Things to do
Discover amazing things to do in and around Brithdir, Dolgellau, Gwynedd and Wales.
LOCATION AND THINGS TO DO
Snowdonia National Park is a spectacular area of mountains, beaches, forests, and lakes and attracts visitors throughout the year with its various attractions. The region is a haven for walkers, with both Cadair Idris and the more isolated Rhinog mountains offering a good base for walks up to the summits. Unlike 15 other peaks in Wales, Cadair Idris doesn’t make the 3,000 ft mark but comes a close second to Snowdon in popularity. Cross Foxes sits in the shadow of Cadair Idris and offers an excellent base to explore mountain walking.
TOP THINGS TO SEE NEARBY
Nestled at the foot of Cadair Idris Mountain – at 893m this is one of the iconic Welsh Mountains that forms part of the Welsh 3 Peak Challenge. With breath taking views, grandeur and rugged beauty, few locations can equal Cadair Idris www.cadairidriswales.com
4 Miles from the historic market town of Dolgellau, South Snowdonia dolgellau.wales
4 Miles from the spectacular Mawddach Trail – as featured in Julia Bradbury’s Railway walks – www.mawddachtrail.co.uk/mawddach-trail
15 minutes drive to Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre – home to an ever-increasing network of fantastic hand built all-weather mountain biking and walking trails – Coed y Brenin Visitor Centre
40 minutes drive to Zip World, embark on the thrill of a lifetime with exhilarating experiences. Caverns, Treetops, Bounce Below, Sky-ride and more – www.zipworld.co.uk
20 Minutes drive to the coast – Barmouth, Tywyn, Aberdyfi
Located in the heart of Mach Loop flight path – a series of valleys notable for their use as low-level training areas for fast jet air-crafts, making it ideal for low level photography – machloop.co.uk
1 hour’s drive to Snowdon Mountain – Snowdon Walking Routes
30 Minutes drive to Steam Trains: Welsh Highland, Ffestiniog and Tal-y-Llyn Railway – festrail.co.uk
30 Minutes drive to Bala – great place for watersports – Canoeing and Rafting – visitbala.org
10 Minutes drive to Corris Craft Centre, King Arthur’s Labyrinth & Dyfi Gin Distillery – www.corriscraftcentre.co.uk
Connecting Dolgellau and Barmouth is the beautiful Mawddach estuary, which has a 15km walking trail leading through the estuary’s stunning surroundings and is excellent for bird watching, boating and fishing. visitwales.com/things-to-do/activities/fishing
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
MOUNTAIN BIKING
As well as walking, mountain biking is extremely popular in Dolgellau. Just north of the town is Coed y Brenin forest, which is one of the top mountain biking venues in Wales, with over 100km of tracks through the forest’s river valleys and hills.
GOLF
The area also appeals to golf enthusiasts. 30 minutes drive from the Cross Foxes is the Aberdovey golf course, which boasts an international championship 18 hole golf course. A further 40-minute drive north takes you to the Royal St David’s Golf Club, Harlech, which is a nationally and internationally renowned golf course and is the home of one of the finest traditional championship links courses in the world. It has been established for over 100 years and is steeped in history. It is set in the most beautiful and scenic part of Wales and has frequently hosted and continues to host world-class amateur and professional events. More local golf courses to the Cross Foxes also include Dolgellau and Machynlleth.
ADVENTURES
Watersports
The Cross Foxes is a 30-minute drive to Bala town which is a great place for water sports. The area has won worldwide acclaim as a centre for water sports, especially canoeing and rafting. Many visitors like to challenge the white water on the river Tryweryn or enjoy sailing or windsurfing on Llyn Tegid. The town also has a range of interesting shops, inns, restaurants and a historical Town Walk.
Zip World and Bounce
A 40-minute drive from the Cross Foxes is the World Famous Zip World, offering an experience of a lifetime. Riders can exceed 100mph, 500ft high and enjoy the nearest thing to flying. You can also enjoy the ‘Bounce Below’ adventure which is the World’s first subterranean playground of its kind. The surreal experience is set within a historic disused slate cavern, installed with massive bouncy nets to jump around in.
FAMILY DAYS OUT
Corris Mine Explorers
A 10-minute drive from Cross Foxes takes you to Corris, where you can explore an abandoned Welsh Slate Mine with one of Wales’ most experienced Mine Explorers. A unique experience.
Corris Craft Centre
A short drive from Cross Foxes, you can experience 9 craft studios and the new local Dyfi Gin Distillery.
King Arthur’s Labyrinth
Found deep beneath the mountains of Southern Snowdonia, this mysterious attraction is one of the best days out and right on the border of mid Wales and north Wales. Join a mysterious hooded boatman and sail by underground boat through a magical waterfall – your gateway to the Dark Ages and a time of myth, magic, dragons, giants and King Arthur.