A lovely town in Snowdonia! (Betws-y-Coed (North Wales))

Member Name: SusanLesley

Product:	Betws-y-Coed (North Wales)
Date:	22/12/08 (478 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful scenery, pretty shops, good food

Disadvantages: It can get very busy in season

I recently wrote a review about the Snowdonia National Park in which I mentioned a lovely town called Betws-y-Coed and I thought, since it is such a lovely place, it deserved a review all to itself!

Living as we do in Llandudno on the coast of North Wales we often go for a drive through Snowdonia National Park and we regularly stop at Betws-y-Coed for a cup of tea and a mooch round the shops.

It is a really easy place to find as the A5 runs straight through the centre of the town. Looking at a map of the area it is pretty much due south from Llandudno and due east from Caernarvon.

Web site

There is a web site at www.betws-y-coed.co.uk which gives lots of information about the town and the surrounding area including accommodation, eating out, shops and attractions.

Accommodation

The accommodation in the town and the area ranges from four star hotels through B & B and self catering right down to camping sites. I can't comment on any of the accommodation specifically as we have never had cause to stay over since we live so close to the area, but I just thought I would mention that there is a good range so you could find something to suit your situation and your pocket I'm sure!

Parking

There is some free parking to be found in the streets around Betws-y-Coed but the main parking is in the church grounds, the Stables Hotel car park, the car park next to the bridge over the river and the main one by the train station next to the village green in the centre of the town. These are all paying car parks but the prices are reasonable.

Shops and Eateries

If you park in the main car park there is a line of shops and tea rooms surrounding the train station as you walk from the car park towards the main street. These include a couple of gift shops selling all sorts of things including bears and dolls, sweets, cards, ornaments, Welsh gifts, clothes, scented wares and much more. There is a clothes shop, a china shop, a lovely delicatessen, a specialist candle shop and a shop selling all things pagan which my Goth Goddaughter loves!

Also in this area there is a branch of Cadwalladers where you can get ice creams and teas, a standard cheaply priced café and a lovely tea shop which sells home made food including some lovely cakes! I can recommend this one!

As you walk onto the main street there are a lot of shops which sell climbing, camping and walking gear together with more large good quality gift shops. There are also specialist gifts shops selling paintings and pottery. If you are self catering or just need a bit of shopping there are a couple of small supermarkets in Betws-y-Coed.

There is a lovely church in the centre of town which is open to the public for a look round and they have regular antique fairs in the adjoining church hall.

There is even a little garden centre in the main street as well.

Along the main street there are numerous restaurants, cafes and hotels where you can get a meal or a snack. We have eaten in the bar of the Stables Hotel and that was very good and we have also tried the chip shop next to the bridge across the river which serves delicious chips!

Any disadvantages?

Well it does get very busy in the summer as lots of coaches stop here so it is not the place for you if you aren't keen on crowds! The pavements are quite narrow in places so you will need to be careful particularly if you have a wheelchair or pushchair.

Attractions

The main attractions around this area are the beautiful walks to admire the stunning scenery. Firstly head for the bridge across the river pausing awhile to admire the tumbling water beneath you and sometimes watch the idiots jump off the bridge into the water below where there are lots of rocks! Next to the bridge is the start of a lovely walk alongside the river through the trees. The path has been made safe for people with disabilities and it is a gentle, fairly flat walk suitable for all and really pretty.

If you head out of the main town along the A5 you come to the Swallow Falls where you pay £1 to go though the turnstile and there is a lovely walk to see the waterfall. This is a more strenuous walk and if wet must be undertaken with care.

There are many more attractions within travelling distance so Betws-y-Coed would make a good base for exploring the area. Places to visit within the vicinity are the castles of Caernarvon, Harlech, Beaumaris, Criccieth and Conwy, Mount Snowdon with the railway to the top, Llandudno and the Great Orme, Anglesey, Portmerion (where the Prisoner was filmed), Bodnant Gardens and numerous slate caverns just to name a few.

Would I recommend a visit?

You bet your bottom dollar I do! It is a lovely place to stop for a walk, a mooch round the shops or just a pot of tea and a cake and I certainly never tire of visiting Betws-y-Coed! By the way I don't work for the tourist board honestly!

Summary: Well worth a visit!