What to plan for an active getaway in Wales
Explore the scenic coastline on foot, on two wheels - or even by zipline
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Your support makes all the difference.Wales is known for it's legendary scenery, but how best to be active and explore it?
Here's our guide to getting round on foot and on bike - plus some more unusual activities you can try...
Walking
Whether you’re keen on multi-day, long-distance hikes, or half-day jaunts, Wales has a walk for you. It was the first country to open a continuous path along its coastline, with the 870-mile Wales Coast Path unveiled in 2012. Snowdonia National Park is home to Snowdon, Wales’s highest mountain, 1,085m above sea level. The most demanding route to the top is the Watkins Path, which cuts through woodland and past waterfalls; the Miners’ Track takes you over a lake, Llyn Llydaw.
Cycling
With so many peaks, Wales is a haven for mountain bikers. Just south of the Brecon Beacons, BikePark Wales was built by experienced riders and visitors of all levels can get their thrills on the jumps and drops. Trails are colour-coded according to the level of expertise needed. Yet, Welsh cycling isn’t all about going off-road. There are plenty of other routes, including 1,400 miles of the National Cycle Network. Try the Peregrine Path, which is mostly Tarmac and largely traffic-free, starting in Monmouth and taking in the Wye Gorge and River Wye.
For a longer option, try the 220-mile Celtic Trail, which travels the entire width of Wales, from the Irish Sea to the English border, via quiet lanes, traffic-free trails and old rail lines, taking in the Pembrokeshire coast, Carmarthenshire and the Valleys.
Unusual activities
This is a country that’s skilled at combining its history with modernity, and nowhere more so than its quirky outdoor activities. With three locations in Snowdonia, Zip World has taken over an old slate quarry, a mine and a forest with its extreme zip wires and other adrenalin-raising activities. At the Penrhyn Slate Quarry site you can try Velocity, the world’s fastest zip line, which can reach more than 100mph; at Fforest in Betws-y-Coed you can have a treetop adventure; and in the caverns at Blaenau Ffestiniog you can leap your way through Bounce Below, a series of giant nets and slides.
And, opened in 2015 on the site of a former aluminium factory, Surf Snowdonia is a 300-metre-long inland lagoon with a machine that produces a wave every minute. So great surf is guaranteed.
Suggested itinerary: Fortysomethings
Friday: Pay a visit to Tintern Abbey, the beautiful roofless ruins that inspired Wordsworth, on your way to Gliffaes Country House Hotel, a luxurious Victorian manor overlooking the River Usk, just outside Abergavenny.
Saturday: After breakfast, spend the morning exploring the surrounding Brecon Beacons National Park (you’re very close to Sugar Loaf mountain here) before driving over to the seaside town of Laugharne. For lunch choose from the Welsh cheeses, meats, pies and tarts on offer at the Ferryman deli, before heading out on the Dylan Thomas Birthday Walk, a scenic route to spots that inspired the writer when he lived in the town. His old home, The Boathouse, is now a museum.
Sunday: Set off early for Cardiff and spend the day exploring the city, from the gothic Cardiff Castle to historical treasures in the National Museum
Hungry? Enjoy some modern Welsh cooking at The Potted Pig – beware, though, this is one of Cardiff’s hottest tickets, so you’ll need to book weeks in advance.
All content was commissioned and approved by Visit Wales