Beacons Way Walking Holidays

Walking the Beacons Way

The Beacons Way is 93 miles (149 km) of mountain walking holiday through the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park. Walking what is known as the ‘high route' across South Wales, it is the ideal landscape for unspoilt beauty and refreshing solitude.

Beginning near Abergavenny, at The Skirrid (Ysgyryd Fawr) and also known as the Holy Mountain, the walk takes you in a snake-like fashion from the eastern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park to the western boundary. The route was designed to pass through the most thrilling, hidden and wild areas of this beautiful park, highlighting its most beautiful landscapes. The walk ends in Llangadog, passing through Bethlehem on the final day - where the little village post office does a roaring trade in Christmas cards during December!

Your walk takes you over the Black Mountains in the east, the Central Beacons including Pen-y-Fan at 886 metres (2,907 ft) and the highest point in Southern Britain, and Black Mountain in the west. The Beacons Way route undulates through little towns and hamlets, where the weary traveller is always welcome to Welsh hospitality. You pass Celtic hill forts, medieval priories and castles, mountain lakes and reservoirs. At the end of the day, you may find a local pub serving a welcome pint of Welsh beer - a well-earned reward.

Path Walkthrough

Beginning near the market town of Abergavenny, your route begins by ascending the summit of Ysgyryd Fawr and meets part of the Offa’s Dyke path at another climb to Hatterrall Hill before descending to Llanthony Priory. Leaving Llanthony, the day begins with a steep ascent along Cwm Bwchal, onto Bâl Bach and a slow descent through fields into Crickhowell. The next day, to Llangynidr will offer fine views of Llangorse Lake from Cefn Moel before ending near the Brecon & Monmouthshire Canal at Llangynidr.

The walk towards Storey Arms holds spectacular views along its most iconic landscape, but the climb from Blaen-y-glyn to Craig-y-Fan Ddu is particularly demanding. The route onwards toward Craig-y-nos meets open hills and moorland, before taking you to the highest point on the western side of the Brecon Beacons, Fan Brycheiniog, passing Llyn-y-Fan Fach and Llyn-y -Fan Fawr. Walking to spectacular Carreg Cennen Castle will require strong navigational skills as the route is indistinct, but in contrast, the last day down to Bethlehem and on to Llangadog is arguably the easiest to navigate.