Snowdonia Hideaway

Snowdonia National Park is a fab place for outdoor activities – try rock climbing, canoeing and sea kayaking nearby or take a walk or bike ride on the Mawddach Trail, following the old railway line alongside the Mawddach estuary. Fancy chugging along by steam train instead? Make tracks to the Talyllyn Railway stop (10 minutes' drive) for rides to the Dolgoch waterfalls, the coast or a kids’ play park. Castell y Bere (15 minutes) and the ancient town of Machynlleth (25 minutes) are on hand for history-filled days, with the Centre for Alternative Technology (25 minutes) a top draw for more modern interests. To up the pace, head off horse riding at Bwlchgwyn (20 minutes) then flit further away to the famed mountain-biking tracks of Coed-y-Brenin (50 minutes). There are also sub-surface explores to be had in the caves of Blaenau Ffestiniog (an hour), zipwiring in Bethesda (an hour), and surfing on an artificial inland wave in Dolgarrog (an hour and 35 minutes).