Beaches, castles, biking, fishing, walking.....

Llanaber's lovely beach is within walking distance of our cottages. Have a look at our gallery for more photos. You can walk along the beach, or along the promenade, all the way to Barmouth. Tere you will find shops, restaurants, pubs and plenty to entertain you. If you're feeling fit you could go exploring the 'old Barmouth', along the narrow stone streets between the houses perched on the rock above the town.

Walking in the other direction you'll soon come to the bridge that crosses the railway and the path that goes past Lanaber's historic church.

Why travel far to lie on beaches when Harlech beach is one of the most glorious beaches to be had anywhare! When you walk through the sand dunes and see the vast expanses of yellow sand,it will take your breath away!

The Lleyn peninsula and Snowdonia mountain range lie to the right, Harlech Castle stands majestically on the rock behind, and if golf's your game, take advantage of one of Wales' best links courses, St David's Golf Course.

Or of course you could just lie on the beach soaking up the sun.........

You can see Snowdonia's mountains clearly if you look to the right whilst facing the sea.

Snowdonia is a great place to come walking, hiking or mountaineering, as there are routes to suit all abilities. Whether you intend to scale Snowdon or take a leisurely walk along one of the coastal paths, you're sure to enjoy fantastic views. We're surrounded by a variety of landscapes, ranging from rugged mountains, sandy beaches and sparkling lakes and rivers. Snowdonia National {ark continues to develop a network of paths for walkers of all abilities.

If you're looking for a lovely walk near the cottages, it's hard to beat the Mawddach Trail over Barmouth bridge and along the river bank all the way to Dolgellau if you wish. The path is flat and not too tough, with breathtaking views all the way. Visit the link below.

Or you could drive to the old market town of Dolgellau in about 20 minutes, and take on the majestic Cader Idris mountain, quite a bit tougher than the Mawddach Trail, but again with amazing views. Remember that there are plenty of trails all around you, some starting right at the cottages - fetch a map and go explore!

If you go exploring in the direction of Harlech (10 miles distant) it will be impossible for you to avoid this majestic castle. This castle is one of King Edwards' chief architect greatest masterpiece, who had plenty of room on the rock to build a concentric castle with high inner walls looking out over lower outer walls; the centrepiece being the huge gate towers.

The entrance is guarded by a moat with two drawbridges, three doors and three portcullises. Climb to the top of the towers and you will see why the castle was built on the rock, what an amazing view!

Castell y Bere (Bere Castle) is very different castle to Harlech castle. But it's a lovely place for children to play at being Kings and soldiers, in a magical location.

Today the ruins of Castell y Bere still stand on a rocky outcrop, with protective ditches cut into the stone on the south and east sides. The entrance to the castle lies on the west side, where the barbican, probably built by Edward I, contains two gate towers, overlooking the stone steps approaching the inner gate. Through the barbican is the castle courtyard, containing a large well and the remains of several internal buildings of uncertain date.

Coed y Brenin was the first forest to be developed for the sport of mountain biking and to this day retains its reputation as the sports premier location. A range of routes suitable for everyone from families and novices (Yr Afon) to rocky technical trails for expert riders radiate out from our stunning state of the art eco visitor centre.

There are also paths for walkers only amongst the trees, including an activity where children try to find wooden animals hidden along the way.

If you don't fancy walking the Mawddach Trail it's easy enough to cycle. The trail is flat all the way, but you will no doubt wish to rest often along the way to take in the amazing scenery. There are picnic benches along the way, so remember to take a snack or two

It's possible to hire bikes from Barmouth or Dolgellau if you don't have your own.

An obvious place to go fishing is in the sea on your doorstep! You can walk from the cottage down to the water's edge in five minutes, and relax on the beach whilst you wait to catch your supper.

Children love fishing with a crab line off the harbour in Barmouth, or you can hire a boat to be taken out to sea for a fishing trip to remember! See the link below.

There is a fishing shop in the town.

A game fisherman’s heaven, Snowdonia has more than a 100 lakes, all with their own distinct character and setting. Trawsfynydd lake has hosted numerous international fishing competitions and is regarded as one of the premiere fishing reservoirs in Wales..

Excellent river fishing is available on various rivers throughout the region including the Llyfni, Dwyfor, Glaslyn, Mawddach and Conwy. Known for their wild brown trout, abundant salmon and sea trout can also be caught during late summer.

Portmeirion is a popular tourist village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village and is now owned by a charitable trust.Portmeirion has served as the location for numerous films and television shows, most famously serving as The Village in the 1960s television show The Prisoner.

Magical place for the whole family

Click here to visit Portmeirion's website.

The Fairbourne Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd y Friog) is a 12 1⁄4 in (311 mm) gauge miniature railway running for 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry, where there is a connection with a pedestrian ferry across the Mawddach estuary to the seaside resort of Barmouth (Welsh: Abermaw).