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Best Traffic-Free Trails for Cycling Holidays in Wales

Snowdonia landscapeLove cycling and want to explore Wales on your bike?  For many, cycling on traffic-free paths on holiday is the ideal.

 

Discover some of Wales’ Best Traffic Free Cycling Trails

Wales is widely renowned for its vast, open landscapes and decidedly unspoiled views. It’s a land of great diversity, from the rugged, snowy peaks of Snowdonia and the lush, verdant South Wales Valleys, to the many miles of picturesque coastline dotted with charming settlements and the rolling hills home to many tight-knit communities. Wales is well worth visiting and one of the best ways you can explore the country is by cycling. There’s an abundance of excellent cycle routes that criss-cross the Welsh landscapes, offering you the chance to see for yourself what makes it such a compelling destination. Here’s a selection of some of the very best traffic-free cycle trails that Wales has to offer.


1. Clydach Gorge, Monmouthshire

This cycle route can be found in the far southeast of the Brecon Beacons National Park not too far from Abergavenny. It links the towns of Llanfoist and Brynmawr and is so-called because it passes high above the spectacular Clydach Gorge - it’s a steep-sided valley that’s known for its pris-tine natural beauty, despite a significant part of the area having been industrialised. It co-vers a stretch of seven miles and is generally quite an easy route to tackle, though it does have one quite steep section that may prove slightly challenging for some. Those who take on the route will find the views of the gorge, the Brecon Beacons and the rugged mountains very rewarding indeed.
 

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2. Afan Forest Park, Neath Port Talbot

Afan Forest Park is a popular forest park located in the south of Wales covering some 48 square miles. It’s gained an excellent reputation as a destination for mountain biking, though it’s frequented by many a cyclist thanks to its picturesque cycle routes. One cycle route in particular that’s worth trying out sets off from the nearby town of Port Talbot and ends up at the forest’s visitor centre. Here you’ll find plenty of options for eating and drinking, as well as a museum dedicated to the area’s rich mining history. The cycle route is a 12 mile roundtrip and offers a great way of exploring the forest.
 

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3. Talybont Reservoir to Torpontau, Powys

This is cycle route is found in the Brecon Beacons National Park. It can be a taxing one to conquer for some as it’s quite a long and steady climb, with a length of 5.5 miles. The route starts off at the park’s largest stillwater reservoir, Talybont Reservoir, which supplies the nearby city of Newport with treated water. From there you make your way up the cycle path past some outstanding natural scenery until you reach the now disused Torpontau railway station. The return journey is a lot more relaxing as it’s a downhill stretch - in fact, cycling back down to Talybont Reservoir takes around three times less time than it does cycling uphill to Torpontau station.

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4. Lon Eifion Cycleway, Gwynedd

If you’re visiting North Wales, you should aim to tackle the Lon Eifion Cycleway. This pleasant cycle path links the towns of Caernarfon of Bryncir, with a total distance of 12 miles (or 24 miles if you opt for a roundtrip). You start off near Caernarfon Castle, a spec-tacular medieval fortress and as you cycle along the route, you’ll pass by the Welsh High-land Railway and will be rewarded with views of both Caernarfon Bay and the many tow-ering mountains of Snowdonia National Park. For the route’s first 10 miles, you’ll gradual-ly ascend some 500 feet, with the remaining two miles mostly forming a relaxed downhill stretch.

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5. Three Parks Trail, Caerphilly

This scenic cycle trail stretches for some 11 miles and takes in three different parks: Sir-howy Valley Country Park; Penallta Country Park; and Taf Bargoed Park. It’s quite an easy trail to complete and is entirely traffic-free, though there is one road crossing along the way. One of the highlights is the Hengoed Viaduct, an impressive Grade II listed via-duct that towers some 120 feet high and has a total of 16 arches. In Penallta Country Park, which was carved out of a former coal tip, there’s an observatory you can visit to view the area’s wild and raw natural scenery - be sure to look out for the larges figurative earth sculpture in the UK - Sultan the Pit Pony.

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6. Swansea Bike Path, Swansea City

The Swansea Bike Path starts out at the city’s marina and takes you along the sweeping curve of Swansea Bay. The cycle path hugs the coast for all of its six miles, enabling cy-clists to bask in the delightful views of the bay and its stretch of beach. It follows the route of the former Mumbles railway - Mumbles is a lively Victoria seaside town that marks the end of the path. The town lies on a promontory known as Mumbles Head and attracts many a tourist thanks to its scenic views and abundance of local shops and eateries.

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7. Llyn Brianne, Powys

Llyn Brianne is a large reservoir set in central Wales and surrounded by pleasant coun-tryside scenery. It’s pleasantly quiet and is a good destination for a quiet, relaxed bike ride. The trail starts off at the car park at the southern part of the reservoir, before ending up at its northern end. Along the way, you’ll pass through the Tywi Forest, a relatively un-disturbed forest that has quite a substantial red squirrel population. Once you’ve cycled the 14 miles to the reservoir’s northern end, you can carry on heading northwest and find what claims to be Wales’ most remote chapel; head northeast to find the charming village of Abergwesyn near Llanwrtyd Wells.
 

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8. Mawddach Trail, Gwynedd

You’ll find many cycle trails within Snowdonia National Park and one that’s definitely worth trying out is the Mawddach Trail. It starts in the market town of Dolgellau and takes you past the Mawddach estuary and down to the coastal settlement of Barmouth. Along the way, not only will you get to take in the breathtaking views of the estuary, you’ll also have the opportunity to behold Cader Idris, a towering mountain nearly 3,000 feet high that’s exceptionally popular for both hiking and walking. Should you cycle down to Barmouth and back again, you’ll have covered around 19 miles of trail, all of which is traffic-free.
 

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9. Millennium Park to Pembrey, Carmarthenshire

Millennium Park can be found in the town of Llanelli, a coastal settlement that lies right by the River Loughor and is known for its strong rugby heritage. This pleasant cycle route takes you along the coast and ends up in the town of Pembrey, with a roundtrip covering a total of 12 miles. There are plenty of facilities at both ends of the route so you can have a break with refreshments. Stop for a while in Pembrey and explore the Pembrey Country Park, which encompasses some 500 acres of well maintained parkland and features an adventure park, ski slope and various more advanced mountain biking trails.

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10. Elan Valley Trail, Powys

Elan Valley is regarded by some as Wales’ answer to the Lake District. It’s situated in the heart of the country and features an abundance of lakes, along with plenty of undis-turbed natural scenery. The Elan Valley Trail is an ideal cycle trail for those just getting to grips with cycling as it’s not too taxing or challenging. It’s mostly flat and smooth, plus it’s relatively free from traffic. You start and end in the market town of Rhayader, passing by the four Elan Valley Reservoirs along the way. In all, the trail is an 18-mile roundtrip that has proven to be quite popular with keen cyclists, since it enables you to see some of the most beautiful parts of Wales.
 

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