Travel Eye on Brecon Beacons (Wales)

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Overview:

With hills made for walking, countryside made for the perfect escape, activities made for the adventurous and festivals made for unadulterated enjoyment you will be captivated by Mid Wales.

With the lowest density population in Wales, the wilderness abounds in Mid Wales. This is a safe haven for wildlife, and is home to the rare and striking Red Kite. Encompassing the Brecon Beacons National Park, with its open rounded hills, plunging waterfalls and caves, the region is a fantastic destination for exploring by foot. Two National Trails pass through the region, and the area caters fantastically for walkers. No crowds here, just open space as far as the eye can see.

For the less faint hearted there are amazing facilities and plenty of opportunities to go wild. Choose from Paragliding, shooting the rapids, potholing, or join the latest craze of nighttime mountain biking. For the less wacky there is plenty of coarse and reservoir fishing, lanes for cyclists and impressive bird watching.

From the world famous Brecon Jazz and Hay Literature Festivals to the plain quirkiness of the World Bog Snorkelling Championship and Man versus Horse Marathon, there is never a dull moment in Mid Wales!

Locality:

The northern reaches of South Wales are filled with the Brecon Beacons National Park, which begins abruptly along the 'Heads of the Valleys'. Visitors come to this national park for its wide, open spaces, grassy mountains, rivers, waterfalls, forests and lakes. Its central peak is Pen-y-Fan, the highest summit in South Wales. Wave after wave of mountain ranges fill the park, from the brooding Black Mountains along the Wales/England border to the wildernesses of the Black Mountain (singular) in the west.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Brecon, Abergavenny, Llandovery and Hay-on-Wye (the 'town of books') are good centres for touring the Brecon Beacons. The park's host of attractions include the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Dan-yr-Ogof Showcaves and Llangorse Lake.

Things to see and do

• Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth
• Powis Castle, Welshpool
• Celtica, Machynlleth
• Welshpool and Llanfair Railway, Welshpool
• National Cycle Collection, Llandrindod Wells
• Judges Lodging, Presteigne
• Gigrin Farm & Red Kite Feeding, Rhayader
• Ynyshir RSPB Reserve, Machynlleth   
• Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal: One of the most beautiful canals in Britain, stretching from Brecon to Newport. There are footpaths along the canal and the nearby Usk river.
• Cathedral Showcaves: Guided tours of these glittering natural caverns run from Eater to October.
• Llanthony Priory: 12th century ruins in a beautiful valley setting.
• Mynydd Illtyd Mountain Centre: info centre for the park. There is a circular nature trail from the centre.

Events

May:   Hay Literature Festival (Hay on Wye)
June:   Man versus Horse Marathon (Llanwrtyd Wells)
July:   Royal Welsh Show (Builth Wells)
August:   Brecon Jazz Festival (Brecon)
November:   Real Ale Wobble (Llanwrtyd Wells)