Eryri extends far beyond Yr Wyddfa. The national park encompasses 823 square miles of mountain, moorland, estuary, valley, and coast — from the rock turrets of Tryfan in the north to the dune systems at Harlech in the south. This section is a guide to exploring the whole of it.
What's in This Section
The Mountains
Beyond Yr Wyddfa: the Glyderau (Tryfan, Glyder Fawr), the Carneddau (the great plateau of northern Eryri), Cadair Idris, the Rhinogydd. The 15 Welsh 3,000-footers and the 24-hour challenge.
The Lakes
Llyn Tegid (the largest natural lake in Wales), Glaslyn (copper-green beneath the summit), Llyn Idwal (Darwin's glacial laboratory), Llynnau Mymbyr, and more.
The Villages
Eight villages profiled in depth: Betws-y-Coed, Beddgelert, Llanberis, Capel Curig, Dolgellau, Harlech, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Aberdyfi.
Walking in Eryri
The best walks at every level — from a 2km stroll through Fairy Glen to the full Carneddau traverse. Easy, moderate, challenging, and serious.
Scenic Drives
Six drives through the best of Eryri — from the Llanberis Pass to the Mawddach Estuary loop.
Waterfalls
Swallow Falls, Aber Falls, and the best cascades in Eryri. The national park has some of the finest waterfalls in Wales, at their most dramatic after rain.
Castles
Caernarfon, Harlech, Conwy — the Iron Ring of Edward I. The great medieval fortresses of north Wales, now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Railways
The Ffestiniog Railway, Snowdon Mountain Railway, Welsh Highland Railway and more. Eryri has the finest collection of narrow-gauge railways in Britain.
Understanding the Landscape
Eryri is divided by its geography into distinct zones, each with its own character. The northern mountain core — the Snowdon massif, Glyderau, and Carneddau — is the highest, wildest, and most visited part of the park. The Conwy valley cuts south from the coast, separating these ranges from the Moelwynion and the slate country around Blaenau Ffestiniog. South of this, the Rhinogydd form one of the loneliest and least visited ranges in Wales — a plateau of ancient Cambrian grits and sandstones, trackless and demanding. At the southern boundary, Cadair Idris rises above the Mawddach Estuary in magnificent isolation.
The coast forms the western boundary: the Llŷn Peninsula, the Harlech dunes, Barmouth, and the great estuary mouths of the Mawddach and Dyfi. The sea is never far in Eryri, and the quality of light along the western coastal edge — particularly in the late afternoon and evening — is quite different from the mountain interior.
Independently written — Snowdon.com