Llyn y Gadair

The walk down to Llyn y Gadair from the Beddgelert area is steep and rocky enough that you'll want proper boots, but the payoff is real. This is a proper mountain lake - dark water, sheer rock faces, and the kind of silence you don't get near car parks. The whole thing takes about ninety minutes return from the village, which means most families won't struggle with it, though younger kids might find the descent a slog on the way back.

It's the sort of place walkers actually come for rather than day-trippers. The views across the water to the surrounding peaks are genuinely dramatic, and on a clear day you can see why the early maps called this the Chair of Gwynedd. No facilities up here - bring water and snacks - but that's rather the point. It stays quiet because people have to earn it.

If you're basing yourself at Ty'n Llan Camping near Beddgelert, this makes a solid half-day venture combined with exploring the village itself, which sits on decent walking territory. The lake isn't somewhere you'd plan a holiday around, but it's the sort of diversion that turns a standard park break into something with a bit of genuine mountain atmosphere. Free to visit, naturally. Go early to avoid any crowds, and absolutely don't attempt it in wet weather unless you're confident with scrambling.