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Wales - the Brecon Beacons and Wye Valley

Location

This area of Wales is about two and a half hours drive due west from London Heathrow airport and less than an hour north from Cardiff. Immediately to the north east is the Welsh Marches area of Shropshire and Herefordshire with the Cotswolds just an hour's drive to the east.

A countryside of natural scenic beauty

The distinctive, peaks of the Brecon Beacons are the focal point for a magnificent National Park which fills the southern reaches of Mid Wales, covering hundreds of square miles and climbing almost to 3,000 feet. A succession of smooth, open mountain ranges rise and dip across the landscape like a giant roller-coaster ride, from the borderland Black Mountains through the central Beacons and across the moors of Fforest Fawr. Whilst along the Beacons' southern rim there's 'waterfall country', a craggy landscape of wooded gorges and cascading rivers.

The pretty towns of Crickhowell and Brecon are ideally situated for exploring the Beacons and Black Mountains. One of the best-known places to stay is Hay-on-Wye, the internationally famous 'town of books'. Hay is well located not only for the National Park but also for Mid Wales' beguiling border country.

The borderlands, a mixture of rich farmland, rounded hills, hidden valleys and sleepy villages, have a timeless quality.

Further west, undulating hills rise into the 'Wild Wales' of moor and mountain. Mynydd Epynt, the 'Mountain of the Wild Ponies', and the spectacular Elan Valley lakes lie along the flank of the Cambrian Mountains, the sturdy 'backbone' of Wales. These remote areas are a haven for wildlife and the haunt of the Red Kite, the rare bird of prey that has flourished here and become a symbol for the hills of central Wales.

The quartet of interesting old spa towns - Llandrindod Wells, Llanwrtyd Wells, Builth Wells and Llangammarch Wells - and places like Rhayader and Lyswen, are other good centres for exploring the area.

Rivers have helped shape the landscape of the area, creating beautiful valleys as they flow from their headwaters in the mountains. Two of Wales' classic rivers - the Wye and Usk - originate in this region. The source of the Wye is in the Cambrian Mountains and from here the river flows southwards through Rhayader, Builth Wells and Hay in a stunning valley, wild at first but maturing into rich farmland along the way. The Usk begins life in the moors of the western Brecon Beacons, then creates a major landscape feature in the National Park by carving a spectacular valley through the mountains on its course from Brecon to Crickhowell.

In the south of the area, the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal weaves a wooded course along the shoulder of the Usk Valley from Brecon to Crickhowell and beyond, flanked throughout by the Brecon Beacons and Black Mountains. It's easily the most restful way of exploring the National Park.

Good food and hospitality

One of the pleasures of any holiday is good food. The menu in Mid Wales satisfies all tastes - you'll find everything from traditional, good-value meals at country inns to memorable dining experiences at accomplished restaurants and hotels serving some of the finest cuisine in Britain.

The award-winning restaurants of Mid Wales' are often part of a Country House Hotel, serving fine food in elegant surroundings. Mid Wales' historic coaching inns and friendly pubs are becoming as well known for their food as their beer. Imaginative menus with a good vegetarian choice are easy to find throughout the region. For something a little more informal there are bistros, caf's and tea rooms where welshcakes and bara brith, a kind of fruit loaf, are a delicious tea-time treat.

Activities

You can get to grips with Mid Wales' great outdoors in so many ways. Walkers have the choice of everything from gentle riverside trails to mountain hikes. Anglers can cast a fly for Salmon, Trout and Grayling on the excellent River Usk and River Wye and the region is also popular for its sailing, canoeing and canal cruising. Golfers have the pick of friendly 9- and 18- hole courses, most of which come with the bonus of spectacular views. Pony trekkers head for the hills throughout the region. And there are all kinds of other pursuits on offer, including caving and cycling, quad biking and rally driving, climbing and mountain biking.

Walking - There's no doubt about it - Mid Wales and walkers were made for each other. There's walking for every level here, from easy-to-follow woodland paths to challenging long-distance routes across the 'Roof of Wales'. The Brecon Beacons National Park is a favourite amongst outdoor enthusiasts for the rare sense of freedom that comes from being amongst its open mountainsides and big skies. Slightly further to the north the Wye valley and the green heart of Wales offer a varied terrain for walkers, as undulating border country rises into wild mountains and steep-sided river valleys. Walkers can also follow long-distance routes such as the Offa's Dyke Path and Wye Valley Walk.

Surrounding highlights

Within an hours drive are many superb countryside areas such as the Cambrian Mountains, the coastline of Cardigan Bay, the Welsh Marches and the Cotswolds as are the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Hereford. A little further away is the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast National Park at the south western extremity of Wales.

When to visit

The countryside of this area of mid Wales changes character with the seasons, inviting exploration 365 days of the year. In spring and early summer you can escape to fresh, green landscapes and feast your eyes on dazzling displays of bluebells in the woods. High summer is the time to enjoy the airy views from the high country that fills much of central Wales - the panorama from Pen-y-fan, the summit of the Brecon Beacons, seems to go on forever. Autumn invites brisk activity - a walk, perhaps, or cycle ride. And at the end of the year, crisp days in the countryside followed by cosy nights at an old country inn are the perfect antidote to winter gloom. The distinctive, flat-topped summits of the Beacons are equally impressive in their summer greenery and their mantle of winter snow.

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