Snowdonia highlights

Antur 'Stiniog

Antur 'Stiniog, Blaenau Ffestiniog has four adrenaline inducing downhill mountain bike trails, not for the faint hearted. The superb Stiniog Special Burger served at their Antur Café is not for wimps either. If you would rather ride your bike than push it, pre-book the uplift that gets you back to the top again. They offer excellent coaching sessions too. Top regeneration of this slate mining area, don’t miss the town itself at the bottom of the hills.

Bala Lake

If you are someone who likes to have water at the end of hike, Snowdonia is lake central. One very popular spot with serious outdoor swimmers and kayakers is Bala Lake (or Llyn Tegid) in the east of Snowdonia. Most activities are available all year round, with Gwersyll yr Urdd Glan-llyn in Llanuwchllyn the leading outdoor centre to be checked out.

Cader Idris

The other sought after peak in South Snowdonia, less known by National Park’s newbies, but one for all aspiring hikers. And there are a handful of hikers compared with Snowdon. Check out the Pony Path route to get to the top. Cader comes from the Welsh for chair, and myth has it that Idris is a giant who used the mountain as an armchair. The summit is a cool resting place for sure. Nearest town is Dolgellau.

Coed y Brenin

Coed y Brenin visitor centre is gateway to Coed y Brenin Forest Park which is, literally, a hive of activities. It also has a state of the art eco visitor centre, and plenty of bikes to hire. Most famous for its pioneering mountain bike trails you can also enjoy orienteering, waymarked walks along the River Eden with waterfalls to while away your time . It is one big honeypot of healthiness really. And happiness.

Electric Mountain

Yep, they put a power station into the mountain. Just like that. This is no hydro hype, but an almost Orwellian marriage of machines and nature. With over 16 kms of underground tunnels, and open seven days a week, they have also put a lot of energy into becoming an all-round leisure experience with a climbing wall, indoor play centre for under 12’s, café and gift shop.

Harlech Beach

A beach day is a must, but Harlech isn’t just a beach. The town itself is heaving with history, with a castle as its centerpiece and the famous myth of Branwen ferch Llyr (Branwen daughter of Llyr) running through its veins. The beach also has magical qualities and a Green Coast Award to boot.

Llanberis

The nearest town to Snowdon so for many this is the hiking hub - with shops with state of the art outdoor gear and cafes with steamed up windows as those donning same gear shed layers and tuck into well-deserved carbs and coffee. If you are just doing the train thing, do come out of the station and enjoy what the village has to offer.

The Mawddach Trail

Give the inclines a miss for a day and enjoy a flat riverside walk or cycle along this estuarine trail from Dolgellau to to Morfa Mawddach following the tracks of an old railway line. 15 kms one way, this is also a joggers’ favourite. Bring your binoculars too. Bird and wildlife watching is a treat as the trail takes you across the estuary with salt marshes and peaty habitats.

Mount Snowdon

Or to give it its Welsh name, Yr Wyddfa. You can’t avoid it. It is in your face at all times, telling you to get out and put toe to turf. There are various trekking routes but you can also take a train to the summit’s terminus which makes Grand Central Station look dull. Hafod Eryri, a granite and glass architectural gem, is Wales’ window to the world. But be wary of the crowds. With half a million having summitted in 2013, congestion can be an issue.

Slate Museum

The name doesn’t exactly have you jumping up and down with excitement, but this is a fascinating recollection of Snowdonia’s legacy. It is important to remember that these mountains had to be worked hard before we lucky ones of the leisure generation got to run wild all over them.

Snowdon Railway

Might seem cheesy, but it’s actually cheese-tastic and a fine legacy to the engineers who installed it. You also have the stunning Hafod Eryri building on the summit as its terminus. This is train geeks gone chic. Also, you can get a single ticket up and walk back down. Or vice versa, but you can’t book a trip back down in advance, so you aren’t guaranteed to get a seat. The train is accessible for wheelchair users.

Zip World

It’s out of this world. Not only can you go flying at speeds of up to 100 mph, but you also get to support the now revitalized Penrhyn Quarry which is nestled amongst the mountains of North Wales. Check out the video and hold onto that jaw, because it will drop. Not as fast as your stomach will when you go flying though.