Local Activities

Shell Island
(Ideal for Kids.) Only an island at high tide. Massive Sand Dunes. Shells, marina.
Picnic areas. Admission Fee per car £5ish.

Directions
Turn right from site and go to next village Llanbedr (2 miles) and turn left before bridge. 10 mins drive.

Nanctcol Waterfalls
As above but 50 yard over bridge turn right at the Victoria Inn and follow signs Rural car park and nice riverside walk to waterfalls. (15mins drive) Take care though and keep to footpath and away from the edge. (33 year old man and 4 year old daughter fell to their death in July 2009)

Dyffryn Beach
(The nearest beach) 5 mins drive - 25 minutes walk
Turn left from site and as you go out of village, almost into Tal-y-bont, turn right. There’s a car park on edge of beach. Beach in  Welsh is ‘Traeth.’ There is a lovely walk through a footpath through woods from down the side of the SPAR shop.

Harlech Castle
Right from site, through Llanbedr. About 5 miles in total. You can go into the Castle. 10 minutes drive.

Golf:
Royal St Davids Championship golf course at Harlech. Only open to members those with a handicap and members of a Golf Club.
Dolgellau, This is the golf course with the most spectacular views. A tough, hilly, nine hole course.

Snowdonia - Drive Circular Route:
Head north through Harlech, towards Portmadoc, Beddgellert, Betwys y Coed, Dolgellau then back to Barmouth and up to Dyffryn Ardudwy. Slow drive for 3 hours. Breathtaking Snowdonian scenery.

Barmouth:

• You must eat at Davy Jones’ Locker Café overlooking the harbour. Eat outside if warm enough.
• Panorama Walk over the top of the town for spectacular views of the estuary.
• Visit the old town and its narrow streets on the land side of the High Street.
• Walk across the estuary on the railway bridge footpath. Or take the ferryboat across.

Dyffryn Ardudwy:

• Ancient Burial Ground as old as Stonehenge in the centre of village.

• Take train journey south to Aberdovey. Journey is very pretty and goes across the estuary bridge at Barmouth and along the sea edge the whole journey. Station is walking distance for able person but there’s a car park. Go down side of Builder’s merchants to station. There’s a train at 12.30ish. Journey 45 minutes. Return about 5.30. Return fare only £4-5.

• Turn right at bottom of hotel drive and immediate right again and follow the lane in a semi circular route and it will bring you back out on the main road in Llanbedr. You will encounter a few closed farm gates which are purely to keep the sheep in but these are still public roads. If you’ve not yet seen Nantcol Waterfalls then this is an alternative route so look out for the signs.

Local Beaches
All the beaches in the area are fantastic The Welsh word for beach is ‘Traeth.’ The beach for Dyffryn is south of the village. Look for the sign ‘Beach Traeth.’ There is a car park and a boardwalk which takes you through the sand-dunes to the beach.

You can take a nice walk to the beach from the cabin. Turn down the side of Wilbrookes builders merchants toward the railway station and straight on through the caravan park to the Beach. Walk south down the beach until you reach the boardwalk mentioned above and back home. Look out for a Public footpath off the lane to the left through a small field and then a wood. This will cut off a big corner, bring you out by the village Spar shop. Round trip takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.

There is a very nice beach with lots of rock-pools and a nice little café halfway between Llanbedr and Harlech in Llanfair opposite the Slate mine attraction.

Eating Out
Pub Grub is easy to find but if you want a decent restaurant meal then you will find out that there is a shortage. There is a brasserie right below Harlech Castle which is good and middle priced. Also there is a small restaurant in Talybont which serves food raw with along hot granite slabs which cooks the food right before your eyes to your liking. Prices are not bad at all and the food is good.

The Ael-Y-Bryn Hotel serves very good pub grub. Try the Beef and Guinness Pie. The Victoria Inn in Llanbedr is great and has a fantastic riverside beer garden and play area  for the kids. (Try the Dark Mild beer.)

Shopping Dyffryn
Spar Minimarket and also a general store/post office/newsagent.

Barmouth
Spar Small Supermarket on the High Street.
Co-op Supermarket down behind railway station.

Portmadoc
Large Tesco Supermarket. Through Town Centre and right at mini roundabout and it’s on the left.

PLEASE NOTE...
On your journey there, between Ruthin and Bala, you will pass an organic farm at Rhug. Look to your left to see American Bison grazing freely.