Hidden Gems of Snowdonia: Unusual Things to Do Beyond the Mountains

Snowdon will still be there tomorrow.

And the day after. And the day after that. It has been there for 500 million years and it is not going anywhere.

So before you join the queue at Pen-y-Pass with everyone else who had the same idea, consider this — some of the most extraordinary experiences in Snowdonia are the ones that do not require a car park reservation, a 5am alarm or a packed lunch eaten in the rain on a crowded summit.

This guide is for those experiences.

1. Cwmorthin — The Ghost Quarry Above Tanygrisiau

• Distance from cottage: 20 minutes on foot

• Type: Industrial heritage, walking

Most visitors to Blaenau Ffestiniog know about the slate industry in abstract terms. Cwmorthin makes it visceral.

A 20 minute walk uphill from the cottage gate leads through the ruins of a Victorian slate quarrying community — roofless stone cottages, collapsed engine houses, rusting machinery slowly disappearing into the hillside. At the height of its operation, hundreds of men worked here. The silence now is absolute.

The lake at the top — Llyn Cwmorthin — sits in a natural bowl above the ruins, clear and cold and completely still on a calm morning. The combination of industrial archaeology and natural beauty is unlike anything else in Snowdonia.

• Tip: This walk is accessible and free. Allow two hours to explore properly. The ruins reward slow exploration — look for the old manager's house, the incline tracks and the remains of the dressing sheds near the lake.

2. The Ffestiniog Railway — More Than Just a Train Ride

• Distance from cottage: 5 minutes by car

• Type: Heritage railway, scenic experience

The Ffestiniog Railway is listed in every North Wales guide but consistently underestimated by visitors who treat it as simple transport rather than an experience in its own right.

The world's oldest independent railway company, operating since 1836, runs narrow gauge steam trains through some of the most dramatic Snowdonia scenery from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog on the coast. The engineering is extraordinary — particularly the Deviation, a spiral loop built in the 1970s to bypass the newly constructed reservoir, which involves the train crossing over its own track in a feat of miniature railway ingenuity that still seems slightly impossible.

Sit on the right-hand side of the carriage going downhill for the best views of the Moelwyn mountains and the Tanygrisiau Reservoir — visible from the cottage — far below.

• Tip: Book a seat in the observation car if available. The open sides give completely unobstructed views and make the whole journey feel significantly more adventurous. See our Porthmadog guide for what to do when the train arrives at the other end.

3. Llechwedd Slate Caverns — The History Beneath Zip World

• Distance from cottage: 15 minutes by car

• Type: Industrial heritage, underground tour

Most visitors to Zip World Slate Caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog go directly to Bounce Below or Titan and miss the extraordinary history underneath their feet.

The Llechwedd slate mine operated from 1846 until 1970 and at its peak employed over 500 men in conditions that are difficult to imagine today. The deep mine tour takes you underground in a cable-operated mine train — the steepest passenger railway in Britain — to the working levels where Victorian miners spent their days in near-darkness, creating the slate that roofed the buildings of the British Empire.

The guides bring the social history to life in a way that sticks with you long after you have returned to the surface. It is a genuinely moving experience and one that gives the whole Blaenau Ffestiniog landscape — the slate tips, the grey stone buildings, the dramatic quarry scars on the hillsides — a completely different meaning.

• Tip: Book the history tour separately from the adventure activities. Combining both makes for a very full day but the contrast between the quiet historical experience and the adrenaline of Bounce Below is surprisingly effective.

4. Stwlan Dam and the Moelwyn Mountains

• Distance from cottage: 30 minutes on foot

• Type: Walking, industrial heritage, dramatic views

Above Tanygrisiau, the landscape opens onto something genuinely unexpected — a pumped storage power station hidden inside the Moelwyn mountains, with a dam and reservoir perched dramatically above the valley floor.

The walk up to Stwlan Dam from the village takes about 30 minutes and rewards you with one of the best views in the area — the Tanygrisiau Reservoir directly below, the Ffestiniog valley spreading out beyond it and, on a clear day, the coast visible in the far distance. The dam wall itself is an impressive piece of engineering and the reservoir behind it — Llyn Stwlan — sits in a high mountain bowl that feels genuinely remote despite being so close to the village.

From the dam, experienced walkers can continue to the summit of Moelwyn Mawr or Moelwyn Bach — two of the finest and quietest peaks in Snowdonia with views that rival anything on the more popular routes.

• Tip: The road to the dam is occasionally open to vehicles — check locally before assuming you need to walk the full distance. The views from the dam wall alone justify the effort.

5. Plas Tan y Bwlch — The Snowdonia National Park Study Centre

• Distance from cottage: 15 minutes by car

• Type: Gardens, woodland walks, historic house

Plas Tan y Bwlch is one of the most beautiful and least visited properties in Snowdonia — a Victorian mansion set in extraordinary woodland gardens in the Ffestiniog valley, now operating as the Snowdonia National Park's environmental study centre.

The gardens are open to visitors and are at their most spectacular in spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom — sweeping colour through ancient woodland with views down the valley below. The woodland walks through the estate are quiet, well-maintained and completely free of the crowds that gather at more famous Snowdonia destinations.

The house itself hosts residential courses and events — check the programme before you visit as some open days include access to areas not normally available to day visitors.

• Tip: This is a genuinely excellent wet weather option — the woodland walks are beautiful even in rain and the café in the house provides a warm and civilised shelter while the weather passes.

6. Tomen y Mur — The Roman Fort on the Moor

• Distance from cottage: 20 minutes by car

• Type: Roman archaeology, walking, history

Most visitors come to Snowdonia for the mountains. Very few know that there is a Roman fort sitting on the open moorland south of Blaenau Ffestiniog that has been there for nearly two thousand years.

Tomen y Mur sits above the village of Trawsfynydd — a remarkably complete set of Roman earthworks including the fort walls, parade ground, amphitheatre and bathhouse, all visible as clear ground features in the open landscape. The Norman motte added in the eleventh century adds another layer of history to an already extraordinary site.

The setting is dramatic — open moorland, long views south towards Cadair Idris, the wind almost always present. It feels like the edge of the Empire, which of course it was. The Roman soldiers stationed here, looking out across the Welsh mountains, were among the most remote in the whole imperial army.

• Tip: Access is via a short walk across a field from a roadside parking area near Trawsfynydd. There are no facilities and no entrance fee — just an extraordinary piece of history sitting quietly in the landscape.

7. Maentwrog — The Hidden Valley Village

• Distance from cottage: 15 minutes by car

• Type: Village, woodland, history, café

Maentwrog — pronounced Mine-too-rog — sits in a wooded gorge in the Ffestiniog valley and has a character entirely its own.

The village is built around an ancient standing stone — Maen Twrog, the Stone of Twrog — embedded in the churchyard wall and said to have been thrown there by the sixth century saint Twrog from the hillside above. Whether or not you believe in flying saints, the stone is there and the story is wonderful.

The Grapes Hotel in the village has been serving travellers since the seventeenth century and remains one of the best pubs in the area for a proper Welsh lunch. The woodland walks along the river below the village are beautiful and completely uncrowded.

• Tip: Maentwrog makes an excellent stopping point on the road between Tanygrisiau and Porthmadog — worth building into any coastal day rather than driving straight through.

8. Glaslyn Ices, Criccieth — Worth the Drive

• Distance from cottage: 35 minutes by car

• Type: Food, coastal experience

This one requires no justification beyond the ice cream itself.

Glaslyn Ices has been making ice cream in Criccieth since 1927 and the queue outside the shop on a warm afternoon tells you everything you need to know about the quality. The flavours are genuinely excellent, the portion sizes are generous and the view from the seafront promenade — Criccieth Castle above, Cardigan Bay stretching away to the west — is the ideal setting for consuming them.

It is not a hidden gem in the sense that locals do not know about it. Every local knows about it. It is a hidden gem in the sense that it does not appear in any national travel guide and every single person who discovers it feels like they have found something special.

• Tip: Go on a weekday afternoon for the shortest queue. Combine with a visit to Criccieth Castle — see our 5 Day Trips guide for the full coastal day itinerary.

9. Beeswax Bay Farm — Natalie's Candles

• Distance: Available online and at local markets

• Type: Local craft, sustainable living

Since we are sharing hidden gems, here is one that is personal.

Natalie — one half of the BrynEscape hosting team — hand-pours natural beeswax candles at BeeswaxBayFarm using traditional methods that produce a soft, warm light and a gentle natural scent. Several of these candles are in the cottage during your stay — the ones that make the living room smell exactly right on a mountain evening.

If you want to take a piece of that atmosphere home, the full range is available online. They make genuinely excellent gifts — for others or for yourself.

The Best Hidden Gems Are Often the Quietest Ones

Snowdonia's most famous attractions are famous for good reason. But the places that stay with you longest are often the ones you almost did not visit — the ghost quarry above the village, the Roman fort on the moor, the steam train viewed from the observation car.

From Pen-y-Bryn, all of these are within easy reach. And most of them are completely free.

Check Availability at BrynEscape on Airbnb

How to Pronounce the Place Names

• Eryri — Eh-ruh-ree — the Welsh name for Snowdonia National Park

• Tanygrisiau — Tan-uh-griss-ee-eye — your base for the week

• Blaenau Ffestiniog — Bligh-nye Fest-in-yog — the slate capital of Snowdonia

• Maentwrog — Mine-too-rog — the village of the stone of Twrog

• Llechwedd — Chlechn-weth — the Victorian slate mine beneath Zip World

• Trawsfynydd — Trows-vun-ith — the moorland village near the Roman fort

• Cwmorthin — Coom-or-thin — the ghost quarry above Tanygrisiau

Want more ideas? Read our guides to Zip World Snowdonia, 5 Perfect Day Trips from Blaenau Ffestiniog and Best Time to Visit Snowdonia.