Greentraveller Guide to the Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons National Park is Wales at its most rugged and awe-inspiring - from the magnificent Black Mountains that dominate to the east to the wild expanses of Fforest Fawr.
This Greentraveller Guide to Holidays in the Brecon Beacons National Park will help you get the most out of your holiday. We've done all of the hard work for you... we have chosen the best places to stay, from lovingly-restored Welsh farmhouses to authentic Mongolian yurt camps, as well as the best places to eat, from food festivals to Michelin-starred restaurants. There's also lots of information on the top activities in the area, from walking and cycling to horse riding and geocaching.
We'll also give you all the information on how to reach the Park's main stations by train and bus, as well as how best to travel within the Park using the comprehensive network of trains, local buses and cycle paths. Less Carbon, More Fun!
Browse by section
Browse our collection of top green places to stay, from a magnificent 16th Century country house to a secluded, Mongolian-style yurt camp.
With a huge selection of restaurants, cafés and pubs, you'll never be short on options for where to enjoy some seasonal, locally-sourced food.
From canals, cathedrals and castles to music festivals and Wales' only whisky distillery - the Brecon Beacons offers something for the whole family.
Walk, cycle and horse ride your way around the Brecon Beacons, or take advantage of one of many car-free days out and geocaching adventures.
Interactive map of the Brecon Beacons National Park
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Nearest national cycle network
This destination guide has been produced with support from Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s Collabor8 project through the ERDF Interreg IVB North West Europe Programme.
Image credits: thanks for Visit Wales for providing images used in this guide to Sustainable Tourism in the Brecon Beacons. Where caption credit is given as 'Photo: Visit Wales' all © Crown copyright (2011) Visit Wales.
Introduction to the Brecon Beacons
Nick StewartBrecon Beacons National Park is a unique landscape of Old Red Sandstone peaks, open moorland, green valleys, hidden waterfalls and fern-filled gorges. Here you can explore caves and castles, vibrant villages and an array of events for a truly Welsh experience.
As a National Park there is already a huge amount of effort being put into conserving and managing the countryside. Our work to make holidays greener is based on the fact that wherever we go and whatever we do, we have an impact. We help our visitors to make better choices, have richer experiences and make their impact on the places they love to visit a positive one!
Our Green Tourism Business Scheme award winners ensure that your accommodation or the business you are using is working hard to look after the destination every bit as well as they look after you. They help keep this place special for your holiday today, and so future visitors can continue to enjoy fabulous holidays in this special destination tomorrow. Look out for the distinctive Green Tourism logo which shows that the business displaying it has been visited and assessed for its green credentials.
Of course not all businesses making a difference necessarily want to have an official eco-label to show this so we are delighted that Greentraveller’s team of experts have also picked out the best places to stay, things to see and do and places to eat and drink fine local produce which they feel fit the ethos of taking a greener and better holiday.
As well as having greener businesses, visitors will find getting here and getting around without a car simple. Once you’ve arrived we’ve lots of ideas for things to do using public transport and our Beacons Bus service is ideal for a day out, taking you all over the National Park on summer Sundays and Bank Holidays from the end of May until the end of September.
Our Ambassadors are local businesses in the National Park who have a passion for the area and have attended three days training to give visitors a better understanding of the National Park. In this way we hope you’ll leave – and come back – as keen supporters of our protected landscape. We are all looking forward to welcoming you to the Brecon Beacons!
Nick Stewart
Sustainable Tourism Officer, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority
>> Read Nick's guide to The Brecon Breacons Ambassadors
Did you know?
- The National Park covers 1,346 square kilometres or 520 square miles covering four distinct mountain ranges. This is the same size as the London underground system.
- There are 1,983 kilometres or 1,232 miles of public rights of way - that’s about the length of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia!
- The largest town is the cathedral town of Brecon with a population of 7,500.
- Four of the five longest cave systems in the UK are in the National Park.
- Less than 1.5% of the park is covered by roads and development, including all buildings.
Videos of walking and cycling in the Brecon Beacons
Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales
