Things To Do In The Brecon Beacons
Discovering the highest mountains in southern Britain, secret glacial lakes and one of the most romantic castles in Europe are among the best things to do in the Brecon Beacons.
Add into the mix some gorgeous luxury hotels and spas, some of the best places to eat in Wales and the second-hand bookshop capital of the world and you have one of the most compelling places to visit in Wales.
Also known as Bannau Brycheiniog, this National Park is the natural border between South and Mid Wales, with four distinct mountain ranges squeezed into an area less than 50 miles (80 km) across.
The Beacons is my home National Park – I grew up 15 miles from its southern border, so I’ve visited it hundreds of times, exploring all corners of it, some more than others! In this guide I show you the best of the Beacons, divided into easy-to-follow categories including best hikes, scenic drives, castles and so on. I also suggest some tours of the area and point you in the direction of the best places to stay and eat in the area.
So after a brief explainer, away we go. I hope you find it helpful.
Brecon Beacons or Bannau Brycheiniog
So do you use the English name or the Welsh name?
As a (second language) Welsh-speaking Welshman who grew up 15 miles from the National Park, I still use the English term, ‘Brecon Beacons’. The only time I’d normally use ‘Bannau Brycheiniog’ would be in a conversation in Welsh. And when I talk to friends from South Wales we still refer to ‘the Beacons’.
That; said, I’m happy to move towards using ‘Bannau Brycheiniog’ in future. Like the switch to ‘Eryri’ from ‘Snowdonia’ in North Wales, it’s a long, slow burner, one that will take a couple of decades or more to sink in.
And if most Welsh people met you and heard you saying, ”Brecon Beacons,” they’d think nothing of it, as the vast majority of them use the same words themselves. As a Welsh speaker hearing a non-Welsh visitor using the Welsh term, I’d warmly welcome it and praise them for it.
Brecon Beacons Tours
Ideally you need a car to see the best of the Bannau Brycheiniog. The bus services have improved along the main routes in recent years, but if you want to go anywhere off the beaten track, you’ll need your own vehicle. In this case a tour of the Brecon Beacons could be a good option for you.
This Waterfalls, Mountains and Castles Tour from Cardiff is a great introduction to the Beacons. It takes you to beautiful Henrhyd Falls, Cyfarthfa Castle, Brecon town and a scenic drive over Mynydd Illtud and the A470.
This Welsh Castles, Mountains and Steam Railway Tour also departs from Cardiff. It includes visits to mighty Caerphilly Castle, the heritage Brecon Mountain Railway, scenic drives, Brecon town and Cyfarthfa Castle on the way back.
And this Wye Valley and Brecon Beacons Tour from Cardiff includes a visit to Tintern Abbey as well as a scenic drive through the Beacons and visit to Brecon.
Best Hikes In The Brecon Beacons
Pen y Fan via Upper Neuadd
Pen y Fan is the highest point in the Brecon Beacons, and the highest mountain in southern Britain, at 886 metres (2,907 feet) above sea level. As with Snowdonia, many visitors tend to gravitate to the highest mountain, so the shortest path up Pen y Fan – from Pont ar Daf – can get very crowded on sunny summer weekends. This path to the summit – which takes between 40 minutes and an hour, depending on your fitness – is so popular that some hikers have nicknamed it ‘the M4’ after the motorway that runs across South Wales.
There are several other paths up Pen y Fan, and to make the most of it and avoid the crowds the best route is also the most difficult – the circuit from the Neuadd car park.
When I did it, I continued past Upper Neuadd reservoir, heading right to the path to Cribyn, and long, steep climb with some boggy areas (easily bypassed) en route. You won’t encounter too many people at this stage, but that will change when you reach the popular summit of Pen y Fan, an outstanding viewpoint in all directions.
From there, continue along the ridge for half a mile to the summit of Corn Du, a stretch that again will be busier with traffic from the ‘M4’ path. After reaching Corn Du summit, head left to the ridgeway path, which continues for around two miles to the summit of Graig y Fan Ddu. And from there you descend the steep path for 1 km until you reach your starting point at the car park.
Llyn Y Fan Fach and Llyn y Fan Fawr
The Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du) is one of the wildest part of Wales, as empty as the Cambrian Mountains to the north, where but a tiny fraction of the number of souls venture compared to Pen y Fan. But it’s also the location of one of my favourite hikes in Wales, the traverse of the Carmarthen Fans, beginning at Llyn y Fan Fach (the lake of the small beacon) and ending at Llyn y Fan Fawr (the lake of the big beacon), three miles (but it feels longer!) to the east.
The only way to reach the starting point, Llyn y Fan Fach, is via a Welsh Water road with no vehicle access, a 20-minute tramp along the tarmac before you reach the lake.
According to legend a lady emerged from Llyn y Fan Fach and a local man sought her hand in marriage. She agreed on the condition that she would return to the lake if he struck her three times. And this he did, so she fulfilled her promise, although she is said to have left the lake to speak with her sons, who went on to become the Physicians of Myddfai, doctors famous in this part of Wales.
The track gradually climbs the ridge, eventually taking you high above the lake. You then tackle three summits – Waun Lefrith, Picws Du and Fan Brycheiniog, before the fairly steep descent to the southern shore of the other glacial lake, Llyn y Fan Fawr.
Logistics are a bit of a challenge in this part of the world. So you can either double-back to Llyn y Fan Fach, or pair up with someone and park a car on the minor road a mile down the mountain which leads to Glyntawe and the Tafarn y Garreg pub. From there you’ll have to drive back to pick up the car near Llyn y Fan Fach.
Where To Stay – The Cawdor, Llandeilo – beautiful Georgian house, now a 4-star boutique hotel, an ideal base for the Black Mountain region
Ystradfellte Four Waterfall Walk
After the Pen y Fan ‘M4’ walk, this is one of the most popular hikes in Bannau Brycheiniog. Many of the Brecon Beacons waterfalls are concentrated within a few square miles of limestone gorges between the villages of Ystradfellte and Pontneddfechan, and you can visit four of them on a single hike.
Whenever I’ve done this I’ve started from the free Comin-y-Rhos car park, which is free and close to the first of the waterfalls. It’s also on the road between Pontneddechan and Ystradfellte. Follow the path 400 metres to the bridge over the Afon Mellte, continuing to the right towards the first waterfall, Sgwd Uchaf Clungwyn. It’s the highest of the waterfalls on the route, around 18 metres (60 (feet) from the top to the plunge pool, and it plies a channel on the left side of a rock platform.
The path (signposted) continues to Sgwd Isaf Clungwyn, to which there’s a short detour. This is less dramatic, more of a curtain fall, a series of channels that looks spectacular after heavy rain. The next falls, Sgwd y Pannwr, is a similar curtain waterfall, flowing along and falling from a wide platform to the channel below.
The final waterfall on this route is many visitors’ favourite, Sgwd yr Eira, the Waterfall of Snow. There’s a long descent from the path to the falls (again signposted) and you have to pick your way past a few rocks near the river’s edge. It’s a beautiful waterfall, which you can walk behind, but if it’s in full spate, you’re guaranteed an absolute drenching.
You can retrace your way the whole way back, or take one of two waymarked routes back to Ystradfellte.
TIP: From many walks in Waterfall Country, do NOT turn up wearing trainers. You’ll need strong waterproof hiking boots and a lightweight waterproof jacket, plus hiking poles. Some sections of the paths are steep and slippery, and beware wet rocks. I sustained my worst ever hiking injury in the quest for a photograph on the rock platform close to Sgwd Uchaf Clungwyn, a very bad gash on my right leg. So BE CAREFUL.
Scenic Drives in the Brecon Beacons
A4069 – The Top Gear Road
The A4069 road from Brynamman to Llangadog is one of the best scenic drives in Wales. It was made famous by the BBC Top Gear motoring programme which visited it several times for test drives and tours, which spread its fame somewhat.
The road climbs out of Brynamman towards the empty moorland of the Black Mountain (Y Mynydd Du), the westernmost part of Bannau Brycheiniog. The road traverses this vast landscape, the only features a series of ridges on the horizon. It continues like this for around four miles from Brynamman, finally reaching some abandoned quarry workings.
After this you reach the northern escarpment of Y Mynydd Du, where the enormous patchwork of fields of northern Carmarthenshire and southwest Powys comes into view. The A4069 hairpins down to the lower ground before becoming lost in the hedgerows, but there are still views to be sought out, particularly the northern faces of the Carmarthen Fans, including Fan Foel and Bannau Sir Gaer. Carreg Cennen Castle is only a short distance away too.
Gospel Pass
The Gospel Pass – Bwlch yr Efengyl – is the highest point of the minor road that ascends the Vale of Ewyas, or Llanthony Valley, the easternmost valley in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
The road begins at Llanfihangel Crucorney, off the A465 Abergavenny to Hereford main road, passing the ruins of Llanthony Priory and, a few miles later, the gorgeous St Mary’s Chapel in the hamlet of Capel-y-Ffin.
From there it’s a gradual ascent to the Gospel Pass, which squeezes through a narrow gap between the marvellously named Lord Hereford’s Knob (Twmpa in Welsh) and Hay Bluff (Penybegwn in Welsh). The road then continues northwards to the world-famous booktown of Hay-on-Wye.
B4560 – Mynydd Llangynidr
The western part of the A465 road is widely known as the Heads of the Valleys road, an intriguing part of Wales with the post-industrial South Wales Valleys to the immediate south and the empty wilds of the Brecon Beacons just to the north. I can’t think of another place where there’s a greater contrast than between the two landscapes than the turn-off for the B4560 just north of Ebbw Vale and Beaufort, where you pass a vast EU-funded industrial estate one moment and the next you’re in another universe.
This road is like a time portal, and even now I have to pinch myself to check if what I’m seeing is real. Suddenly you’re on open moorland, with nothing either side of the road, just immense, empty countryside. Sandstone ridges stretch for miles, distant white dots graze the green fields below, and the sunlight flickers on a lake visible through a gap in the mountains.
This section of road runs for about two miles before you have a choice – either continue straight on towards the village of Llangynidr, or turn right towards Crickhowell, approaching the distant and distinctive peak of Sugar Loaf (Pen y Fal) as you cross the slope of what now becomes Mynydd Llangattock. If you’re not in a rush, go both ways. Crickhowell, more on which later in the article, is a great stop for lunch, and indeed overnight.
Where To Stay – The Bear, Crickhowell – wonderful atmospheric 15th-century coaching inn with an excellent restaurant – one of the best places to stay in the Brecon Beacons
A470
An A470 road trip is one of the great journeys through Wales, and the short A470 section through Bannau Brycheiniog is one of the best of the entire route.
The main north-south Wales road enters the National Park just after Merthyr Tydfil, immediately leaving the built-up South Wales Valleys behind for gorgeous hill country. The road then passes three reservoirs to the left, climbing towards the last of them (Beacons Reservoir) from which you can see Pen y Fan, the highest peak in the Beacons.
After the mass of cars parked by hikers taking the shortest, easiest route to the summit, the road heads downhill through the Storey Arms pass into Glyn Tarell, a sublime valley with views north towards Brecon.
You then pass Craig Cerrig Gleisiad, a steep, rocky valley on your left, then around the village of Libanus there’s a long stretch with Pen y Fan and Corn Du looming high to your right. You see more of them on the drive south from Brecon, but it’s a wonderful stretch of road.
Best Viewpoints in the Brecon Beacons
Pen y Fan From The A40
As you approach the Beacons from the south, you don’t get much sense of Pen y Fan as a dramatic mountain. It’s not until around Libanus that it finally reveals itself (see the following section). But from the A40 Abergavenny-Brecon road, you get a very different impression of it.
Approaching Brecon from the east, if the weather’s fairly clear, you see Pen y Fan in all its glory, a steep mountain rearing almost sheer from the pastoral landscape below. With the surrounding summits of Cribyn and Fan y Big, it looks magnificent.
There are places to pull over along the A40, and you can also take the B4558 turn towards Llanfrynach, where there are more viewpoints in breaks in the hedgerows between fields. Morning is by far the better time to see the mountains from this side if you’re photographing them, but they look wonderful at any time of day.
Where To Stay: Peterstone Court Country House & Spa – beautiful Georgian house, excellent restaurant, astonishing views of the Beacons
Traeth Mawr, Mynydd Illtud
Mynydd Illtud is an upland plateau area above the village of Libanus and the A470 road into Brecon from Cardiff. It’s to the northwest of the central Bannau Brycheiniog massif, with uninterrupted views of its highest peaks, Pen y Fan and Corn Du.
The minor road which runs along the ridge follows the line of the Sarn Helen Roman road which ran from South to North Wales, and it also passes close to the summit of Twyn y Gaer, which is the site of an Iron Age hillfort, of which some earthworks remain.
There are superb views of the mountains all the way along the mountain, including from the National Park Visitor Centre. But a favoured spot among photographers is from the marsh known as Traeth Mawr, near the southwest corner of the mountain and close to the A4215 road to Defynnog and Sennybridge.
I’ve visited this spot numerous times over many years and favour winter over summer for photography, as the late evening summer light is directly behind you, whereas in winter it’s off at a near-perfect angle to the south.
Getting there: by road only – take the A470, then the A5215 Defynnog road, and follow the brown tourist sign to the National Park Visitor Centre.
Pen y Crug Hillfort, Near Brecon
This third viewpoint – also very close to Brecon – requires a short walk from your parking spot, but it’s so worth it for the exceptional view you get on a clear day.
Pen y Crug is an Iron Age hillfort just northwest of Brecon, accessible either via the B4520 or Cradoc Road. It’s also very close to Cradoc Golf Club, one of the most scenic courses in Wales.
From the car parking spots (there are several along the minor road near the golf club entrance) it’s not much more than a ten-minute walk to the summit area. As you reach the ridge the view of Pen y Fan and Corn Du opens up, with the patchwork of fields spread out like a carpet below. A magical sight, and a delight at any time of year.
Castles and Historic Sites
Carreg Cennen Castle
It’s the most romantic and romantic of Welsh castles, a spectacular ruin in the foothills of the Black Mountain in the far west of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Carreg Cennen stands on the edge of a 300-foot precipice above the valley of the Cennen stream, and its relative remoteness is probably what has kept it so far off the beaten tourist track trough Wales for so long.
Visiting the Castle is a unique experience, one that many friends with whom I’ve visited have commented on (favourably!). You enter through a farmyard, where you buy your tickets or can stop in the tearoom for a cuppa and a slice of bara brith, a slightly sweet and fruity Welsh treat. Then you climb out of the farmyard and up the hill for a few minutes to the ruined Castle, and admire the astounding views. You might pass the occasional long-horned cow happily grazing along the way.
Carreg Cennen was originally a Welsh castle, like Dinefwr a few miles to the west near Llandeilo. It was most likely built on the orders of Rhys ap Gruffydd, Prince of Deheubarth, part of southwest Wales. The Castle was captured by English forces under the auspices of Edward I in 1277, although Welsh forces retook it in 1282. English forces recaptured it in 1283, and it was granted to English lord John Giffard. What we see today would be from this later period, built either by Giffard or his son, also named John.
Carreg Cennen is beyond the reach of Welsh public transport. Four trains a day in each direction call at Llandeilo, on the Heart of Wales line from Swansea to Shrewsbury. It’s four miles from there to the Castle, which is a mile beyond the village of Trap.
Where To Stay – Melin Tregib – B&B in a historic farmhouse in Ffairfach, a mile from Llandeilo and three miles from Carreg Cennen
See Also: 35 Best Castles In South Wales
Tretower Court and Castle
Tretower Court and Castle is one of the most intriguing historic sites in the Brecon Beacons, a rare two-in-one experience where one building superseded and replaced another.
The 12th or 13th century keep and outbuildings of Tretower Castle came first, built to guard the strategically important Usk Valley. It was probably in use for a relatively short period, likely between 50 to 100 years, before neighbouring Tretower Court was built. This is one of the best-preserved fortified manor houses in Britain, constructed in the early part of the 14th century. It may have held off an attack by the forces of Welsh Prince Owain Glyndwr in 1404, before a successful ambush by Welsh forces on those of the Earl of Warwick to the east, near Monmouth.
Tretower Court was given to Sir Roger Vaughan in 1450 by his brother, the Earl of Pembroke. He and his descendants modified and modernised the house, but it eventually fell into neglect and decay and was sold by the Vaughans in the 18thcentury.
I’ve visited the Court and Castle four times, and (perhaps it’s just a coincidence) but on three of those occasions there were some living history activities, which was great for engaging kids.
Getting there: Tretower is just off the A479 Talgarth road. Two buses a week stop near the Court and Castle run between Abergavenny and Llandrindod Wells, once each Tuesdays and Thursdays. So stick to driving for this one.
Maen Llia Standing Stone
Maen Llia – its name means ‘stone on the Llia river’ – stands alone on moorland off the Ystradfellte to Heol Senni minor road through Fforest Fawr. This is another of the empty quarters of Bannau Brycheiniog, where you pass the occasional hiker on a long-distance traverse of the Beacons, but where you often have the place to yourself.
We don’t know the purpose of Maen Llia. It’s believed to be up to 5,000 years old, and for many years the theory was that it was a waymarker stone (there is another, Maen Madoc, to the south, again just off the Ystradfellte road). However, it’s now believed that Maen Llia is connected with an earthwork, stones and a cairn, each between 60 and 300 metres away. The alignment between the four sites is precise, so Maen Llia may well have had some sort of religious significance. Hopefully further research will reveal more.
The Maen Llia layby is around 200 metres before another spot where you can pull over, with a superb view of the remote Senni Valley with the road continuing in hairpins from the elevated viewpoint down the mountain. Many locals aren’t aware of it. It’s one of the hidden gems of the Brecon Beacons.
Churches in the Brecon Beacons
St Issui ‘s Church, Partrishow
This remote church – dedicated to a local 6th-century hermit and martyr – is one of the most beautiful churches in Wales, and one of five that I’ve included in my Churches in the Black Mountains itinerary, a must for anyone with an interest in Welsh churches and history.
Partrishow isn’t even a hamlet, just a house or two, a holy well and this amazing church. The Well of St Issui is said to have contributed to miracle cures, so pilgrims began to make their way there. The church was founded in the 11th century, and much of what we see today dates from 300 years later.
St Issui may well have been buried in the west chapel, a rarity in churches in Wales, as is the ‘priest hole’ a tiny window giving a view from the chapel into the main body of the church.
The most striking feature inside Partrishow Church is the elaborately carved oak rood screen, dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. Very few of these screens – which separated the nave (the space where the congregation would sit) and the chancel (where the priest would officiate) survived the Reformation under Henry VIII, when most decoration in churches was destroyed.
There are also some remarkable murals, including one showing the Ten Commandments, and a Doom painting, depicting a skeleton holding a spade and scythe. A medieval worshipper at Partrishow didn’t need to read or write to understand the meaning of this, that everyone would ultimately succumb to this fate.
Llanthony Priory
Llanthony Priory is one of the most beautiful ruined churches in Europe, an Augustinian priory destroyed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries instigated by King Henry VIII. The monastery was founded in the 12th century, and the church rebuilt in the 14th century. The nave’s Gothic arches are the most prominent feature today.
They’re a magnificent sight, framing the fields and Hatterall Ridge behind. This hill marks the border between Wales and England, and the Offa’s Dyke National Trail runs along the summit ridge to Hay Bluff seven miles to the north.
The house built onto one of the west towers of the church is now the Llanthony Priory Hotel, which has seven rooms available. Bar meals are also available from Tuesdays to Sundays during the summer months.
See Also: Best Places To Visit In The Welsh Borders
Brecon Cathedral
It’s one of the less-known cathedrals in Wales, but Brecon Cathedral is well worth a visit. The church was founded by a Norman knight in 1093, and rebuilt in the Early English Gothic style in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Brecon is home to the South Wales Borderers Regiment (and indeed their Museum) and the Chapel dedicated to them. – also known as the Havard Chapel – has memorials to soldiers and regimental flags, including one from the Battle of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu War.
Where To Stay – The Castle of Brecon Hotel – The Coaching Inn Group – lovely Georgian building built onto the town’s medieval castle, luxury rooms and excellent restaurant.
Family Attractions
Two of the best family attractions in Brecon Beacons are, by chance, within a mile of each other, near the hamlet of Glyntawe.
Dan-yr-Ogof Caves – also known as the National Showcaves Centre for Wales
Dan yr Ogof (the name means ‘under the cave’) is one of the best things to do in South Wales for kids, and had changed greatly from my visits as a schoolkid grateful to get underground to avoid the seemingly never-ending rain.
The Showcaves are the only attraction of their kind in Wales, and there are three caves on the itinerary – Dan-yr-Ogof, Cathedral Cave and Bone Cave. The latter was the burial site of 42 souls from the Bronze Age, over 3,000 years ago. The Cathedral Cave is the largest and most impressive of the three, while Dan-yr-Ogof has the most unusual rock formations, including the self-explanatory ‘Rasher of Bacon’!
The Caves aren’t likely to detain you long, but the other attractions will keep you on site for a good few hours. There’s a dinosaur park, a Victorian farm, a shire horse centre, indoor and outdoor playgrounds and a reconstructed Iron Age village.
And all this costs £22.70 for adults, and £17.95 per child aged 3 to 16. You need to book online here.
Where To Stay – The Ancient Briton – fantastic traditional inn serving excellent food
Craig-y-Nos Country Park
Craig-y-Nos – ‘the rock of the night’ – is a 40-acre Victorian landscaped park around the 19th-century Castle of the same name, once the home of world-famous soprano Adelina Patti. The Madrid-born singer – once described by composer Giuseppe Verdi as perhaps the finest singer who ever lived – lived in this vast historicist Castle from 1878 until her death in 1919.
The Country Park – open daily except Christmas Day – is a good option for visitors with limited mobility, as most of the paths are fairly gentle. They take in some of the woodland and ponds, and are also a good place to wander with the kids for a while. The tearooms are also open daily.
Towns And Villages
Hay-on-Wye
There are more things to do in Hay-on-Wye than browse bookshops, but this will always be many people’s main reason for visiting this quirky border town.
To those unfamiliar with its story, local entrepreneur Richard Booth decided that Hay needed to stand out rather than fade into obscurity as just another small country town. So he imported tens of thousands of books nobody wanted from libraries in the US, and started selling them. Fifty-odd shops later, Hay was proclaimed the second-hand bookshop capital of the world, and became home to one of the foremost literary festivals on the planet.
It’s the most famous of booktowns in Europe, and even though the number of shops has fallen to around twenty, it’s still going strong, as is the Hay Literary Festival. On the back of its booktown fame Hay has become a great place to eat and stay, and is one of the best bases for exploring the Bannau Brycheiniog, particularly the Black Mountains. It’s also a short drive from there to one of the loveliest and least-explored counties in England, Herefordshire.
As well as visiting some of the bookshops (Booth’s Bookshop, with a café at the back, is an excellent first port of call), I suggest visiting the recently reopened Hay Castle, which is now an arts and cultural centre. You’ll still see some of the open-air honesty bookshops around its grounds, one of the most familiar sights in Hay.
Where To Stay – Seven Stars – superb guesthouse in the centre of Hay in a 16th-century house, some rooms with wooden-beamed ceilings and walls
Crickhowell
Crickhowell has always had a special charm and been one of the best bases for exploring the Brecon Beacons. It’s one of the most picturesque Brecon Beacons towns, with a few sights to keep you close by, and much of the National Park within easy reach.
The place to start in Crickhowell is across the River Usk to the south, from where you can enjoy the view of the town with its landmark 17th-century stone bridge, and the sloping hilltop of Crug Hywel (Table Mountain, an Iron Age fort) above it.
There are a few things to see in the town, including its Castle, of which part of a tower remains. It was founded in the 12thcentury, but most of the building was undertaken at the behest of the marvellously named Sir Grimbold Pauncefote from 1242 onwards. Some of his descendants are buried in the medieval Gothic St Edmund’s Church a short walk away.
Crickhowell is popular with shoppers who prefer to avoid the high street chains and cheap disposable tat available online. It has had a long tradition of independent shops, and also supporting new artists, particularly at Oriel CriC Gallery.
There are also a few wonderful places to stay. I’ve already mentioned The Bear elsewhere in the article, and I have it on good authority that the Dragon Inn is also a great place to stay. I can comment on the food there, which is excellent.
Brecon
Brecon – Aberhonddu in Welsh – gives its name to the English version of the National Park. And it’s derived from the Welsh Brycheiniog, which in turn was anglicised to Brecknock. The peak of Pen y Fan glowers over the agricultural market town, and the mountains are its main draw, but there’s enough in the town to keep you busy for at least a few hours, maybe a full day or two depending on your interests.
Apart from hilltop Brecon Cathedral, the town has some of the finest Georgian houses in Wales, especially in and around St Mary’s Church and the Bulwark. The Royal Welsh Regimental is a must for anyone with an interest in British military history. And the town is the terminus – or starting point – of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
You can hire boats or go on narrowboat trips along the canal, and within an hour of the town the Canal passes through some extraordinary scenery below Pen y Fan and Cribyn.
Llandovery
Llandovery – Llanymddyfri in Welsh – is just outside the National Park, but I’ve included it here as it’s an excellent base for exploring both Bannau Brycheiniog and the Cambrian Mountains. It’s on the doorstep of both, and the fact that it’s a cosy, colourful market town full of Georgian houses adds to its appeal even more.
There are a few things to see in Llandovery, and for me its Georgian architecture and streets is its biggest asset. Llandovery is close to drives like the Abergwesyn Pass (from Llanwrtyd Wells to Tregaron), and it’s only a short drive from there to the Cardigan Bay coast (Aberaeron and New Quay are the closest seaside towns), and coming back to such a picturesque town is a great end to the day.
While there, don’t miss the small Castle and the stainless-steel statue of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last native Prince of Wales, who was killed in nearby Cilmeri in 1282.
Where To Stay – The New White Lion – superb luxury B&B in the heart of the historic town centre
Best Pubs in the Brecon Beacons
The Skirrid Inn , Llanfihangel Crucorney
The Skirrid Inn claims to be the oldest pub in Wales, supposedly dating back 900 years. The current building only dates from the 17th century, and it has been suggested that it replaced an earlier hostelry on the site.
The pub looks out towards the mountain of the same name (Ysgyryd Fawr in Welsh) and is very close to the beginning of the road up the Llanthony Valley towards Hay-on-Wye. They serve all the usual pub classics – fish and chips, lasagne, chicken tikka and so on. I’ve stopped there numerous times for lunch while working in the area, and the food has always been very good.
The Skirrid Inn’s other claim to fame is that it is said to be haunted. A dressed-up skeleton figure near the front doorway offers a reminder of this. One of the rooms in the pub was used as a courtroom where numerous people were sentenced to death – usually for petty offences like stealing livestock. And it’s also claimed that the death sentences – by hanging – were also carried out in the building.
I’ve seen one haunted house that really WAS haunted, and there would no doubt be many restless souls from those times, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if these haunting tales are true.
Felin Fach Griffin
This is perhaps the best pub in the Brecon Beacons for food. The restaurant interior is very relaxed, with big sofas where you sit until you’re called to your table, and a cosy log fire in the colder seasons.
I’ve eaten there twice and the food is sensational. I had crab risotto followed by hake first time, then artichoke tart followed by beetroot risotto second time. It’s among my top ten places to eat in Wales, not just for the food, but also the restaurant layout, ambience and excellent service.
I haven’t stayed there, but know a few people who have who heartily recommend it.
Staying – you can book rooms at the Felin Fach Griffin here
Tafarn y Garreg
Tafarn y Garreg – the Tavern of the Rock (or Stone) is one of my favourite pubs in Wales, and has been since before I was old enough to order a drink legally at the bar.
It’s on the A4067 road at Glyntawe, two miles north of Dan-yr-Ogof Caves, on the edge of Fforest Fawr and the Black Mountain, quite a way off the beaten track for most visitors, on a road mostly used by visitors from Swansea and southwest Wales.
This was always the ultimate time warp pub, with two dining rooms (one with a large TV) at the front, and a small back room with room for, perhaps, ten to twenty people, where the locals would congregate.
I took many friends there, partly because they wouldn’t believe that somewhere like this still existed. I also took Faye there on our first weekend away together a fair few moons ago now. It closed a few years ago, which devastated me, but I’m delighted to say that it is open again. They serve a few pub classics including steaks and burgers, as well as some vegetarian options.
They are closed Mondays, open Tuesday to Thursday evenings, and serve lunch and dinner Fridays to Sundays. They also have a campsite across the road, and the pub is a great place to end the day after the Carmarthen Fans walk described near the beginning of the article.
Things To Do In The Brecon Beacons – Final Thoughts
I hope that this article has given you some inspiration and also helped you plan a visit to the Brecon Beacons soon.
I’ve written many more articles on Wales, and here are a few more for you to peruse:
33 Best Day Trips from Cardiff
20 Best Things To Do In The South Wales Valleys
One Day In Cardiff – 24 Hours In The Capital of Wales
Gower Beaches – Rhossili, Three Cliffs and some hidden Gower treasures
35 Best Castles in South Wales
Cambrian Mountains – 28 Wonderful Places To Visit
20 Best Places To Visit in the Welsh Borders
25 Best Things To Do In Snowdonia
Best Places To Visit in North Wales – Snowdonia, Anglesey, the Llŷn Peninsula and more
More Beautiful Places to Visit in Wales
Best Seaside Towns In Wales – Llandudno, Tenby, Barmouth and many more
Landscapes in Wales – Breathtaking landscapes in Wales you must see
Rivers in Wales – Some of the most beautiful scenery in Wales
Lakes in Wales – Where you find some of the best views in Wales
Landmarks in Wales – famous places in Wales to Explore
Wales Bucket List – 40 Fantastic Places In Wales You Should Not Miss