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Hotels, Inns and Accommodation for Snowdonia

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Hotels, Inns and Accommodation
for Snowdonia National Park

Snowdonia National Park is a very popular tourist attraction and National Park located in North Wales. Popular activities include walking, cycling, mountain climbing, fishing, castle tours, bird watching, adventure holidays and sports.


Northern Snowdonia

Hotels in Betws-y-Coed: Betws-y-Coed is a lovely village nestled in the heart of the Gwydyr Forest at the junction of the Conwy, Llugwy and Lledr Rivers. The name Betws-y-Coed means Chapel or Sanctuary in the Wood and this is a great place to base yourself when exploring Snowdonia. Nearby places of interest include the Swallow Falls, two and a half miles west and the Fairy Glen and Conwy Falls are two miles to the south.

Hotels in Bala: Bala is a quiet town at the northern end of Lake Tegid (Lake Bala), which is the largest natural lake in Wales. An excellent Fishing and Sailing centre, surrounded by some of the wildest hill country in Snowdonia it is also a great base for walking.

Hotels in Bangor: Bangor is a famous University City with a superb Cathedral (built in the 19th century) and a Castle (Penrhyn Castle owned by the National Trust) whose origins date back to the 12th century.

Hotels in Caernarfon: Dominated by a magnificently preserved castle the ancient town of Caernarfon is the ceremonial capital of Wales. Overlooking the Menai Strait the town has a wealth of historical venues that date back to the Roman Days.

Hotels in Conwy: Conwy is set on the north coast of Wales and faces Deganwy across the River Conwy. Like Caernarfon, Conwy is dominated by a magnificently preserved castle that dates back to the 13th century and whose walls are built in the shape of a Welsh Harp.

Hotels in Deganwy: Deganwy (meaning "Fort on the River Conwy") is a small town to the east of Conwy (which is on the opposite side of the River Conwy). Deganwy Castle situated on a hill above the town was a 6th century fortification that was added to many times over the centuries, becoming the site of a Norman castle built around 1082. The castle was later demolished when Conwy Castle was built opposite so that only ruins remain today.

Hotels in Llanberis: Llanberis is a village at the base of Mount Snowdon and the starting point for the small railway that runs to the summit; it is a very popular base with walkers


Central Snowdonia

Hotels in Bala: Bala is a quiet town at the northern end of Lake Tegid (Lake Bala), which is the largest natural lake in Wales. An excellent Fishing and Sailing centre, surrounded by some of the wildest hill country in Snowdonia it is also a great base for walking.

Hotels in Blaenau Ffestiniog: Despite Blaenau Ffestiniog being located pretty much in the centre of the Snowdonia National Park the town is not officially included in the park. Once the capital of the slate industry in Wales the slate waste tips that surround the town were considered too ugly to be part of the National Park. It does though make a great place to stay and there are many local visitor attractions based on the old Slate Industry.

Hotels in Corwen: Corwen is not actually part of Snowdonia National Park; however, its location on the A5 near to the eastern boundary of the park makes it an ideal stopping point for visitors to Snowdonia and the Vale of Llangollen.

Hotels in Criccieth: Criccieth is a seaside resort located on the southern coast of the Lleyn Peninsula blessed with sandy beaches and coves, plus the almost mandatory ruined castle.

Hotels in Harlech: Harlech is a small town on Tremadog Bay with marvellous views of the Snowdonia Mountain Range, the Lleyn Peninsula and Tremadog Bay.

Hotels in Porthmadog: Porthmadog sits on the River Glaslyn and is the gateway to the Lleyn Peninsula. It has a picturesque harbour and nearby are the sandy beaches of Borth-y-Gest and Morfa Bychan.

Hotels in Portmeirion: Portmeirion is a showpiece resort built in the 1920's and 30's based in spirit on the town of Portofino in Italy.


Southern Snowdonia

Hotels in Dinas Mawddwy: Dinas Mawddwy is one of the most attractive villages in Snowdonia and has excellent salmon and trout fishing on the River Dyfi.

Hotels in Dolgellau: Dolgellau is a small picturesque town in the Mawddach Valley.

Hotels in Portmeirion: Portmeirion is a showpiece resort built in the 1920's and 30's based in spirit on the town of Portofino in Italy.


Useful Links for Snowdonia National Park

  • Snowdonia National Park Authority
  • Snowdonia National Park from Wikipedia
  • Snowdonia National Park Walking Guide

  • Bird Watching in Snowdonia

    With an abundance of ancient and coniferous woodland, river estuaries, coastline, rocky crags, and upland blanket bogs the rich diversity of habitats in Snowdonia makes it ideal for those with an interest in bird watching.

    There are a number of Nature Reserves including:
  • Conwy RSPB Reserve
  • Lake Vyrnwy RSPB Reserve
  • Mawddach Valley RSPB Reserve
  • Ynys-hir RSPB Reserve

  • Walking in Snowdonia

    Snowdonia is renowned for walking and there are plenty of paths on Snowdon, the Glyders, and the Carneddau but the surrounding mountains are often quieter and equally spectacular. For example, Carnedd Moel Siabod with its dramatic arête, Cader Idris in the south of the Park and the Rhinogs, also further south the 'Roman Steps' - a medieval packhorse trail rising high up to cross a mountain pass.

    Many walks require mountaineering skills including navigation and a reasonable level of fitness, and are also weather dependent. However, weather forecasts are available from Tourist Information Offices and some outdoor shops. Many of the more popular routes up the mountains are not necessarily public rights of way and are therefore not obvious on O.S. Maps, but plenty of books exist to guide you to the summits.

    Less publicized is the wealth of footpaths in the lower hills and valleys which provide all day walks with spectacular views of mountains without the same effort. They are ideal for people unable (or unwilling!) to scale the heights, and also for bad weather days. They include a great variety of landscapes including woodland, forestry, farmland, moorland, rivers and lakes. As well as the natural landscape there is a wealth of prehistory and history to be seen, such as burial chambers (Capel Garmon), Welsh castles (Dolbadarn, Castell-y-Bere and Dolwyddelan), ancient lead mines (Gwydir Forest) and slate quarries.

    The best wooded valleys are the Rivers Lledr and Llugwy and the Vale of Ffestiniog, while the Gwydir Forest boasts the most varied walking of all the forests. As well as forestry it includes farmland, moorland, mines and many lakes. Walking is generally fairly gentle on tracks or paths.

    Some routes follow old Roman Roads e.g. Sarn Helen, while new cycle routes in the Bethesda, Bangor and Caernarfon area also provide traffic free walks. A new long distance way marked walk has been labelled on the Outdoor Leisure Series of O.S. Maps, crossing the northern edge of the Park from Bangor to Prestatyn


    Mountain and Rock Climbing in Snowdonia

    Snowdonia has some of the best and most varied rock climbing in the world, with a history dating back to the late nineteenth century. Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel midway between Llanberis and Betws-y-Coed at the junction of the A4086 and the A498 was the base for the early pioneers and from here they explored the cliffs on Snowdon and the Glyders. The hotel also provided the training base for the successful 1953 Everest expedition.

    Early climbing was largely restricted to Lliwedd and the Ogwen Valley, but as skills and equipment developed so the steeper cliffs of the Llanberis Pass and Clogwyn Du'r Arddu were tackled.

    The relic sea cliffs at Tremadog (now a couple of miles inland from Porthmadog) have the advantage they are often dry when it is too wet to climb in the mountains and have plenty of quality two or three pitch routes in the VS - E2 grades.

    For the visitor climbing in the lower grades the Ogwen valley provides the best base.

    Climbing in the south of the Park is much less popular, and routes are consequently often vegetated, but if you are looking for solitude then this is the area to go.

    See Also:

    Hotels for National Parks in England

    Hotels for National Parks in Scotland

    Hotels for National Parks in Wales

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