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Welsh destination makes list of best places on the planet to visit this winter

26 Dec 2024 3 minute read
Sunrise on Yr Wyddfa (Credit: Amanda Kemp)

One of the world’s most prestigious travel guides has chosen one of the most beautiful parts of Wales in its list of ‘incredible places’ to visit this winter.

Lonely Planet cast its eye over Wales and was surely spoilt for choice when it came to choosing an ‘incredible place’ given there are so many spectacular Welsh settings.

The travel guide eventually chose one of the most beautiful and beguiling of these locations – Eyri National Park.

Described by many as the jewel in the crown of the Welsh landscape, Lonely Planet wrote of Eryri:

‘Eryri is a varied national park in northern Wales consisting of a dramatic assemblage of mountains, glittering coastline, lakes, ancient woodland and roaring waterfalls, that could well be covered in the white stuff in the winter. But the weather doesn’t need to stop thrill seekers who take the proper precautions.

‘Some companies specialise in winter walking, and will teach you skills such as basic mountain safety, navigation and using crampons before leading you out on crisp, crowd-less hikes. And Eryri’s dam-controlled National White Water Centre is open to rafters year-round (wetsuits compulsory). This area used to be a mining hot spot; now, such abandoned industrial sites are providing opportunities for subterranean exploration, including abseiling, zip-lining, boating, climbing and trampolining underground.’

The Lonely Planet List
1. Cappadocia, Turkey
2. Fuerteventura, Canary Islands
3. Eryri, Wales
4. Bilbao, Spain
5. Madeira, Portugal
6. Côte d’Azur, France
7. Bavarian Alps, Germany
8. Santorini, Greece
9. The Alentejo, Portugal
10. Lyon, France
11. Cinque Terre, Italy
12. Budapest, Hungary
13. Lapland, Finland

All the times Eryri astounded…

Sunrise on Yr Wyddfa (Credit: Amanda Kemp)
Sunrise on Yr Wyddfa (Credit: Amanda Kemp)
Sunrise on Yr Wyddfa (Credit: Amanda Kemp)
Sunrise on Yr Wyddfa (Credit: Amanda Kemp)
The rare cloud inversion known as the Dragon’s Breath on the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Credit: Dylan Hughes)
Eryri in north Wales
Aerial image of Plas Tan y Bwlch. Photo by Llywelyn2000 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Eryri in north Wales
Yr Wyddfa. Photo by Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Safety and enhancement work has taken place at a lake in Eryri. Image: NRW
Ffos Noddum. Photo Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Llyn Padarn, Gwynedd. Image: Hefin Owen
Aberdyfi” by Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri – Snowdonia National Park is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Beddgelert Station (Eryri – Snowdonia – Park Authority Planning Document)
Eryri National Park.Photo by Llywelyn2000 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Picture by the Welsh Government
Picture by the Welsh Government
Eryri, Gwynedd
Llyn Ogwen Eryri. Image: Neil Thomas. Unsplash

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J Jones
J Jones
1 month ago

Great article with superb photo’s, diolch.

Lonely planet used to be the essential travel guide for backpacking, especially before the internet took over at the turn of the millennium.

Social media has changed people and places since then, definitely for the worst as with politics and world peace. We’re fortunate to have our own amazing natural country that so many don’t appreciate.

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