I love messing about on water and let’s be honest there is no shortage of places in Wales to get wet and have a bit of fun. But the amount of people I speak to who have never visited Lake Vyrnwy never ceases to amaze me. I guess its big brother Bala Lake gets all the attention. While they are only 13 miles drive from each other they are miles different in character.
Lake Vyrnwy has always been my favourite. I find the scenery more dramatic, it is a lot quieter, there are some great picnic spots and some lovely walks heading into the hills behind the lake. It just has a much more chilled out vibe. If you like cycling there is also a circular route around the lake which is really nice to ride. If you are looking for somewhere to stay so you can explore the area, we rent out our holiday cottage in Llanarmon DC.
We visited at the weekend and the sun was shining once again. We parked up and took the short walk to the Rhiwargor Waterfalls. They are only about 15 minutes walk from the Rhiwargor car park so an easy stroll. It is possible to climb to the top by following the path to the left. There is also a pool you can take a dip in. Not really big enough to swim but refreshing on a hot day. However it is pretty chilly even in the summer.
Lunch was some bacon sandwiches fried up next to the river. What a great spot to sit and chill out.
We then took a canoe out onto the lake and spent an hour exploring. If you don’t have your own canoe you can hire them for around £15 an hour which is great value. They also rent stand up paddle boards. It is possible to also launch your own kayak, canoe or SUP. I think if you do this from the watersports centre you have to pay a few pounds. Or you could head up to the top end of the lake and slip in there.
Here are some pictures we took from the water.
