Snowdonia next week with tweens

[BrieAndChilli]

Going to Snowdonia next week. DH is going mountain climbing with his friend and I am going with our 3 kids age 9-13 and will also be looking after friends child age 12.

What can we do that’s A open due to Covid and B safe to do with only 1 adult and 4 children. (So I won’t be climbing any mountains as hate heights and too many kids to keep safe)
We are staying in lanberis.

I want to visit Gelerts grave. Probably do the lake railway. Kids all really want to do bounce below so will book that (£££££!!!). I wanted to do electric mountain - closed, King Arthur thing - closed!

Any other good ideas? Is greenwood family park worth the money?

Just taken four teens to Lake Bala for kayaking and swimming this week. The hot weather helped of course.
About an hour from you. Must prebook for water sports.

...just check with bounce below. That was closed too when I last looked..

@cptartapp

Just taken four teens to Lake Bala for kayaking and swimming this week. The hot weather helped of course. About an hour from you. Must prebook for water sports.

More like an hour and a half at least

Google says about 40 miles. Maybe too far with four DC but a great day out.

There will be SUP hire for the lake or get in touch with North Wales Active for stuff to do! He’s great with children and he’ll do climbing, gorge walking, coasteering etc, possibly kayaking... you don’t have to join in if you don’t want, you can watch.

Are you bringing bikes? You can hire bikes locally and there are fab safe bike paths with lovely cafes.

Greenwood is nice but expensive - £15 a person and still extras to pay for inside.

Would they be happy with a beach day? Beautiful beaches on Anglesey or down the Gwynedd coast.

The highland railway.. or maybe it’s the Ffestiniog is alway good but will be expensive and I think only running from a point furthest from llanberis.

The lake railway is great for younger children and will kill an hour or two but might not interest the older two.

Oh - the snowdon mountain railway is open but just to the half way point. I’m pretty sure you can get the train up and walk down, although it’s potentially another big expense.

Llyn Padarn is lovely, it'll be busy if it's warm weather, lovely safe lagoons for kids swimming.

You could walk up Abergwyngregyn waterfalls?

Caernarfon castle and waffles at scoops?

Plenty of water sports on llyn padarn in llanberis, no need to go to Bala.
Surfing lessons on dinas dinlle or rhosneigr?
Forest coaster looks cool.
Plenty of zip world stuff.
Caernarfon, Conwy or Beaumaris castles.
Loads of lovely beaches.
Bike rides - plenty of good cycle paths.
Palace street in Caernarfon has some nice waffles / pancakes / ice creams and some cute shops to explore.
And so many beautiful walks.

Is the slate museum open?

You could do a few walks

Beaches in Anglesea, eg Newbrough is lovely with a small lighthouse to walk to.

Castle at Beaumaris

Penryn Castle

That massive zip wire somewhere up in that area

Im sure you'll have a lovely time Op.

Surf snowdonia?

Fforest coaster is great if it’s open.
If you go to Beddgelert, go to the icecream shop then for a walk along the river (past the grave).

National Trust can be prebooked - Penrhyn Castle and Plas Newydd are both well worth visiting.

Colwyn Bay mountain zoo?

Many, many lovely beaches - Dinas Dinlle maybe one of the closest, but lots on Anglesey - Newborough again might be the closest.

Also on Anglesey - Menai Bridge (lovely restaurants and walk over to Church Island) and Beaumaris is lovely.

Potmadog is nice - try Borth y Gest too if you like lovely walks and tea shops. Harlech and Cricceth - also both lovely towns.

Fforest Coaster is open, we're booked in this week; as are the treetop nets etc (they're pretty booked up though). Greenwood Forest Park is good but better for younger ones I'd say (not actually sure if they're still going). Fairbourne beach is quieter than most at the moment, and Borth is great too if you're not bothered about the gentrified resort vibe.

If you have bikes with you I'd thoroughly recommend the Mawddach Trail. You can walk it anyway and there are some interesting-looking forest paths off it). We've not done any watersports at Bala yet as our DCs aren't quite old enough but I imagine that would be great.

I'd be doing a couple of beach days and also some lower level walks. Snowdonia is beautiful - mountains and the sea, I wouldn't be wanting to spend ££££ day after day. No need.
However, there are some wonderful castles in the area if that is what you like.
The Welsh Mountain zoo
The Sea Zoo on Anglesey.
There are lighthouses to walk out to on Anglesey.

Slate museum is closed until the 28th, surf snowdonia is remaining closed this year I believe.

Surf Snowdonia is shut for the rest of the year sadly

www.adventureparcsnowdonia.com/coronavirus/

Fforest Coaster is brilliant though. Very well managed for covid.

Gelerts grave is a great story
www.donthibernate.co.uk/beddgelert/
Conwy, remember to explain why its a medieval walled town.
Best way to see it is walk the walls as its nice and free, Also take them crab fishing at the harbour
www.donthibernate.co.uk/conwy/

Aber Falls and llanfairfecan beach are also well worth a visit and apart from parking they are free
www.donthibernate.co.uk/waterfalls-of-north-wales/

Is Portmerion open? Teen dd loved it there last year.

Llama trekking? Black rock llamas isn’t far from where you are. We really enjoyed that. I’m not sure if they’re open though. They’re on Facebook, you can have a google etc.

We climbed snowdon on the easy path at 9&7, took 8 hours including stopping for an hour vat the cafe at the top. Portmerion is nice (if open) there's a good castle to visit and there's a sustainable living place we visited. A good while ago admittedly but they were that age. Mine have gone mountain hiking from babies in backpacks so they found the walk up snowdon easier than me, I'm not keen on heights

Just noticed you are in llanberis
The teens might like this?www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/llanberis-bomb-storage-18.116158/

Llandudno is about 30 miles / 40 mins drive, two different but nice beaches, You must drive the Toll road as the views are excellent
www.greatorme.org.uk/marinedrive.html

Make a day of it and have chips from Enochs on the way home, We met a lady who works on the Snowdon railway who told us about Enochs and travels every week.
enochs.co.uk

www.donthibernate.co.uk/route-1-llandudno-from-m62-m56/

Betws y Coed is 30 mins drive
www.donthibernate.co.uk/betws-y-coed/
Fairy glen is fab (£1 each), take a picnic to eat by the river and walk the gorge to see the water falls, Conwy falls cafe up the road is very good if open, there is a walk behind the cafe (£1 each) steep but good

If you fancy a 1 hour drive Porthdinellaen has a fantastic beach if you walk towards the life boat station / golf club you might see seals.

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/porthdinllaen

45 mins to llanbedrog Beach, its open Nice cafe on the beach but not sure if its open. Its a steep but rewarding walk to the top of the head land

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/llanbedrog-beach
Tin man
www.llanbedrog.info/llanbedrogtinman.htm

Thanks everyone will check some of these out.
Don’t want to do a mountain walk as I really hate heights and get twitchy when large drops, we do mountain walks etc with DH etc and scouts but wouldn’t want to be the responsible adult in case I meltdown over the drops!
Not bothered about beaches as we are going to North Devon at bank holiday to stay with MIL so that will be a beachy time!

The Slate Museum is opening this weekend and worth a visit, you will need to book ahead though. The Quarry Hospital is also really interesting if it’s open, and you can also walk up to the old quarry cottages.
Llyn Padarn is beautiful and good for watersports.
Beddgelert is lovely, walk along the path to Aberglaslyn, passing the grave on the way, and buy an ice cream in the village itself when you get back or to take with you. If it’s raining the copper mine is open.
Llyn Idwal is another stunning walk and not high up.
Portmeirion is open.
The Slate Caverns are another good rainy day activity.

We did Mad Dog quad biking - kids loved it!

I take it you’re there now? Walk from Llanberis along the cycle path towards Brynrefail (far end of the lake towards Caernarfon) for about a mile. Through the tunnel, cross the road (signposted) and walk up Fachwen. Theres a cafe called Lodge Dinorwig, nice cakes etc. Then head towards the quarries. Its signposted for you. There’s a viewpoint where you get a 180 degree view and stunning. Bach up from the viewpoint and go through the gate. But once you go through take a walk down the path and it will take you to a place called Anglesey Barracks. Its 2 rows of houses where quarry men from Anglesey lived for the week and its history. Off the beaten track and much less touristy. Then you walk down the vertical 1km. Slate steps which will take you to llanberis. I’ll post more pics now!