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Let’s just get this out of the way now: Snowdonia is not a vacation spot for posh pampering. The northern reaches of Wales is all about mountains, cliffs, sweeping vistas of ancient glacial valleys, and a good face full of rain. It may have a rather lyric name, but have no doubt: Snowdonia is not for sissies.
It’s for outdoorsmen. Actually a sizeable chunk of particularly wild real estate, Snowdonia is the largest national park in the United Kingdom, along with being a region that the park partially encompasses. It’s all named for Mt. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), the tallest peak in the country outside of Scotland, and the surrounding countryside, mountainous and practically devoid of humanity, is among the most striking and primordial in Europe. You just need a good pair of hiking boots to really see it, and, being one of the wettest places in Britain (which is saying something) a good rain slicker to withstand it.
So say you are jonesin’ for a good hike. The most popular destination is Mt. Snowdon itself, where you can ascend the old fashioned way on foot, or totally cheat and take a train. But the park itself is so huge, so expansive, you can stay a week and never see the same route twice. The scenic North Wales Path follows the coast and lower mountain slopes between the towns of Prestatyn and Bangor offer raw nature in the form of Aber Falls and the views of the Menai Strait, plus a cousin of Stonehenge, the Druid’s Circle. FYI, there is a bus, the Snowdon Sherpa, that can make things a easier for you newbies.
One thing you won’t find is a lot of tourists. Think of Wales like a frying pan; most of the population crowds at the rim, with the center, aside from a few glimmers of civilization, being something of a blank. One of those glimmers is the jaw-droppingly Instagram-ready town of Betws-y-Coed. Pronounced “Betuh-see Coid,” and as the unofficial capital of Snowdonia.
But once you get up into the great, green heights of Snowdonia, you will literally be struck silent at just how awe-inspiring nature can get. It may not look it, but the whole landscape was carved into its present look thanks to the glaciers of the last Ice Age. It is spectacular.
And then it is back to Betws-y-Coid for a good pub-crawl–if you have any energy left.
For more information, go to visitsnowdonia.info. Contact Steele Luxury Travel to plan your next vacation to Snowdonia in Wales: [email protected]