Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri)
On the slopes below a forested crag, from which spills its own 'private' waterfall, the Vagabond is Betws' best hostel – and the only one within the town proper. It's a simple set-up, with freshly decorated six- to eight-bed dorms, two family rooms, shared bathrooms and an appealing bar (4.30pm to 11pm), kitchen and common room. Evening meals are £8.50 to £10.50.
The obligatory £25 weekend rate includes a cooked breakfast.
20.11 MILES
Majestic Caernarfon Castle was built by Edward I between 1283 and 1330 as a military stronghold, seat of government and royal palace. Designed and mainly…
17.33 MILES
Set on its own tranquil peninsula reaching into the estuary, this fantastical collection of colourful buildings with a heavy Italian influence was…
13.31 MILES
Caernarfon is more complete, Harlech more dramatically positioned and Beaumaris more technically perfect, yet out of the four castles that compose the…
17.1 MILES
Beaumaris is the last and most technically perfect of the ring of great castles built by Edward I of England to consolidate his Welsh conquests. Started…
16.85 MILES
Sitting unobtrusively near the top of the Great Orme is the largest prehistoric mine ever discovered. Nearly paved over for a car park, this site of…
10.12 MILES
Laid out in 1875 and painstakingly landscaped over 150 years, Bodnant is one of Wales’ most beautiful gardens. Lord Aberconway of the McLaren family …
17.2 MILES
From sea level it's difficult to gauge the sheer scale of the limestone chunk known as the Great Orme (Y Gogarth), yet it's 2 miles in circumference and…
20.37 MILES
Edward I finished this intimidating yet aesthetically pleasing castle in 1289, the southernmost of his 'iron ring' of fortresses designed to keep the…
0.24 MILES
Built in 1873, when the old Parish Church of St Michael could no longer cope with the devout Victorian tourists flocking to Betws.
0.31 MILES
The name Betws is thought to be derived from 'bead house', meaning a place of prayer (y coed – in the woods). It's likely that 14th-century St Michael's…
3. Conwy Valley Railway Museum
0.33 MILES
If you're the sort who's fascinated by dioramas and model train sets, this tiny museum is for you. In which case the model shop you have to pass through…
1.2 MILES
The 28-sq-mile Gwydyr Forest, planted since the 1920s with oak, beech and larch, encircles Betws-y-Coed and is scattered with the remnants of lead and…
2.09 MILES
Betws-y-Coed's main natural tourist draw is located 2 miles west of town, alongside the A5 on the River Llugwy. It's a beautiful spot, with the 42m…
2.57 MILES
The Ugly House isn't actually ugly at all. This unusual cottage is constructed from huge boulders and is home to a characterful tearoom and, upstairs, the…
8.16 MILES
Blaenau's main attraction takes you into the bowels of a Victorian slate mine. You descend the UK's steepest mining cable railway into the 1846 network of…
8.51 MILES
Recently opened in the Edwardian-era police station (hence 'Cell B'), this multifunction centre hosts everything from yoga to live bands to screenings in…