Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping & Eating
The Eagles
( 01960-760177;
www.eaglespenmachno.co.uk
; dm £17; pub 7pm-late Wed-Fri, 2pm-late Sat & Sun; )
A
hand-painted sign of three black eagles hangs above the door of the village's pub, popular
for its cask-conditioned ales and local banter. Upstairs there's simple bunkhouse accom-
modation in nine rooms, sleeping two or four people; there's no sharing, each party gets
its own private room. It's well suited to mountain bikers, with a drying room and secure
bike storage.
HOSTEL, PUB
£
Penmachno Hall
( 01690-760140;
www.penmachnohall.co.uk
; s £75, d £90-95; )
Just past the village on the way
to Tŷ Mawr, this ivy-draped 1860s stone house has three vibrant colour-coded guest
rooms and a separate coach-house cottage for longer stays. 'Yellow' has a sleigh bed but
'Orange' has the best views; they both have claw-foot tubs. Meals are available on re-
quest.
B&B
££
Getting There & Away
Penmachno is 5 miles south of Betws-y-Coed; take the A5 and then turn right onto the
B4406.
From Monday to Saturday, bus 64 heads to/from Betws-y-Coed (10 minutes).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Betws-y-Coed
POP 564
If you're looking for a base with an alpine feel from which to explore Snowdonia National
Park, the bustling little stone village of Betws-y-Coed
(bet-
us-ee
-koyd)
stands out as a
natural option. It boasts a postcard-perfect setting above an inky river, engulfed in the
verdant leafiness of the Gwydyr Forest and near the junction of three river valleys: the
Llugwy, the Conwy and the Lledr.
The town has been Wales' most popular inland resort since Victorian times when a
group of countryside painters founded an artistic community to record the diversity of the
landscape. The arrival of the railway in 1868 cemented its popularity, and today Betws-y-
Coed is as busy with families and coach parties as it is with walkers.
