Forest bathing in Conwy

The Gwydir Forest fills the hills around Betws-y-Coed and is the heart of forest bathing country in Conwy: Natural Resources Wales conifer mixed with old oak, lakes at Crafnant, Geirionydd and Elsi, and the Afon Llugwy running through it past the Swallow Falls. Downstream, Bodnant Garden at Tal-y-Cafn has the National Trust's Dell, a valley of giant redwoods, and on the coast Coed y Gopa above Abergele is a Woodland Trust hill of beech and pine with sea views.

A guided session in Gwydir is two or three hours in a small group, going slowly, mostly still, under trees that take the edge off even the wettest days. Some guides work from Betws-y-Coed itself, which has a railway station on the Conwy Valley line and woods on every side of the village. Dates, prices and meeting points are on the individual profiles below.

Betws-y-Coed is the place to start if you are new: arrive by train, and the Llyn Elsi path and the riverside walks begin within a few minutes of the station. Bodnant is a gentler alternative, with a National Trust car park, cafe and surfaced paths down into the Dell.