Betws-y-Coed (meaning Chapel in the Woods) is a village in Conwy, and one of the primary tourist resorts in the Snowdonia National Park.
The village claims to be Wales' most popular inland tourist resort. The name is often abbreviated to "Betws" or even "BYC".
- Conwy Valley Railway Museum, +44 1690 710568. A very small railway museum, but it has a small rideable model steam train for kids and an electric tram.
- National Park Information Centre & TIC, Royal Oak Stables, +44 1690 710426. Small exhibition.
- Swallow Falls. The path to the falls is accessed via a turnstile at a charge of £1. While the falls are indeed beautiful there are similar rapids closer to town and fee of charge: for instance at the Miners Bridge (1 mile west) and at the Pont-y-pair bridge (in town), both free of charge. The falls can also be viewed free of charge from the opposite bank by following the riverside public footpath downstream for 1 mile from Ty Hyll (below).
- Forest boardwalk. Impressive Douglas firs.
- The Ugly House, +44 1690 720287. 9:30PM–5PM. 7 days in summer, M–F in winter. Home of the Snowdonia Society.
- Conwy Falls, Betws-y-Coed (It is accessed from the Penmachno road turn by the Conwy Falls Cafe Car Park. A spectacular falls that is divided into two falls each side of a large rock in the river Conwy. There may be a small entrance fee to see the falls as new ownership of the cafe has taken place recently.
- Dolwyddelan Castle. Tower of 13th century castle
Conwy Valley Railway Museum, +44 1690 710568. A very small railway museum, but it has a small rideable model steam train for kids and an electric tram.
National Park Information Centre & TIC, Royal Oak Stables, +44 1690 710426. Small exhibition.
Swallow Falls. The path to the falls is accessed via a turnstile at a charge of £1. While the falls are indeed beautiful there are similar rapids closer to town and fee of charge: for instance at the Miners Bridge (1 mile west) and at the Pont-y-pair bridge (in town), both free of charge. The falls can also be viewed free of charge from the opposite bank by following the riverside public footpath downstream for 1 mile from Ty Hyll (below).
Forest boardwalk. Impressive Douglas firs.
The Ugly House, +44 1690 720287. 9:30PM–5PM. 7 days in summer, M–F in winter. Home of the Snowdonia Society.
Conwy Falls, Betws-y-Coed (It is accessed from the Penmachno road turn by the Conwy Falls Cafe Car Park. A spectacular falls that is divided into two falls each side of a large rock in the river Conwy. There may be a small entrance fee to see the falls as new ownership of the cafe has taken place recently.
Dolwyddelan Castle. Tower of 13th century castle
Betws-y-Coed's location in the heart of Snowdonia's mountains means that many visitors are here for hillwalking, mountain biking and climbing.
- Mountain Biking. Check out the Marin and Penmachno Trails.
- Gwydyr Forest, Betws-y-Coed. The Gwydyr Forest is one of the first Forests of Wales to be planted by the Forestry Commission and covers approximately 72 square miles. Much of it was planted in the early 1920s. There was a certain amount of natural regeneration of wild species growing up to the 1,000-foot tree level many hundreds of years ago. As time has advanced much of the traditional forestry work has declined and more emphasis is being put into recreation, cycle routes, bridleways and picnic spots. Timber production is being harvested each day, and as more areas get clear felled they are planted up again with more native species of oak, beech and rowan. The forest surrounding Betws-y-Coed is rich in both marked and unmarked trails. The marked trails range from one-mile walks on level roads to 10-mile walks in strenuous terrain. The lower parts of the Llugwy Valley offer forests reminiscent of temperate rainforests with a thick cover of moss and lichens on the trees and on ground. Another speciality is the exploring of old mines and quarries, many of which are partly (and safely) accessible.
- Narrow-gauge railways. Betws-y-Coed is a great base for exploring the Great Little Trains, narrow-gauge heritage railways found all over North Wales. Apart from the railway museum the Conwy valley line itself is quite interesting, and provides access to Blaenau Ffestiniog with the Ffestiniog Railway and the mine tramways of the Llechwedd Slate Caverns as well as to the Chester to Holyhead mainline via Llandudno Junction. Sherpa bus S2 provides easy access to Llanberis with both the Snowdon Mountain Railway and the Llanberis Lake Railway (1 proper railway, 3 narrow-gauge heritage railways and 4 smaller mine or model tramways).
- Zip World Fforest, +44 1248 601 444. Open every day, except closed Tu and Th in winter. One of three Zip World attractions in the area (the others are in Bethesda and Blaenau Ffestiniog), this is located in the forest. The 'Zip Safari' is a treetop journey along 23 zip lines and other rope courses, and the Junior Tree Trail is its kid-friendly cousin. 'Plummet Tower' is a 31 m climbing pole and parachute simulator (basically you climb to the top then jump off - great fun!). Other attractions include a giant swing and, new for 2017, the 1 km Fforest Coaster. Prices vary by attraction, though Zip Safari is £40 p.p. / £140 group of four. Junior Tree Trail is £12.50 per child.
Mountain Biking. Check out the Marin and Penmachno Trails.
Gwydyr Forest, Betws-y-Coed. The Gwydyr Forest is one of the first Forests of Wales to be planted by the Forestry Commission and covers approximately 72 square miles. Much of it was planted in the early 1920s. There was a certain amount of natural regeneration of wild species growing up to the 1,000-foot tree level many hundreds of years ago. As time has advanced much of the traditional forestry work has declined and more emphasis is being put into recreation, cycle routes, bridleways and picnic spots. Timber production is being harvested each day, and as more areas get clear felled they are planted up again with more native species of oak, beech and rowan. The forest surrounding Betws-y-Coed is rich in both marked and unmarked trails. The marked trails range from one-mile walks on level roads to 10-mile walks in strenuous terrain. The lower parts of the Llugwy Valley offer forests reminiscent of temperate rainforests with a thick cover of moss and lichens on the trees and on ground. Another speciality is the exploring of old mines and quarries, many of which are partly (and safely) accessible.
Narrow-gauge railways. Betws-y-Coed is a great base for exploring the Great Little Trains, narrow-gauge heritage railways found all over North Wales. Apart from the railway museum the Conwy valley line itself is quite interesting, and provides access to [[Blaenau Ffestiniog]] with the Ffestiniog Railway and the mine tramways of the Llechwedd Slate Caverns as well as to the Chester to Holyhead mainline via [[Llandudno Junction]]. Sherpa bus S2 provides easy access to [[Llanberis]] with both the Snowdon Mountain Railway and the Llanberis Lake Railway (1 proper railway, 3 narrow-gauge heritage railways and 4 smaller mine or model tramways).
Zip World Fforest, +44 1248 601 444. Open every day, except closed Tu and Th in winter. One of three Zip World attractions in the area (the others are in [[Bethesda (Wales)|Bethesda]] and [[Blaenau Ffestiniog]]), this is located in the forest. The 'Zip Safari' is a treetop journey along 23 zip lines and other rope courses, and the Junior Tree Trail is its kid-friendly cousin. 'Plummet Tower' is a 31 m climbing pole and parachute simulator (basically you climb to the top then jump off - great fun!). Other attractions include a giant swing and, new for 2017, the 1 km Fforest Coaster. Prices vary by attraction, though Zip Safari is £40 p.p. / £140 group of four. Junior Tree Trail is £12.50 per child.
There are a number of outdoor clothing and equipment shops and also some shops selling local crafts. Comparative to the size of the village the number of outdoor clothing and equipment shops is large (5–6), but otherwise there is nothing special to get which can't be purchased in similar shops otherwise. A few shops sell slate specialty products and souvenirs, but in general Llanberis (Welsh Slate Museum) and Blaenau Ffestiniog (Llechwed Slate Caverns) are better choices for slate.
Compared to the number of hotels and B&Bs and the number of visitors seen on a summer weekend, there are relatively few restaurants—most of them part of a hotel, and most of them serve only classic Welsh food or have a bar menu. There is one Chinese restaurant and one Indian.
- Tŷ Gwyn Hotel & Restaurant, +44 1690 710383. Bar and restaurant in 18th-century coaching inn, big portions, excellent food and service. Booking advised.
- Pont-y-Pair Hotel, Holyhead Rd (Centre of Betws-y-Coed opposite Pont-y-Pair bridge, +44 1690 710377. Reasonably priced bar food in a traditional pub as well as a restaurant.
- The Royal Oak Hotel. Large hotel, central and well equipped. A bit pricey. Has 3 restaurants of fair quality; all have standard Welsh cuisine:
- The Royal Oak Restaurant is a classic hotel restaurant with good but traditional and somewhat pricy menu.
- The Grill Room right next to the restaurant is a tad cheaper, and have more grill dishes on the menu—quite good. Full on Fridays and Saturdays.
- The Stables is a bar with both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is a subset of the menu from the Grill Room, but a few quid cheaper. Can be quite full Fridays and Saturdays.
Tŷ Gwyn Hotel & Restaurant, +44 1690 710383. Bar and restaurant in 18th-century coaching inn, big portions, excellent food and service. Booking advised.
Pont-y-Pair Hotel, Holyhead Rd (Centre of Betws-y-Coed opposite Pont-y-Pair bridge, +44 1690 710377. Reasonably priced bar food in a traditional pub as well as a restaurant.
The Royal Oak Hotel. Large hotel, central and well equipped. A bit pricey. Has 3 restaurants of fair quality; all have standard Welsh cuisine:
- The Royal Oak Restaurant is a classic hotel restaurant with good but traditional and somewhat pricy menu.
- The Grill Room right next to the restaurant is a tad cheaper, and have more grill dishes on the menu—quite good. Full on Fridays and Saturdays.
- The Stables is a bar with both indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is a subset of the menu from the Grill Room, but a few quid cheaper. Can be quite full Fridays and Saturdays.