25 January 2024 , 12:22
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A small Welsh village has been named the UK's best holiday destination.
Betws-y-Coed has become known as the gateway to Eryri (aka Snowdonia) and is where many mountain walkers and extreme sports hobbyists make base camp before heading off into the range. If you want to meet like minded walking boots wearers, then the settlement of 564 is the place to go.
When the winter weather clears and is replaced by the spring sunshine, the charming village becomes a thriving hub of activity. Its guest houses and hotels are filled out at night and day trippers populate its cafes and restaurants in the afternoon.
Now it's been judged to be the best holiday hotspot in the UK by GO Outdoors, which looked at the number of hiking, biking, nature and wildlife as well as the average cost of local transport and how popular the destination is to create a holiday hotspot score.
One of the stunning waterfalls that can be found dotted around the area (Getty Images)The Welsh spot topped the list thanks to its natural beauty, access to the Welsh mountains and the many biking and hiking trails that begin and end there.
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One of the main attractions in the village itself is the Conwy Valley Railway Museum, which has not one but two miniature lines which transport gauge-buffs in a loop through the pretty Welsh countryside.
Another main attraction is the Pont-y-Pair Bridge, dating back some 550 years when it was a major passing point in the area before Thomas Telford built the Conwy suspension bridge. Now it is required to take fewer and smaller loads, but the bridge remains an idyllic spot on which to gaze down into the water or play a game of Poohsticks.
A wander to the nearby Swallow Falls is certainly in order when visiting the village. The gently sloping water feature lies at the centre of an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty where the river Llugwy flows through a narrow chasm, creating a spectacular waterfall amongst a background of beech, conifer and birch trees.
It's perfect for those who want to explore Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The falls can be viewed from a location above the river which requires no strenuous walking to reach.
As charming as Betws-y-Coed is, it is undeniably a small place which may not hold a visitor's attention for more than a few days. Happily there is much else to do in the area. A short drive away is Llanberis, home to the famous Pete's Eats café.
For 44 years the eatery acted as a hub for walkers, fuelling them with huge breakfasts and pints of tea before they made their way into the relative wilderness of Snowdonia. Although it has been on the market and looking for a new owner since 2022, there is hope Pete's Eats will be serving impossibly sized breakfasts again sooner rather than later.
Equally the lovely seaside town of Caernarfon is not far and is home to a large medieval fortress that was built by Edward I in 1283 and remains impressively intact to this day.
GO Outdoors' top 10 UK holiday spots
- Betws-y-coed
- Ambleside
- St Ives
- Bakewell
- Whitby
- Matlock
- Tenby
- Rye
- Padstow
- Braemar
You can find out more on gooutdoors.co.uk.
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