Aber Falls (Rhaeadr Fawr in Welsh) was the primary hike we did as a household of 5 and it was one of the simplest ways to start!
What’s to not love a couple of magical forestry stroll resulting in an unimaginable waterfall with rock swimming pools on the backside to dip your ft in!? It was good for our younger household and I extremely advocate it in the event you’re in North Wales.
1. Where is Aber Falls?
Aber Falls is in Gwynedd in North Wales. It’s simply off the A55 at junction 13 and it’s very straightforward to search out and get to.
Use the deal with: Abergwyngregyn, Llanfairfechan LL33 0LP
to search out Aber Falls automotive park with Google Maps or your sat nav. It is signposted once you get shut so it’s exhausting to overlook.
2. How excessive is Aber Falls Waterfall?
The waterfall is 37 metres excessive and plunges right into a pool that’s good for courageous swimmers!
At the underside of the falls there are many shallow, rocky swimming pools which can be nice for teenagers to clamber over and climb.
3. Is it appropriate for youngsters?
Lots of issues I learn on-line concerning the Aber Falls footpath means that the hike could be very troublesome and that you must be an skilled hiker to do it. This is totally not true.
We did the Aber Falls stroll with a double pushchair!
My six yr outdated son managed it with no issues. My 4 yr outdated did ¾ of the stroll however bought drained on the best way again to the automotive so he jumped within the pushchair on the finish. And my 18 month outdated even walked some sections of it. It actually isn’t troublesome. I’m not saying it’s a stroll within the park however you don’t have to be an skilled hiker!
And that’s why it’s such an ideal hike for a younger household or teams with inexperienced walkers, mobility points and totally different health ranges.
The pushchair now we have is an off-road buggy. It’s the Mountain Buggy Duet so it’s good for all-terrain and you’d wrestle with a wheelchair or a daily pram however we did see loads of households with regular umbrella strollers!
4. The Aber Falls path
The Aber Falls footpath is gorgeous so this stroll isn’t all concerning the waterfall! There are plenty of native crops alongside the footpath and a great deal of wildlife and issues to cease and take a look at. There are even archaeological stays thought to this point again over 2,000 years!
The path is nicely signposted and simple to observe. You actually couldn’t get misplaced.
The path doesn’t run alongside the river like many waterfall walks do. You’ll stroll by way of the bushes and fields so that you nearly lose your bearings and really feel uncertain as to when the waterfall will seem.
How lengthy does the stroll take?
The stroll to the waterfall would take lower than half-hour for a match grownup.
As we had been with younger kids it took about an hour every manner and that included plenty of stops and snack breaks!
There are two automotive parks however they’re shut collectively so don’t fear about which one you find yourself parking in.
The path is stoned all the best way so it’s straightforward to stroll alongside nevertheless it does have a gentle incline on the best way to the waterfall. I wouldn’t say that you must be notably match, it’s possible you’ll simply must go gradual! Thankfully, the stroll again is a gradual downhill so it’s a lot simpler.
We pushed our pushchair for 90% of the best way till we got here to some steps on the finish. We then left the pushchair on the facet of the trail and carried our little woman. I’m not going to lie, components of the stroll had been a little bit of a tough slog with the pushchair however we managed it collectively and it was so price it to have on the best way again with a straightforward push downhill with two drained children!
5. Aber Falls automotive park
Aber Falls has two small automotive parks and may accommodate round 30 automobiles. There is an higher automotive park and a decrease automotive park. It’s typically very busy so it’s unlikely you’ll have a lot alternative about which automotive park you find yourself in!
It prices £5 and must be paid in money so be sure to’ve bought 5 x £1 cash!
This is a well-liked stroll so I extremely advocate arriving at round 9am to make sure you get a parking area.
We visited on a stunning Saturday in June. We arrived at 10am and bought one of many final parking areas within the automotive park.
If there isn’t a area within the automotive park then there’s a carpark on the entrance to the village and it’s an additional 30 minute stroll.
When driving into the Aber Falls automotive park you’ll go alongside a single monitor street by way of Abergwyngregyn. We’ve heard that on busy days the street can change into congested and it’s troublesome to get by way of the village. We didn’t have any issues throughout our go to however be sure to get there early simply in case!
6. Is it busy?
Yes, it’s busy. It wasn’t busy sufficient to spoil it for us however I wouldn’t go right here in the event you’re anticipating solitude.
7. What’s the Aber Falls Circular Route?
There is one other stroll you are able to do referred to as the Circular Route. It’s a 4 mile stroll and takes about 3 hours. We didn’t do it however you will discover extra information right here. This stroll offers you views throughout to Anglesey on the best way again. Hopefully I’ll be updating this submit when my children are a bit older and we’re in a position to do that one too!
8. What must you put on to stroll to Aber Falls?
I wouldn’t say you want any specialist gear however that is Wales so it’s all the time finest to be ready for rain! I wouldn’t put on flip flops and positively wouldn’t put on heels and I additionally wouldn’t put on denims if there’s an opportunity of rain. But apart from that you just’d be OK in most clothes!
Disclaimer: These photographs had been all taken for a marketing campaign I used to be engaged on with Keen Footwear, which is why we’re all carrying Keen sandals. They had been completely good for this stroll and all of us cherished them. It’s practically a yr later and we’re nonetheless all carrying them.
I like to recommend carrying/packing:
- Comfortable, grippy footwear
- Possibly strolling sandals if it’s a sizzling day and also you may paddle within the river
- Comfy activewear (however realistically you can put on something)
- A packable waterproof jacket
- Packable waterproof trousers if it appears to be like prefer it may rain
- A small backpack for drinks and snacks
- Caps for sunny days and hats for chilly days
- A flask of tea or espresso (I often depart this within the automotive for after the stroll)
- A towel in the event you plan to paddle or swim
- Swimsuit in the event you plan to go proper in!
- Camera
9. Aber Falls Whiskey Distillery
The Aber Falls Whiskey Distillery is close by and you can also make this a full time out by tagging on a distillery tour! You also can do a gin lab expertise to make your personal gin.
There can also be a customer centre and a riverside bistro which appears to be like beautiful!
10. Tips for visiting Aber Falls
- Get there early – earlier than 9am if it’s a pleasant weekend
- Take 5 x £1 cash for the automotive park
- If it’s busy remember you’ll must park within the free automotive park within the village (30 minute stroll to the beginning of the path)
- Take a picnic
- Consider visiting the Aber Falls Whiskey Distillery and bistro afterwards
- It is appropriate for off-road prams
- If you don’t have an off-road pram, a child service can be higher
Read extra:
25 issues to do in North Wales
1 week itinerary to see the perfect of North Wales
The finest locations to camp in North Wales
Visiting Portmeirion, the Italian fashion village in North Wales
Visiting Gwyrch Castle (the one from I’m a Celeb!)
See extra photographs
