The Brecon Beacons National Park

A truly fantastic place for an activity holiday with superb walking, mountain biking and horse riding trails, caves and an historic canal – plus characterful towns and even Michelin-starred restaurants!

The guesthouse itself is only a five minute walk across the River Usk bridge to the centre of Brecon (Aberhonddu) where you can still absorb the sights and sounds of the weekly markets, visit the Cathedral and its Heritage Centre, investigate the local Museums, Theatre Brycheiniog and Canal Marina, or just stroll along the banks of the Rivers Usk, Honddu and Tarrell or the famous Monmouthshire to Brecon Canal.

The Welsh name for Brecon, Aberhonddu, means “Mouth of the Honddu”. The river Honddu meets the river Usk, by the Castle just the other side of the bridge as you go into the town, just a few hundred yards from the Beacons Guest House. The name Brecon, probably derives from Brychan, the founder of the Kingdom of Brycheiniog or Brecknock, until it was overthrown by the Normans in 1093, led by Bernard de Newmarche, hence Newmarch Street the name of the main road, just west of the Beacons Guest House. The Normans built the Castle in the angle between the rivers Usk and Honddu, overlooking the town, and the present site of the town of Brecon, would seem to date from that time.

As you walk around the town, if you look hard there are many traces of the old town walls still to be found, and many fine Georgian houses and shop fronts to be seen. The Town has an impressive Cathedral, and on a clear day there are magnificent views of the Beacons, and Pen y Fan, the highest point in southern Britain.

Cycling & Mountain Biking

Hugely popular in the area with a fantastic route along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal towpath being a favourite. Brecon also marks the start of the Taff Trail which is a popular walking and cycle path that runs for 55 miles (89 km) between Brecon and Cardiff Bay. The Brecon Beacons are famous for its mountain bike routes - with green routes for beginners all the way to 'killer' black routes!

Riding & Trekking

The Brecon Beacons is a perfect place for horse lovers. There are over 600 miles of bridle paths and tracks. The spectacular scenery and wealth of wildlife create some of the best riding in Europe. There are thousands of acres of hills, moors and fields, criss-crossed by ancient tracks and lanes. You can ride all day, sharing the views with the soaring buzzards. Riding and trekking centres are working together to offer top quality trekking, short rides and pony trekking.

Golf

Right on your doorstep is the wonderful championship course at Cradoc where PGA professional Richard Davies always offers a warm welcome - click on 'read more' below to find out more... There are other lovely courses in the area at Builth and Llandrindod Wells and a nine hole course in Brecon. Ryder Cup host Celtic Manor, historic St Pierre and the Vale of Glamorgan Golf complex are only 50 minutes away.

Watersports

The area offers an array range of options for paddlesports, from the tranquillity of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal and Llangorse Lake to extreme kayaking over jaw-dropping waterfalls. You can have fun paddling a kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, raft or even making and paddling your own coracle! With waters graded from from Grade 1 (easy) up to Grade 6 (extremely hard), there really is something for everyone!

Dark Skies

Brimming with life and wreathed in legend, the waterfalls and rapids in our National Park add an exciting, picturesque and thoroughly romantic touch to our woodlands and hillsides.One part of our Park, at the head of the Vale of Neath, has so many wonderful waterfalls that we call it Waterfall Country. However you choose to enjoy our falls, please help us to preserve them by taking care, sticking to paths and following the Countryside Code.

Waterfall Country

Did you know that the Brecon Beacons has some of the darkest night skies in the country? Here, you can experience the awe-inspiring view of the Milky Way amongst other wonders of the night sky. The whole of the National Park has been declared an International Dark Sky Reserve. Pick up a copy of a Visitor Guide to learn about the top ten sites to stargaze, useful tips on how to spot some of the incredible 3000 stars you can see from the National Park...

Places to Visit

The area is a treasure trove of historical sites with over a dozen castles to visit - Carreg Cennen at Trapp (pictured above) is definitely worth a visit! More locally, there is a castle in Brecon and at Bronllys, Crickhowell, Cyfarthfa nr Merthyr, Hay on Wye, Llandovery and Tretower. Trips to Big Pit in Blaenavon, Dan yr Ogof Showcaves, or a ride on the Brecon Mountain Railway are a must...

Events, Festivals and Shows 

There are Agricultural shows a plenty to enjoy during the summer months with the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells being the jewel in the crown. The hugely popular Green Man Music Festival is held at Glanusk near Crickhowell and other festivals include the world famous Hay Literature Festival, which is only 20 mins away. June sees the WAAT4 Challenge - a prestigious navigation event in the Beacons that teams take part in annually.