GETTING A FEEL FOR SNOWDONIA: HIKING CWM IDWAL + PERFECT CAMPSITES IN WALES

MARCH 2023

Snowdonia is one of the picture perfect spots in Wales, that you just have to see to believe! In this blogpost I will give recommendations for the Cwm Idwal hike, which is a very good way to get an introduction into this area. If you want to have the perfect daytrip, you can even add in a quick visit to closeby Harlech beach. We can also say that Wales is the best location to go on a spontaneous camping trip, after having stayed at two of the most beautiful campsites we have ever stayed at, which I will also spoil in this blogpost.

Practical information

Snowdonia is Wales’s most famous National Park, located in the North of Wales. In Snowdonia you can do many hikes, but we specifically chose the Cwm Idwal hike for its kid-friendliness and dramatic views. If you are short on time, but still want to explore Snowdonia, Cwm idwal is the perfect little hike. The hike is toddler friendly as it is only 5 kilometers long and does not really go uphil. Parking at the visitor center is very limited though, so you either must come early, or drive further down the road to find a parking spot. We parked quite far away, which added about 40 minutes of hiking to our itinerary, but I must say it was definitely worth it.

Cwm idwal

The actual Cwm idwal hike starts at the visitor center and there is no entrance fee. The walk is not signposted, but you can easily follow the path that leads to the lake. We had to park further down the road, which ended up being worth it as the pretty views already started next to our parking spot, refer to pictures below.

What I really liked about Cwm idwal is that the hike was quite divers: you end up at a stunning lake with mountains in the background, while on your way there the landscapes change from green to purple, due to the heather flowers in August. Overall, I found the hike to be very low effort and a lot of fun! At the lake you will even find a little sandy beach, where some people were taking a dip in the ice cold water.

Beach time in Wales

We happened to be in Snowdonia on such an extraordinary sunny day, so we decided to cool down at the beach. We picked Harlech beach as our destination as I read this is a particularly stunning beach with bright blue water and because this provided us with the perfect drive through Snowdonia.

From the parking spot for the beach you could see Harlech castle!

Prettiest campsites in Wales

We were stunned at how pretty the campsites in Wales turned out to be. Wales is relatively undiscovered as a tourist destination, but ended up being perfect for camping. In Wales many farmers also have a campsite and I will share two super pretty campsites where we ended up staying that I would highly recommend.

Llech Camping and Touring site: This campsite is located closely to Harlech, but super high up on a hill, giving you the most spectacular sunset. It is a small campsite, which is family-run and you can see how loved this place is a the way it is maintained. Amenities are super good, it is spaceous, highly recommend. They even had a little kitchen area for the people that were camping in tents. It is sensible to give them a call in advance, to know for sure they still have space.

The campsite was right behind Harlech Castle, providing us with this view

Cae Gwyn Campsite: This is another campsite, located at the edge of Snowdownia. It is quite a big campsite, amenities are not amazing, but we absolutely loved the view. You stay in a little valley next to a mountain, with sheep roaming around the campsite. Overall, the vibes were really good! We just turned up and found a spot.

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