Felin Uchaf

With the Berwyn mountains as your backyard, you won’t be short of paths up, around and through. A good starting point is the path to Pistyll Rhaeadr (50 minutes’ drive): trails from there take you up the big daddy of the Berwyns, 2,743-foot high Cadair Berwyn, and to the mirror-like waters of Llyn Lluncaws. Walkers, mountain bikers and all folk who are into outdoor activities are well placed to strut their stuff in the Snowdonia National Park too. Bala Adventure and Watersports, a 25-minute drive away, tempts thrillseekers in with everything from whitewater rafting and abseiling to mountain biking, canyoning and windsurfing. To zip through mountain valleys at height and speed, head for Zip World Fforest and Zip World Slate Caverns (40 and 55 minutes), or to get up high the easy way, take the Snowdon Mountain Railway from Llanberis (an hour) to the top of Mount Snowdon (you could always walk back down…) For days down at sea level (and sand), it’s just over an hour’s drive to the popular stretches of Barmouth, Prestatyn and Abergele, and about the same to the coastal Italianate fantasy village (and sci-fi TV setting) of Portmeirion. Colwyn Bay (also an hour or so), has hill walks, sea fishing and jetskiing, plus you can get up close and personal with penguins, sea lions, red pandas and tigers at the Welsh Mountain Zoo.