Swallow falls

The water here moves fast enough to take your breath away. Swallow Falls, just outside Betws-y-Coed, is a proper waterfall - the kind that thunders down rock faces and kicks up spray that soaks you if you stand too close. It's part of a small nature reserve where the River Conwy does its best work, tumbling through woodland that feels genuinely remote even though the car park is only a short walk away.

You'll need about 45 minutes to an hour here, depending on how many photos you're taking and whether you fancy clambering down to the pool below. The path is steep in places and can be slippery after rain, so proper shoes matter. It's free to visit, which is one of its best features - no tickets, no nonsense, just a natural attraction that hasn't been fussed over too much.

Families with older kids will get the most from this. Younger ones might find the walk frustrating, and it's not the place for buggies. Walkers heading into Snowdonia often stop here as a warm-up or cool-down activity. History buffs won't find much, but landscape photographers will spend longer than planned trying to capture the light through the spray.

Stay at Conwy Valley Touring Park just down the road and you can visit in the early morning when there's fewer people about. The water is coldest and clearest then, too. If you're after somewhere more upmarket, Snowdonia Glamping Holidays sits higher up in the valley and gives you better views across to the mountains. Either way, Swallow Falls works as a half-day addition to any Snowdonia trip, nothing more, nothing less.