Top 10 Nature and Wildlife Spots
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Craig Cerrig-Gleisiad and Fan Frynych National Nature Reserve
Located southwest of Brecon, this wild mountain area is a haven for peregrine falcons, ring ouzels, ravens, and butterflies. Discover its rugged landscape and diverse wildlife.
Craig-y-Cilau National Nature Reserve
Near Crickhowell, this limestone escarpment is home to lesser horseshoe bats, rare plants like mossy saxifrage and striking birds.
Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve
The beechwoods near Brynmawr host nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrowhawks, tawny owls, and bats. Explore this woodland retreat.
Coed-y-Cerrig National Nature Reserve
North of Abergavenny, this mixed deciduous woodland features mature oak and hazel coppice, wildflowers, fungi, and a vibrant bird population.
Llangorse Lake
Visit the bird hide at Llangasty on the lake’s southwest shore and enjoy nearby wildflower meadows buzzing with summer butterflies.
Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
This historic waterway serves as a wildlife corridor for ducks, kingfishers, water voles, dragonflies, and bats.
Talgarth
Explore Talgarth’s nearby woods, early in the year they are filled with spring bluebells and wild garlic. Don’t miss the Pwll-yr-Wrach Reserve and Park Wood.
Talybont Reservoir
A sanctuary for wintering and migrant birds, with a bird hide at its southern end overlooking a seasonal wetland.
Waterfalls Country
Marvel at the mosses, liverworts, and fungi in this richly biodiverse woodland in the park’s southern region.
Red Kite Feeding Station
At Llanddeusant, watch over 50 red kites and buzzards perform spectacular aerial displays daily.
Explore our landscapes
10 Ideas for Family Fun
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park is the ultimate playground for families, offering activities that are exciting, educational, and often free. Whether your family loves adventure, nature, or a bit of quiet exploration, here are 10 ways to make the most of your time together.
Be a Castle Explorer
Let adventurers roam the ruins of one of the many historic castles in the park. These dramatic sites are perfect for kids to explore and imagine themselves as royalty or knights defending the realm.
Try Paddleboarding or other water based activities
Introduce your family to stand-up paddleboarding at a local lake or reservoir. It’s a beginner-friendly activity that can be as relaxing or adventurous as you want, perfect for a day on the water.
Find out about farming with our animal walking or adventure farms.
Discover the joys of farming with hands-on experiences at our adventure farms or by taking a walk with friendly animals like alpacas, donkeys, sheep or even piggies. These family-friendly outings let kids and adults alike learn about farm life, meet animals, and enjoy outdoor fun in our beautiful rural areas in a beautiful setting. It’s a perfect way to connect with nature and create lasting memories together.
Go Pony Trekking
Take the family on a pony trekking adventure. Local riding centres cater to all levels, from beginners to experienced riders, ensuring a safe and memorable experience for kids and adults alike.
Climb Hills and Hunt for Bugs
Choose an easy-to-moderate hill walk for a day of discovery. Spot insects, butterflies, and wildlife as you climb, and bring a kite for a bit of extra fun at the summit.
Take your family on a foraging experience or bushcraft day
A family foraging trip is a great way to connect with nature—and enjoy a tasty reward at the end. We can also encourage a greater understanding of our wild spaces by learning bushcraft skills
Visit our Caves in a family friendly way
Take a journey underground in one of the park’s show caves, where you can admire the stalactites and stalagmites and see the underground rivers. . Some locationsoffer family-friendly extras with dinosaurs and petting farms.
Conquer Adventure Activities
For kids and teens who love a challenge, head to an activity centre. From climbing walls and zip lines to muddy scrambles and high ropes, there’s plenty to keep active families entertained. Learn archery or try kayaking or paddleboarding.
Stargaze Together
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) is an International Dark Sky Reserve, making it one of the best places in the UK to stargaze. On a clear night, see how many constellations you can spot as a family.
Find Adventures in Books
Encourage young imaginations to soar with a visit to a local bookshop or library. Pick up books about nature, history, or local legends to enhance your trip and inspire new adventures.
Things to do
Top 10 Activities
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) is a dynamic and living landscape, offering countless opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. With it’s expansive network of paths and trails for walkers, runners, cyclists, mountain bikers, horse riders and wildlife-watchers, the National Park is a haven for adventure seekers. Organized activities cater to every level, from relaxing pursuits like photography to high-adrenaline sports such as paragliding and rafting.
Horse-Back Adventures
Enjoy over 600 miles of bridle paths and tracks that wind through breathtaking scenery. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced rider, local trekking centres offer tailored experiences, from short rides to multi-day holidays.
Horse Riding
Go Fishing
The park’s rivers, lakes, and reservoirs offer game fishing for salmon and trout as well as coarse fishing for pike and perch. A Rod License is required, and local hotels often cater to anglers.
Cycle the Trails
From thrilling downhill tracks to family-friendly routes, the National Park is a cyclist’s dream.
Take to the Skies
Soar above the landscapes with paragliding, hang gliding, or gliding lessons. Clubs welcome novices and experienced pilots alike.
Stargaze Under a Dark Sky
As Wales’ first Dark Sky Reserve, the park offers unparalleled stargazing locations like Llangorse Lake (pictured), Usk Reservoir and Hay Bluff.
Paddle the Water
Try kayaking, paddleboarding, or white-water rafting across tranquil canals or challenging rapids.
Canoeing, Kayaking and Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Discover the Caves
Explore the park’s fascinating underground world, home to four of Britain’s longest limestone cave systems.
Dan Yr Ogof Caves
Walk the Trails
With over 1,200 miles of public paths, the park offers trails for every ability, from mountain hikes to serene woodland strolls.
Try Bushcraft and Foraging
Learn wilderness skills and discover edible treasures with expert-led bushcraft and foraging courses.
Zip Line, Climb and Abseil
Challenge yourself on sheltered crags, old quarries, or rocky escarpments. Zip lines are a true thrill seekers challenge while the park’s climbing spots offer stunning vistas and we have those who can provide expert guidance.
Things to do
Geocaching and Orienteering
The Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts looking to combine exploration with adventure. Whether you’re geocaching, orienteering or honing your wilderness navigation skills, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Get Into Geocaching
Geocaching is an exciting global treasure hunt ( www.geocaching.com ) that takes you to some of the most scenic and historically significant locations in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). From breath viewpoints to hidden landmarks like WWII bomber crash sites, over 180 geocaches await discovery across the National Park.
All you need is a GPS device or a map and compass to get started. Each geocache contains a logbook and small, family-friendly treasures to exchange. Be sure to leave no trace, respect nature, and log your finds online to share your adventures with the geocaching community.
What is Geocaching?
A geocache is a hidden container, varying in size, that holds a logbook and treasures called “geoswag.”
Participants use grid references and GPS coordinates to locate these caches, often placed in areas with historical or natural significance. Follow geocaching etiquette by leaving the area undisturbed, trading items responsibly, and logging your experience online.
Orienteering and Navigation Training
For a more challenging adventure, try orienteering.
Navigate courses using only a map and compass while exploring the diverse landscapes of Bannau Brycheiniog.
Professional guides and activity companies offer both orienteering challenges and navigation training, from beginner map-reading skills to advanced wilderness navigation.
Safety and Sustainability
While exploring, always wear appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather and terrain.
Remember to respect the environment by sticking to marked trails and minimizing your impact.
Be preparedThings to do
Gliding and Paragliding
Experience the thrill of gliding and paragliding in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, where soaring high above the dramatic landscapes offers unforgettable views and a true sense of freedom.
Adventures in the Air
The grassy fields and hills of the Park are ideal for gliders, paragliders and hang gliders to soar and descend.
Some pilots will fly over 300m across the countryside and ascend up to 4 miles. Gliders also enjoy flying high above the rolling, green landscape.
You can receive training at one of our recognized schools, which are also excellent locations for those who prefer to watch safely from the ground.
If you already have a license, contact a local club to inquire where you can fly.
Only recognized sites may be used.
Paragliding and Hang Gliding
The Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and its surrounding area offer some of the UK’s best sites for paragliding and hang gliding. The park’s north-facing ridges overlooking the undulating landscape of central Wales are perfect for taking to the air. Other nearby hills are also well-suited. Pilots can ascend over hill ridges or share thermals with a buzzard circling high above.
Crickhowell Paragliding Ltd operates from Crickhowell. They offer unique opportunities for tandem flights or if you are coming to the area to paraglide do contact them for details. See the Bannau from a very different viewpoint.
Gliding
The Black Mountains Gliding Club operates from a farm not far from Talgarth. Nestling beneath the northern escarpments of the Black Mountains, amongst normal sheep-speckled fields, is a grassy runway with a windsock. Maybe it’s the size of the field, the slope, the trees or the proximity of the mountains themselves, but this airfield is said to be quite challenging, even for experienced pilots.
The club is both friendly and expert and will welcome you whether you are a novice looking for a trial tandem flight or a seasoned pilot who’s keen to enjoy the excellent conditions that the area often offers.
For more information about gliding, contact the British Gliding Association.
Our local gliding experts
Things to do
Stargazing
Experience the magic of the night skies in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, a designated Dark Sky Reserve where thousands of stars, planets and the Milky Way come to life above.
Top 10 Places to go Stargazing
Don’t worry we have found the very best dark places for you to see the Stars – there’s bound to be one nearby.
Top 10 places to stargaze
Proud to be an International Dark Sky Reserve.
On a clear night in the Brecon Beacons, you can see the Milky Way, major constellations, bright nebulas and even meteor showers. It’s enough to make anyone starry eyed. In 2012 we became just the fifth destination in the world (and the first in Wales) to become an accredited International Dark Sky Reserve. That means we have some of the highest quality dark skies in the whole of the UK, making it the perfect destination for stargazers to stay.
Bannau Brycheiniog International Dark Sky Reserve
Dark Sky Festival
Join our festival to celebrate the magnificent Dark Skies above the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Our annual festival offers events, activities and the chance to stargaze with our experts.
Dark Sky Festival
Things to do
Where to stay
Top 10 Places to go Stargazing
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park offers some of the most stunning locations to experience the night sky in its full glory. All these places will be very dark after sunset.
Usk Reservoir
The car park and dam wall at beautiful Usk reservoir are ideal to walk from in the day, and to enjoy outstanding dark skies at night.
Drive in from Trecastle, the site is protected by hills from the light pollution of the South Wales valleys.
Expert Stargazers: limiting magnitude 6.4
Co-ordinates: OS grid SN 835285
Lat/Long N51.56.58 W03.41.55
Crai Reservoir
The A4607 road winds along remote valleys offering views of the stars above the reservoir.
Choose a layby to park and set up telescopes.
Expert stargazers: limiting magnitude 6.37
Co-ordinates: OS grid SN 886210
Lat/Long N51.54.52 W03.35.12
Llanthony Priory
Atmospheric and beautiful, with the ruins of Llanthony Priory in front of you, you can gaze up to the skies above mighty Hatterrall Hill.
Ruins close to the public from 4pm onwards, but site owners are happy for stargazers to use the carpark
Please be aware there is a hotel onsite where the owners live, please keep noise to a minimum and stargaze from the car park.
Expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.35
Co-ordinates: OS grid ref SO 288278
lat/long N51.56.41 W03.02.11
Hay Bluff
Drive from Hay-on-Wye towards Gospel Pass to Hay Bluff car park, overlooking the Wye valley. The wide sky view opens in front of you from Pen-y-Fan, across the Wye Valley, into Shropshire to the distant north-west.
Expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.34
Co-ordinates: OS grid: SO 239373
lat/long N 52.01.43 W03.06.34
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park Visitor Centre (Mountain Centre)
Our Visitor Centre site has been popular with stargazers for a decade, and it is ideal for telescope setups.
Please note the centre is closed at night.
Expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.37 .
Co-ordinates Grid ref SN 978264
lat/long N51.56.02 W 03.28.40
Pen Rhiw Ddu
Find the car park on the winding road over the Black Mountain between Llandeilo and Brynamman for a great location looking out into the darkness of Mid and West Wales.
expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.31
co-ordinates OS grid ref SN 730192
lat/long N51.51.13 W03.50.31
Carreg Cennen Castle
Another atmospheric venue, the wonderful castle at Carreg Cennen sitting atop a huge limestone cliff offers breath-taking views across the valley to the west and one of the darkest skies in the region
Expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.26.
SN 668193 N51.51.12. W03.56.02
Craig-y-Nos Country Park
Home to nocturnal wildlife, rich in history, the open meadow areas are great for stargazing.
The car park closes at 5.30 but you can park in a layby along the road to access the Country Park
expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.30.
Co-ordinates: SN 840161
lat/lon N51.50.16 W03.40.29
Sugar Loaf Mountain
The iconic Sugar Loaf mountain offers wide views along the valleys that surround it. Park in the National Trust car park
expert stargazers: limiting magnitude of 6.10,
coordinates: OS grid ref SO 268167
lat/long N51.50.30 W03.03.34
Llangorse Lake
Another gorgeous location with multiple spots for telescope setups. Wildlife abounds in the reeds of the largest natural lake in South Wales.
Expert star gazers: limiting magnitude of 6.24.
Co-ordinates SO 127270
lat/long N51.56.07 W03.16.13
Things to do
Where to stay
Underground Adventures
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park in South Wales is a treasure trove for caving enthusiasts, offering some of the most extensive and diverse cave systems in Britain. Home to four of the five longest limestone cave systems in the UK, the Park provides a unique glimpse into the underworld, whether you’re a novice or an experienced caver.
Novice Cavers
Exploring the cave systems of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) is thrilling, but safety is crucial. Novice cavers should always join experienced guides, as caves can be disorienting and hazardous. Never venture alone; inform someone of your plans and expected return. Proper equipment, including helmets and reliable lighting, is essential. Prioritize preparation and caution for a safe caving experience.
Experienced Cavers
Experienced cavers aiming to explore Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park should connect with local caving clubs for access and guidance.
Notable clubs include Gwent Caving Club , Brynmawr Caving Club and Gagendor Caving Club.
In emergencies, contact the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team by dialling 999 and requesting mountain rescue.
For comprehensive information on caving in the area, the Cambrian Caving Council’s website is a valuable resource.
Do you need a caving expert?
Things to do
Wellness and Spa Retreats
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park is a sanctuary for those seeking peace, relaxation and a deeper connection to themselves and nature.
River Flow Yoga Retreats
Ideal for Wellness Retreats in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
River Flow Yoga and Massage
Ideal for those looking for wellness and relaxation Brecon Beacons National Park.
Brecon Beacons Foraging
Ideal for Group, Solo and Family activities in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Penpont
Ideal for Group Activity Breaks and Family Breaks in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Peterstone Court Spa
Ideal for a wellness or holistic treat while in Brecon Beacons National Park.
Wellsynergy
Health & Wellbeing, coaching and retreats
Things to do
Performing Arts and Entertainment
Bannau Brycheiniog is home to a vibrant performing arts scene, with theatres and community venues offering an exciting calendar of events throughout the year. From world-class productions to community-led performances, there’s always something to enjoy.
Borough Theatre, Abergavenny
Located in the heart of Abergavenny, the Borough Theatre delivers a diverse programme of theatre, dance, comedy, and live music.
Housed in a Victorian town hall dating back to 1870, the venue retains much of its historic charm while hosting both touring companies and local performers.
It’s Melville Theatre studio is the perfect spot for intimate productions and arthouse films.
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon
Situated along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, Theatr Brycheiniog is one of Wales’ leading performing arts centres. Hosting a variety of events, including theatre, classical music, jazz, ballet, and world music, the venue attracts over 150,000 visitors annually.
It’s also a sustainability leader, being the first solar-powered theatre in the UK and an early adopter of LED stage lighting. Visitors can also enjoy the Andrew Lamont Gallery, showcasing local artists.
Theatr Brycheiniog also houses its own café, gallery hanging space and is a designated Warm Space for the community
Theatr Brycheiniog
The Welfare, Ystradgynlais
This versatile arts and community centre is a hub for live music, theatre, and film. Regular cinema screenings, music workshops, and family-friendly performances, including a popular annual pantomime, make it a beloved destination for locals and visitors alike.
Festivals and Special Events
The National Park hosts a range of music, food, and arts festivals throughout the year, adding even more to its cultural appeal. To discover what’s on during your visit, explore our Festivals page.
Bannau Brycheiniog’s performing arts venues combine rich heritage, cutting-edge productions, and community spirit, making them a must-visit for culture lovers.
