Best walks to banish the Winter Blues: Brecon Beacons, Cambrian Mountains & Carmarthenshire Coast Path

cambrianescapes • 24 January 2020

If like us you feel lethargic and uninspired during January, reboot your barometer from low to high with some classic Welsh winter walks to restore your mojo.

Talybont (Blaen Y Glyn) waterfalls... and beyond, Brecon Beacons National Park

This is a beautiful waterfall walk up a valley next to the river. The waterfalls get progressively larger the further up the valley you walk. You can do a number of different loops.

The shortest is up beside the stream and then there’s a bridge you can cross below the largest waterfall. If you keep walking on passed the largest waterfall you’ll eventually arrive in the plateau below Craig Y Fan Ddu and Cwar Y Gigfran which is pretty awesome and will definitely get your mountain endorphins going. You can do a quick hop over the stream and walk all the way back down through the woods.

Highlights: loads of crystal clear waterfalls, forest tracks and, if you go to the top, amazing views of the ridges of Craig Y Fan Ddu and Cwar Y Gigfran

Time: From 30 minutes up to the largest waterfall and up to 2 hours or more if you continue on up the valley and loop back through the woods.

Postcode CF48 2UT

Grid Ref SO 0631 1704

Route

Also available on Komoot if you follow Cambrian Escapes

Llyn y Fan Fawr is a go to blues buster, soul filler and general brilliant walk all year. But in winter if you pick a day when the valleys are full of mist, the water glows, when the peaks above are crusty with icing sugar, it packs an extra special punch.

Highlights: Great views to Corn Du & Pen y Fan. Quieter than Llyn y Fan Fach.

Time:You can walk straight up in about 45 minutes, but there are also lots of loop options to Fan Brycheiniog and also right on round for a all dayish yomp including llyn y Fan Fach.

Park at SN85622 22295.

You can't beat Pen y Fan on a frosty day. We like to park at Cwm Gwdi car park. We recommend getting there early - say before 10, to make sure you can park. But if you really want a great walk, go super early and enjoy the morning mists as you walk up. Great views all the way down to Hay Bluff as you walk up and then over to Cribyn too. You can either go straight up and down, or take in a longer loop to include Llyn Cwm Llwch - a great place for a dip.

Highlights: great views and a sense of achievement

Time: Up to 4 hours straight up and down or around 5 ish to do the loop including the lake.

Grid ref: SO024249

Allt Rhyd Y Groes, Upper Tywi Valley, Cambrian Mountains

A National Nature Reserve of ancient sessile Atlantic oak woodland, which clings to the steep hillsides. It forms part of the Mynydd Mallaen and Cwm Doethie SSSI and SAC. NB this was badly damaged in Storm Darragh 2024 and is impassable in places.

The wet, humid climate here is perfect for the trees and the mosses, ferns, liverwort and lichens that populate them. This habitat is now dubbed Welsh temperate rainforest.

Time: Around 1.5 to two hours for the full explore, if you head up to the top of the woodlands. But you can just to stay on the flat path in the lower woods that takes around 35 mins to walk to the end. .

Highlights: mossy trees, liverwort, ferns, amazing views of the geologically stunning Doethie Valley & Cambrian Mountains. Crystal clear mountain streams

Grid Reference SN758484

Postcode SA20 0XX

Route on Komoot – Cambrian Escapes

View from Cockpit hill to Pen y Fan and Llangorse lake

Mynydd Llangors is a new favourite. With spellbinding views across Llangorse Lake to Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Ddu to the west, Mynydd Troed to the east and right down to Crickhowell and beyond, it's a 360 degree winner.

Highlights: endless route options, up down, along and just milling along to the trig point at the end. 360 views

Time: A short loop along the top and back along the bottom of Cockit hill is 4.5 miles and about 2 hours. Bliss.

Park:Limited parking on the common, but there are more options heading down on the Cwm Ddu side. SO 16088 28333

Brecon & Monmouth Canal @ Llangynidr, Brecon Beacons National Park

Reflecting and reflections are the name of the game. Gentle lapping of water, beautiful tree lined paths, beautiful arched stone bridges and the occasional diesel fuelled gridlock at lock gates.

Head to the Coach & Horses at Llangynidr and you can amble along the canal in either direction, taking in the aqueduct and the longest tunnel on the way to Talybont.

You can do a variety of walking options to extend the walk, including climbing Tor Y Foel, which has amazing views over Talybont Reservoir and the Usk Valley.

Postcode: NPA 1LS will get you to the Coach & Horses Inn where you can park

Time: 5 minutes to get to the aqueduct and then as much or as little as you like.

Highlights: Reflections, flat walking, lovely trees, bridges and a chilled vibe (apart from gridlock!)

Route

Pendine to Morfa Bychan and Marros, Carmarthenshire Coastal Path

If the sun is out you’ll get double the buzz with all the light reflecting from the sea. There’s a very steep climb up out of Pendine but the views make it totally worth it. You can see all the way to the Gower and from the cliff top, on the other side, you’ll see the National Trust cove of Morfa Bychan below - a tiny cove with enormous round pebbles, hidden in a glen.

If you’re feeling super energised carry on back up the cliff on the other side of Morfa Bychan and head on towards sandy Marros. Views down the Pembrokeshire coast.

Highlights: Incredible views over Pendine’s 6 mile stretch of sand. Beautiful views of Morfa Bychan bay and the Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire coast. Sea, sea and more sparkly sea.

Time: At least an hour to walk to and from Morfa Bychan depending on your fitness and time spent admiring the view.

Parking is at Pendine on the seafront where the new Pendine Museum of Speed is now open.

Postcode SA33 4NY

Grid reference SN 2387 0783

Mynydd Illtyd, Brecon Beacons National Park

A popular and busy common in the Brecon Beacons. Panoramic views of Pen Y Fan and Cribyn, plus views over Brecon and an optional hillock (by Brecon Beacons standard) to wander up if you don’t just want a flat amble around the common.

There’s the added bonus of being able to have a cup of tea at the mountain centre afterwards.

Highlights: super views of the Beacons; flat walking (small hill if you need one!) Have a cup of tea at the Mountain Centre afterwards

Time: Leisurely. As little or as long as you like.

Grid Reference SN978263

Postcode LD3 8ER

Route

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