Things to do...
There is plenty on offer for the active holiday maker - rambling, mountain walks, cycling, mountain biking and white water rafting within a half hours drive. We are only a short distance from the start of the Snowdonia national park and one hours drive to the Cambrian coast with its magnificent beaches. We’ve listed some useful links for you to check out, and there’s more information about the area, but we’ve also included a few more suggestions to help you plan your stay with us here at River’s Nest.
Wildlife
Llangynog and the surrounding area are a nature lover’s idyll whatever the season. Discover the rich flora and fauna of the valley with scenic walking, bird watching and wildlife right on the doorstep, or travel a little further afield for some excellent bird watching at Lake Vyrnwy.
There is plenty to see and do in and from this part of Wales but the stress free setting of the riverside lodge, peaceful and tranquil, lends itself agreeably to simply unwinding, watching the riverside with all its wildlife, taking things at a slow pace and just pottering round the local area. Relaxation comes easy here.
Walking
Starting with something a little gentle, follow the pilgrim’s route from the village, 2 miles up a leafy winding road, and discover the beauty and peace of St. Melangell’s Church at Pennant Melangell. Remotely hidden at the edge of the valley this ancient shrine church sits peacefully within its ancient churchyard in the heart of the Berwyn's.
Just 5 miles away is one of the seven wonders of Wales, the Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall. There’s a 20 minute walk from the car park to the top of the falls, or for something more restful why not appreciate its splendour from the Tea Rooms at the base of the waterfall.
If you want a longer route with no driving involved then why not check out the Llangynog Loop, a circular 8.5 mile walk starting from the village carpark, across bridleway’s, through old quarry workings and plenty of uphill for breathtaking panoramic views of Cwm Pennant, Craig Rhiwarth and the surrounding hills.
If you have the transport (and the fitness!) there’s a more challenging 15 mile linear walk from Pont Llogel to Llangynog, known as “Pererindod Melangell”, roughly translated as “Melangell’s Pilgrimage”.
The “go4awalk” website also has several walks of varying degrees of difficulty near or around the area. You can download the walks as PDF files to use, and it also details exactly which OS maps cover the routes.
Cycling
If you enjoy mountain biking then the Berwyn Mountains offer a variety of options. Llangynog is home to the famous Team Atherton family of professional mountain bikers (although we can’t claim any relation I’m afraid) with plenty of tracks to keep you entertained. To quote from SingleTrack Mountain Bike magazine:
“Dramatic, lushly lined green valleys, fluffy heather coated rolling moorland, steep sided grey slate cliffs, huge cascading waterfalls, spectacular lakes, and miles and miles of deserted hills add together to make this place the true trail warrior’s dream-cometrue.“
We've added a link to three tracks of various difficulty levels from SingleTrack.
The area also offers great road cycling, through beautiful Welsh countryside allowing you to take in the vast scenery, and maybe stop at a country pub or two on the way. Plan your route carefully though, this is a valley after all, surrounded by some very steep hills.
For the less energetic, 10 miles away at Lake Vyrnwy you can hire bicycles from the café to ride the 11.75 miles circular path around the lake. Flat as it gets but very picturesque (we know as we did the loop one New Year’s day with our whole family). There are even tandem bikes on offer which are great fun if you’ve never tried one before.
Watersports
We are only 10 miles from Lake Vyrnwy where you can try your hand at a variety of watersports with the help of local experts, Bethania Adventure. They offer kayak and canoe instruction and hire, sailing on the lake, raft building, swiftwater rescue training, or for something more adventurous try the White Water Rafting trips.
Alternatively we are only 13 miles to Wales’ largest natural lake at Bala where a number of companies provide kayaks, windsurfs, yachts and various other types of boats for rent to tourists. Note that at peak times these services can get very busy so it is advisable to book in advance.
Fishing
There’s plenty of fishing to be done in the area, right on the River Tanat itself, 10 miles away on Lake Vyrnwy for brown trout, or 13 miles to Lake Bala where you can find an abundance of pike, perch, trout and eel. Check out Fishing Wales or Waterscape for more information.
If you are looking for a relaxing break in the countryside, then River’s Nest is the place for you. Please contact us if you’d like to make a booking, discuss prices or availability, or just want to request more details. We’ll be more than happy to help, and look forward to welcoming you to this special part of Wales.