before your Snowdonia Hike. Every year walkers get trapped, unprepared for changes in the weather. The Met Office website can provide you with accurate and up-to-date information on the weather in the park and at the summit of Mount Snowdon.
