If you like stunning scenery, great food, untouched landscapes, historical heritage, and the tongue twisting fun of the Welsh phonetical language. Then Wales has it all you can be at a coastline in an hour or the mountains, lakeside or forest. It’s diversity of urban and protected parks are beautiful. With only a week before the end of the summer holidays I took full advantage of the bank holiday by going on a micro adventure around Wales with no time to loose. With just 7 days to pack in as much adventure, as I could and savour the last taste of summer I packed out the van in the 30 degree heat of the bank holiday and headed down the M6 to Wales.
My route around Wales
walks
I started with my trip with a hike in the Brecon Beacons with a hike to the Llyn y Fan Fawr at the foot of Fan Brycheiniog, the highest peak of the Black Mountain range. You are formally asked not to sleep next to the start of the trail as it is inside the national park. But there are plenty of stops outside the park where you can park up overnight to start the trail early in the morning. Under the recommendation of Welsh educator and general outdoor legend Hue James. I took the turning to the left onto the single track road north to the left of the A4067 after Glyntawe. Following the River Tawe I parked on the side of the road and hiked up the hill and crossed the river multiple times to take and took a grassy path up to the tarn. The trail is quite and I didn’t pass anybody all afternoon. It follows the river to the tarn and past numerous waterfalls. This time of year the beautiful Rowen trees where all shining with red berries framing the water filled crevice’s in the landscapes with bright ref flashes of colour. You can hike up and around the tarn in less than an hour and to then climb the mountain and ridgeline behind it I would give another hour as there are moderate to difficult sections of steep steps and scrambling slabbed sections. As it is also the highest peak it’s very windy up at the top, however on the day I went it was a warm and sunny day and I was fine treading the path at the top. But in the winter and snow I imagine it is a very different story up there.
On my way back down to the van I also snuck in a swim to cool my achy feet in one of the many waterfalls as it was so quite and beautiful!
My next walk was over in the Mumbles and the Worm over at Rhossili with their dramatic cliffs and super accessible car parks it was a great afternoon out. Rhossili beach is especially beautiful but if you time park at the national trust car park and buy a doughnut and head over on the cliff top walk to see the dramatic cliffs and the best of the peninsular islands ragged and jagged sticking out of the sea to the backdrop of sandy beaches. It’s a stunning place. Just be careful when your sitting down eating your lunch your are set upon by the Shaun the sheep’s terrorists companions…TICKS. Sheep roam the National Trusts land there. Lots of ticks in the headland there so check your legs before you leave!
Windswept and interesting with Rhossili beach in the backgroundviews from the cliff looking out the islands
Thanks @hygee for the awesome polarised sunglasses
My last walk was to stomp out onto the PCP or Pembrokeshire Coastal Path. I have walked sections of the path before and know about it’s tenacious ascents up and down and how sections can be steep but offering some of the best coastal scenery with wildlife, flora and fora that Wales has to offer. I walked the few km to the Witches Cauldron situated near Moylegrove in Cardigan. There cast against the cavernous coastline resides a lonely collapsed cave. The subsequent erosion and tidal pooling means this has now formed into a beautiful hole in the highcliff face. The natural pooling of water that makes this a popular attraction for the area as twice a day the sea rises and falls making travelling through the low hanging walls of the cave entrance scary, but beautiful as the light fills the water and creates the most amazing green coloured sea. You feel like your swimming through a potion!
Me and Andrew love to swim. This is at our local at Chasewater reservoir
This was hands down my favourite experience of the trip. I swam down from the cove and out to sea and came back on myself entering the cave by swimming through a small entrance in the cave, which was filled with speckled sunlight from the sunny day. I then reached the opening and was greeted by a small pool with a pebble scree beach and a waterfall at the west exit of the pool where there is a small hole where water can travel through to the other side.
I went for a walk, fish and chips to meet a van friend in Saundersfoot. Despite the busy pubs and bustling towns streets. The beach is beautiful and there are quite places to walk. Me and Homer blew up my paddleboard and headed out for a Sunset SUP in the bay and watched a perfect sunset sky change its colours as the stars began to come out.
Sunset on over the bay from the water
I had a great time exploring the bay making a new friend and a lovely paddle! I would definitely come back again, parking is super easy when parking east of the bay near the pub right on the sea front.
Parking on the seafront Swim and SUP with new friends
On route up north I would also suggested in Pothmadog and Harlech beach and pretty town and if your passing Port Merion is a stunning afternoon out. A scenic place with you feel like your on a film set due to its neo classical architecture and colour Sicilian Italian contours. Set against the sea and welsh mountains. I really enjoyed the animal reserve and dunes are Harlech beach which if you walk from the top of the hill in the town about a half an hour down the sea steep walk past the iconic castle. Harlech is a stunning place and the beach on a summers day is a shallow light blue set against white sands.
Me and Sarah enjoying the best of the Welsh Summer weather! It was HOT HOT HOT! Thank you to Selkie for my beautiful swim suit, hoody and cap kitting me out with some the best British swim wear!Walking the beach at Port Meirion Hat selfie fail. When your sun hat is so big it blocks out your mate in the photo!
What an end to a wonderful solo trip in my last week of the holidays, meeting old friends and making new ones and seeing some beautiful places. West Wales is truly stunning and a must see place to tour in a van.
vanlifewithluci.wordpress.com 