The Most Beautiful Welsh Scenery of Llyn Y Fan Fach I Never Knew Existed

Llyn Y Fan Fach is a lake in South Wales (UK) and lies at an altitude of approximately 1,660 feet. It is part of the Brecon Beacons National Park and offers some of the most stunning views I have ever experienced. I literally had no idea that a place such as this one was only a few hour drive from where I have lived for almost 15 years.

After visiting the Black Mountains for the first time earlier on this year, and falling in love with Pen Y Fan, I didn’t think it was going to be possible to beat the views somewhere else. When I found out about Llyn Y Fan Fach, that was it! The trip was booked and planned for our next day off together. I was so excited to experience the beautiful scenery in person, I couldn’t sleep the night before. I am like a little child going to a Disneyland when it comes to travelling to places I have never been to before and Chris could tell you all about it! I am always up super late the night before, doing every bit of last research about the distance, roads, parking, walking routes, weather forecast, finding about all the best places to see, you name it! I then can’t sleep with excitement and I’m also up super early to prepare our backpacks, making sandwiches, tea/coffee, packing fruit and snacks, etc.

I always enjoy travelling to Wales! It is 100% my favourite place to go to. The roads, including motorways, always seem half empty and for some reason I find that Welsh drivers are very careful and respectful to other people on the road. Or is that just me? Plus, the scenery and views, once you get into the valleys, is second to none! It always gives me movie vibes, driving up and down the green mountains, surrounded by sheep whichever way you look.

How do you get to Llyn Y Fan Fach?

The carpark definitely isn’t difficult to find if you follow google maps but I am not going to lie, it is a bit of a bumpy drive, and especially the last I’d say 5 miles. The postcode you want to use is SA19 9UN which takes you to Llandeusant, a free gravel car park where the walk starts. One thing to be mindful of is that the road leading to the car park is very narrow and the road surface extremely uneven. It can be challenging to pass upcoming traffic and you might be required to reverse into a couple of bushes. I don’t want to scare you but if you aren’t a very confident driver, maybe let the other vehicle to do the manoeuvring instead. Also remember, that you are in Wales where sheep run pretty much free, so be careful and drive slowly in case they suddenly run out in front of the car.

Once you’re parked up, start walking up, following the path along the stream, Afon Sawdda.

There are two lakes to see: Llyn Y Fan Fach and Llyn Y Fan Fawr, depending on whether you decide to take the shorter or longer route. The full walk around both lakes is roughly 4 miles long and although it’s all up the hill, it is very manageable. As long as you are used to walking and you have the right gear on, you will be absolutely fine, unless you are very unfit. Also, just take your time. The views are breathtaking and we loved just stopping and taking it all in ever so often.

When you reach Llyn Y Fan Fach, I recommend taking a little break, sit down by the water, maybe get a snack or just have a walk around the lake and just appreciate the beautiful scenery. You will honestly feel like you are in a different part of the world or in one of The Lord Of The Rings movie scene.

When you decide to carry with your walk, take the path to the right of the lake to ascend the ridge, following the gravel trail.

Llyn Y Fan Fach is the smaller of two lakes within this mountain massif. The slightly larger Llyn Y Fan Fawr is about 2 miles to the east, which we decided not to walk up to in the end because of the time of the day and our 3 hour journey home on top of it.

Tips for hiking trips like this one:

Check the weather in advance, good pair of walking/hiking boots, comfy shoes for driving or changing into if needed, good socks, variety of clothing (shorts, fleeces, hats, sun glasses), plenty of water to drink, lunch, snacks, check the route to give you an idea which direction you are going, fill up your car with petrol, check tyre pressure for long distance driving, flask with hot water/tea/coffee, fully charged phone, phone charger for the car if you’re using sat nav in your phone, toilet roll (you never know), but most importantly, try not to have an argument with the person you are travelling with before setting off to ensure a quality time together :-).

Thank you for reading x x