My love of wild swimming started very young, on dipping a toe into the East Coast sea and swiftly running back to our tiny family chalet to warm up and eat sandy sandwiches in a bright towelling robe. I think I simply loved the after effects, that wholesome fresh feeling that comes when the skin has been wet and cold and the contrast of a towelling robe, mug of cocoa and a hug from Mum to get me warm again. The smells of the seaside life are as vivid to me now as back then; I can easily transport myself back there by smelling the 1950s chairs I still have from those days. Playing for hours on Sandilands beach, rock pooling, building sandcastles and chasing the neighbouring chalet kids around while the parents looked on and recovered from the endless work of parenting for just a moment before they reluctantly outed the cricket kit. Now at the age of 41, my own children aren’t keen on sandy sandwiches, and on moving from East to the far West of Wales, they have the run of the Snowdonia hills. Their favourite thing is to make camp in woods and to dip a toe in the streams and rivers- a brisker affair altogether when mountain water falls from high and moves quickly through river basins! Some of my favourite dipping spots I cannot divulge or the whole cohort of world Instagram followers will arrive on my doorstep and trash the place. But I can tell you about Dolgoch Falls, a fabulous set of waterfalls running through thick Oaken woodland and endless mossy banks, a five minute drive from Snowdonia Hideaway our beautiful self catering barn conversion. Click here to book for 2-6 people or give us a call for the best price.

Tal y Llyn lake is also a great spot for a swim, the hotel like you to buy a drink after but are very welcoming and supportive of the benefits of wild swimming. There is a bit of weed in the lake, and getting changed can be a rather public affair, but once submerged, its the best infinity pool in the world as you literally swim for the mountain of Cadair Idris. A couple of swim and triathlon events are held here every year and the water becomes a splash of colour as pink, green and orange swim hats make to complete in their best PB. The Dyfi Valley also has some great waterfalls and rivers, which is half an hours drive from Snowdonia Hideaway and we also love to paddle at the base of Cadair Idris, a perfect spot for family picnics.

There are lakes and rivers a plenty in Snowdonia which make the perfect wild dipping spot, but we also have some beautiful unspoilt beaches in the South of the National Park. Tywyn our local beach is a long, sandy stretch which occasionally shows the roots of an ancient forest once used for peat fires. We like to walk from Tywyn to Aberdyfi and take lunch in Coast Deli Diner or Medina, then catch the train or bus back, dipping along the way as it takes our fancy. Aberdyfi is a bustling little seaside village with all you need for a great day out- locally made ice cream, clothing shops, pubs, restaurants and RNLI launch. Buy a crabbing net and spend an afternoon watching them crop from your line or jump the jetty at high tide (check with the coast guard if you’re not used to doing this). Lesser known, the Broadwater is also a lovely spot where the river meets the sea and a pebbly beach opens out to vast water. There is always a quiet spot to be found in Snowdonia. Come and stay and we can tell you more. Warmest, Katy and family

• The slate landscape of Northern Gwynedd, very close to Snowdonia Hideaway has today been awarded UNESCO world heritage accolade, making it the 32nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UK, joining the likes of the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon National Park and Machu Picchu. The announcement as a huge achievement and testament to the importance of Wales’ slate mining heritage.

The landscape has become the UK’s 32nd UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the 4th in Wales, following the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Blaenavon Industrial Landscape and the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.

The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, which runs through Gwynedd, became the world leader for the production and export of slate in the 1800s. Slate has been quarried in the area for over 1,800 years and had been used to build parts of the Roman fort in Segontium in Caernarfon and Edward I’s castle in Conwy, however it wasn’t until the industrial revolution that demand surged as cities across the world expanded with slate from the mines at Gwynedd being widely used to roof workers’ homes, public buildings, places of worship and factories.

By the 1890s the Welsh slate industry employed approximately 17,000 workers and produced almost 500,000 tonnes of slate a year, around a third of all roofing slate used in the world in the late 19th century. The industry had a huge impact on global architecture with Welsh slate used on a number of buildings, terraces and palaces across the globe including Westminster Hall in London’s Houses of Parliament, the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Australia and Copenhagen City Hall, Denmark. In 1830, half the buildings in New York had roofs made of Welsh slate.

Centuries of mining in the area transformed the landscape on a monumental scale with the inscription reflecting the important role this region played in ‘roofing the 19th century world’.

If you would like to experience the wild beauty of this precious landscape, we would be very pleased to host you at Encil Eryri, a stones throw from castles of Harlech and Castell Y Bere and a short drive to the slate quarries of the north.

As the vaccination program ramps up and we begin to feel like normal life can resume, many people are reflecting on the past year and processing the trauma of events. With staycation options opening up, it’s time to peek out from our screens, venture beyond our front doors and indulge in some long-awaited ‘me’ time. Whether you have been working flat out in a care role, shielding at home, home schooling children or isolated from loved ones, the pandemic has had significant effects on the majority of us. One of the ways to process the year is to take time out for you on a retreat. Retreating can give you the time and space to connect ‘Healing retreats offer a rare combination of relaxation and enjoyment with regeneration and powerful transformation, making them the perfect counterbalance to the hectic pace of daily life,’ says Katy Jones owner of Snowdonia Hideaway, a bespoke retreat company in the Snowdonia National Park ‘Unplugging from our various devices, as well as the weight of our cares and responsibilities – even for a few days – can pay enormous dividends for our mental and emotional health.’

Yoga and meditation not your thing? Then why not learn to sketch, start writing that first novel, try your hand at bushcraft or take a punt at stand-up paddleboarding? Discover your creative side with a week at Snowdonia Hideaway with daily meditation, therapies and art & writing materials and exercises provided. Their Yoga+Creativity retreat combines daily yoga and meditation classes with sketching and mindfulness photography projects to help you access and channel that untapped creative energy. If you want to delve deeper and experience the healing process of Mind Body Centring and Somatics, a wonderful way to process embodied trauma and allow the soul to heal, Snowdonia Hideaway has one of the top UK therapists on hand to support you with one to one therapy sessions.

There’ll be plenty of opportunities to scour the beautiful surrounding countryside for inspiration too – a walking tour, museum and castle visits, a private SUP paddleboard session, a spa day, and gin tasting can all be included. No previous experience with art or yoga is required – just comfy clothes and an open mind.

Retreats can include: Yoga, meditation & mindfulness, reiki, BMC, somatic movement therapy, reflexology, massage, SUP, walking, local seasonally cooked food in local restaurants, beauty treatments, visits to local museums, castles, mountain biking centres, and gin distillery.

To enquire about creating your bespoke retreat please get in touch. Prices start at £395 per person for a long weekend and £895 for a week.

The Seabreeze in Aberdyfi (01654767449) offers a more formal dining experience with a focus on local beef and seafood. There’s always a catch of the day on the blackboard and some good suggestions for wine to accompany. If you’re looking for a good restaurant in Snowdonia, they will not disappoint. We had the most wonderful experience at Seabreeze for our recent wedding anniversary. The atmosphere is wonderful and the decor and layout was tastful. Staff were super friendly and helpful, I had the beef cheeks and they were so beautifully cooked and the sauce just wonderful and Aled had the fish of the day which was perfect. We have also been for an earlier family sitting at 6pm with the kids and this works well, with some mini versions of menu items for the children. We know quite a few Family friendly restaurants in Snowdonia, just ask for more information if you’re staying with us.

On the cafe/bar front, Coast Deli Dining (01654767470) in Aberdyfi is a good bet, with excellent coffee and some good local specialities and imaginative food to try. We ate an excellent lunch for the whole family there after booking in advance as Coast is justifiably popular and quite bijou! The table was ready on arrival, the service was efficient and friendly and the food portions were generous and tasty. What more could you want after a cold wet winters walk along the beach. We will certainly be back.

If you’ve walked Cadair Idris, there is a good restaurant at the base from Minfordd side, called Tyn Y Cornel. A roaring fire and lakeside views make this quite a beautiful place to either stop and drink a hot chocolate or tea outdoors, or for a more formal dining experience indoors. I tend to go wild swimming in the lake in summer and as it is owned by the hotel, I like to make them aware and pay for a drink after to warm up. It’s rather a public affair with the cars going by, but once you’re in the views are just spectacular, right up the valley towards Dolgellau.

And last but not least, one of my favourite coffee shops in Snowdonia is T H Roberts in Dolgellau, just off the main square, you don’t need to ring to book. Meg the owner and her crew always make us feel welcome, however busy, with a large range of home baked cakes and brownies, excellent coffee and herbal tea and a nice map of the world and games to entertain the kids.

If eating out isn’t your thing, we can also select a pick of local Welsh ingredients and provide recipe cards during your stay or direct you to some of the best bakers, butchers and greengrocers in the area.

A beautiful bright Spring morning and I have time to spare; which mountain to climb in Southern Snowdonia National Park? I sit down with my Snowdonia National Parks OS walks map which now has quite a few highlighter marks on it. Do I want something leisurely with great views, The Panorama walk perhaps which takes in scenery of steep mountain pastures, glacially formed lakes and has some nerve -wracking drops. Or perhaps a fresh flat sea walk from Tywyn to Aberdyfi, usually taking 2-3 hours with a nice stop at the Deli for a coffee and handmade cake or Welsh Rarebit (posh cheese on toast) and catching the bus back to Tywyn. Then there’s the spectacular Dolgoch waterfalls walk, or Aberganolwyn quarry walk, quite easy rambles with some medium gradients and good tree cover. No, I will save those for a rainy day or time with the family.

Today I have 5 hours to myself and the good company of a friend in good health- it has to be Cadair Idris, a fantastic mountain ascent with wildlife galore and a good peak from which to survey the land below. We start our adventure with a picnic, map and spare rain coats in our bags and begin from Minfordd car park. A small charge payable by card to leave the car here, and handy toilets to use, plus an electric car charging point. We take the beautiful winding path through oak lined terraces and pass by a gentlly flowing river, which as we near the top, we realise is fed by a waterfall. Taking the steps to the left of the tumbling water, we ascend steep steps up the valley and think about the glamping with hot tubs will be returning to after. As we reach the brow of the hill, we stop to admire the landscape, a deep glacial valley- one of the best walks in Snowdonia and certainly better than walking the over-trodden Snowdon mountain pass with 100 other tourists. I survey the Snowdonia National Parks walks map I have and ascertain the correct direction- onwards to Llyn Cae! The walking becomes flatter with a gradual ascent and we reach the most pristine blue lake sitting below a semi circular mountain range.

We’ve seen only two other walking parties all morning and it is a luxuriously quiet walk in Snowdonia. We sit and take in the still water of the lake, the two seagulls flying high on the air currents, and in the distance, a small speck of a human on the of summit above. From here reaching the summit of Cadair Idris should take no longer than two hours and if we push ahead, maybe one. We take a drink and have a chat for 20 minutes. The weather looks OK, a little mist on the top, so well prepared with rain coats and compass we continue. Where does the name “Cadair Idris” come from you may be asking? The mountain is said to be named after the giant “Idris” who made his home here and protected the tiny mountain flora (purple saxifrage) from other mountain giants by throwing rocks at them. Idris sat down at the top of the mountain and this is why the summit is reasonably flat in appearance.

Mont Blanc is a mountain on the border between France and Italy. It has an elevation of about 4,800 meters. It’s name means “White Mountain”.

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