Llyn y Graig Wen

The walk down to Llyn y Graig Wen is half the point. It's a proper moorland descent into one of Snowdonia's quieter corners, water the colour of slate, hemmed in by steep hillsides that mean you rarely see another soul. You get there from Blaenau Ffestiniog - that slate-mining town that feels caught in time - and it's the sort of lake that rewards leaving the main paths.

There's not much in the way of facilities here, which is exactly why it works. You're looking at a wild water body rather than a manicured destination. Walkers get the best from it - the routes in from surrounding hills are where the drama happens, with views across the lake back towards the peaks. If you're after a sit-down picnic and a gift shop, look elsewhere. But if you want to feel like you've found somewhere the tourists have missed, this is it.

The lake itself is moorland swimming weather - cold, clear water that sorts out the serious swimmers from the paddlers. Summer's the obvious time, though honestly the light in autumn here is something else. Allow a couple of hours minimum if you're walking in from anywhere; it's not a quick tick-off, and it shouldn't be.

If you're based at Llechwedd Glamping just down the road, this becomes a cracking half-day excursion. The contrast between the wild water and the ordered camping experience works well. It's the sort of outing that breaks up a park holiday without requiring a major journey.