Best places to run in Wales

• Aberavon Beach

  beach

  Miles of golden sand backed by a long flat promenade, perfect for an easy seaside run or stroll.

• Aberbargoed Grasslands National Nature Reserve

  nature reserve

  Caerphilly's first National Nature Reserve, a southwest-facing slope of rare marshy grassland alive with marsh fritillary butterflies and skylarks.

• Aberdulais Falls

  waterfall

  Rushing cascades of the River Dulais set among cliffs and woodland at a historic tinworks, a fine turnaround point on a riverside walk.

• Aberfan Memorial Garden

  landmark

  A quiet memorial garden on the site of Pantglas school, a poignant start point linking to the Trevithick and Taff trails.

• Aberffraw

  beach

  A historic village beside the vast dune-backed sands of Traeth Mawr, offering flat sandy and estuary walking.

• Aberystwyth Castle

  castle

  A ruined 13th-century Edwardian castle on a headland between the beaches, an easy landmark stop on the seafront promenade.

• Afan Forest Park

  forest

  A 48-square-mile forested valley laced with 14 waymarked circular trails along the River Afan and up to ridgetop viewpoints, on former tramways and railway beds.

• Allt-yr-yn Nature Reserve

  nature reserve

  A wooded reserve with mountain views and trails alongside the Crumlin Arm canal, an easy green loop on the city's western edge.

• Alyn Waters Country Park

  country_park

  The largest country park in the Wrexham area, with well-surfaced riverside, woodland and grassland trails plus a sculpture cycleway along the Alyn valley.

• American Gardens

  woods

  A mid-19th-century arboretum of American conifers within Pontypool Park, a leafy section on woodland-and-folly circular walks.

• Aneurin Bevan Memorial Stones

  landmark

  Four hillside monoliths marking where the NHS founder addressed crowds, a panoramic open spot that also marks the start of the Sirhowy Valley Walk.

• Arthur's Stone

  landmark

  A massive Neolithic burial chamber on the crest of Cefn Bryn, a natural turning point on the open moorland ridge.

• Bailey Hill

  viewpoint

  A wooded Norman motte-and-bailey park above Mold town with a short steep climb to views over the Clwydian hills.

• Barafundle Bay

  beach

  A perfectly curved golden beach backed by dunes and woods, reachable only on foot via a cliff walk from Stackpole Quay and often rated among Britain's best.

• Bargoed Woodland Park

  country park

  A regenerated former colliery site with criss-crossing woodland and riverside paths dotted with stone carvings and sculptures.

• Barmouth Bridge

  bridge

  The longest timber railway viaduct in Wales, with a walkable footway crossing the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary.

• Barry Sidings Countryside Park

  country park

  A reclaimed colliery site with woodland trails and open space that climb into the surrounding mountains, including the route up Mynydd Gelliwion.

• Basingwerk Abbey

  landmark

  Atmospheric ruins of a Cistercian abbey at the foot of Greenfield Valley, the eastern start of the North Wales Pilgrim's Way.

• Beacons Way

  trail

  A waymarked long-distance footpath whose western end starts near Bethlehem and crosses the rugged Carmarthenshire fans, tough and remote walking.

• Beaumaris Castle

  castle

  A moated 13th-century Edwardian fortress and World Heritage Site beside the seafront promenade, an easy scenic landmark to loop past.

• Beechwood Park

  country park

  A 30-acre hillside Victorian park with stream-crossing trails, bridges and distant views over the River Usk and Transporter Bridge.

• Belle Vue Park

  country park

  A large Victorian park gifted to the city in 1891, with landscaped paths and gentle slopes for an easy parkland circuit.

• Big Dipper

  hill

  The highest sand dune in Wales, a short but lung-busting climb from Candleston that rewards with panoramic views over the reserve and coast.

• Bilberry Wood

  woodland

  A mature wood skirting the Hawarden Estate with streams, a corn-mill ruin and rising views over the Cheshire plain, a quiet wooded loop.

• Blackweir

  river

  A weir and pedestrian bridge over the River Taff linking Bute Park with Pontcanna Fields, a key crossing point on city riverside circuits.

• Blaen Bran Community Woodland

  woods

  Peaceful woodland tracks climbing from Greenmeadow toward the reservoir, a sheltered approach to the open ridge above Cwmbran.

• Blaen Bran Reservoir

  reservoir

  Upland reservoirs above Cwmbran reached through community woodland, a rewarding climb with views over the valley and Severn Estuary.

• Blorenge

  mountain

  A flat-topped 559m moorland hill above the Usk Valley, easily reached from Keeper's Pond and circled by tramroad paths through the Blaenavon World Heritage landscape.

• Bodnant Garden

  landmark

  A famous National Trust garden of Italianate terraces and wooded valley trails dropping to the River Hiraethlyn below.

• Bonc yr Hafod

  country_park

  A 90-acre country park on a reclaimed colliery spoil heap, now wildflower grassland and woodland with circular paths linking to Wat's Dyke.

• Borth Beach

  beach

  Almost three miles of flat golden sand backed by a storm-pebble ridge, ideal for a long easy seaside run.

• Brandy Cove

  beach

  A tiny hidden cove with a smugglers' past, tucked along the wild cliff path between Caswell Bay and Pwll Du.

• Brechfa Forest

  forest

  A vast 6,500-hectare forest with waymarked walking and bike trails from Abergorlech, threading riverside and hillside woodland.

• Brecon Mountain Railway

  landmark

  A heritage steam line running the length of Pontsticill Reservoir, with footpaths shadowing the track for scenic lakeside runs.

• Broad Pool

  lake

  A small freshwater pool at the foot of Cefn Bryn and a protected nature reserve, alive with dragonflies and wetland birds.

• Bryngarw Country Park

  country park

  Over 100 acres of meadows, woodland and an ornamental lake at the foot of the Garw Valley, with gentle trails and the start of the railway path.

• Bull Bay

  beach

  A small sheltered rocky cove with dramatic offshore stacks, a pretty pause on the rugged north-east coast path.

• Bute Park

  park

  One of the largest urban parks in Wales, flat tree-lined avenues and an arboretum running alongside the River Taff right beside Cardiff Castle, ideal for easy city loops.

• Buzzard Way

  trail

  An epic 91-mile waymarked route stitching together some of the finest scenery across the South Wales Valleys.

• Bwlch Mountain

  viewpoint

  A high mountain pass and viewpoint above Treorchy looking across three valley boroughs, reached by a tough sustained climb from the valley floor.

• Bwlch Nant yr Arian

  forest

  A forest visitor centre at the head of a dramatic valley with waymarked lakeside and hillside running trails and famous daily red kite feeding.

• Caban Coch

  reservoir

  The first great dam of the Elan Valley, with easy lakeside trails and a dramatic spillway that sheets water across the dam face when full.

• Cadair Idris

  mountain

  A mighty southern Snowdonia massif whose summit Penygadair is reached by the Minffordd, Pony and Fox's paths past glacial lakes and cwms.

• Caer Drewyn

  hill

  One of the best-preserved Iron Age stone hillforts in Wales, on a hill above Corwen reached by a short circular walk.

• Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre

  landmark

  The best-preserved Roman amphitheatre in Britain, a grassy oval you can loop around on a heritage walk through Roman Caerleon.

• Caerphilly Castle

  castle

  Britain's second-largest castle, ringed by broad walkable lakes and moats with a flat, scenic circuit around the walls of about 20 minutes.

• Caerphilly Mountain

  hill

  A 271m upland common rising straight out of town, with a stiff grassy climb rewarded by a panorama over the castle, Cardiff and the Bristol Channel.

• Candleston Castle

  castle

  Atmospheric ruins of a 14th-century fortified manor house sitting at the edge of the dunes, a natural turnaround point on warren and woodland walks.

• Cardiff Bay Barrage

  coastal_path

  A wide waterfront walkway across the barrage between the freshwater bay and the sea, with open views to Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands on the Wales Coast Path.

• Cardiff Castle

  castle

  A 2,000-year-old fortified site at the heart of the city beside Bute Park, an iconic landmark passed at the start of most central river loops.

• Carew Castle

  castle

  A photogenic riverside castle and tidal mill mirrored in the still millpond, encircled by a free, flat one-mile walk popular for an easy outing.

• Carn Llidi

  peak

  A craggy 181m volcanic hill above Whitesands Bay, a short scramble to its top giving the finest seaboard views in Pembrokeshire across to Ramsey Island.

• Carn Menyn

  viewpoint

  A rocky tor on the Preseli ridge famed as a source of the Stonehenge bluestones, ringed by Bronze Age burial cairns and reached on a rugged moorland walk.

• Carnedd Dafydd

  mountain

  A 1044m summit on the high Carneddau ridge, a grassy and rocky high-level traverse linking Pen yr Ole Wen to Carnedd Llewelyn.

• Carnedd Llewelyn

  mountain

  At 1064m the highest peak in the Carneddau and second-highest in Wales, a long rugged ascent with vast plateau ridges and views over the Ogwen Valley.

• Carreg Cennen Castle

  castle

  A spectacular ruined castle perched on a 90m limestone crag with signposted circular walks of varying length climbing to its commanding viewpoint.

• Castell Coch

  castle

  A fairytale Victorian Gothic castle rising from beech woods above the Taff Gorge, a striking landmark on circular woodland routes.

• Castell Dinas Brân

  castle

  A 13th-century Welsh castle ruin on a steep conical hill above Llangollen, a short sharp climb with commanding Dee valley views.

• Castle Woods

  nature_reserve

  Ancient semi-natural woodland on a steep slope above the River Tywi, with paths through veteran trees and famous spring snowdrops up to Dinefwr Castle.

• Caswell Bay

  beach

  A sheltered sandy bay west of Mumbles linked by clifftop paths to neighbouring Langland and the wilder coast beyond.

• Cefn Bryn

  hill

  The sandstone 'backbone of Gower', a broad open ridge rising to 188m with views across both coasts and easy walking underfoot.

• Cefn Coed Viaduct

  viaduct

  An impressive curving 115ft-high stone railway viaduct of 1866 now carrying the Taff Trail, a striking landmark to run across.

• Cefn Manmoel

  ridge

  A broad open ridge dividing the Sirhowy and Ebbw valleys, carrying breezy ridgeway walking with views into both valleys at once.

• Cefn Sidan

  beach

  An eight-mile sweep of flat firm sand backed by dunes, a blue-flag beach giving a long uninterrupted run beside Carmarthen Bay.

• Cefn Viaduct

  bridge

  A grand 19-arch stone railway viaduct striding across the River Dee, a striking landmark looming over the riverside paths of Tŷ Mawr Country Park.

• Cemaes Bay

  beach

  The northernmost village in Wales with a sheltered sandy bay and harbour, a popular start point for rugged clifftop coast walks.

• Cemlyn Bay

  nature reserve

  A National Trust shingle ridge separating a brackish lagoon from the sea, famous for its summer tern colony and remote coast walking.

• Ceredigion Coast Path

  trail

  A 60-mile clifftop section of the Wales Coast Path along Cardigan Bay with high cliffs, sandy bays, sea caves and big ascents between coves.

• Chartist Cave

  landmark

  A remote moorland cave (Ogof Fawr) where 1839 Chartists stockpiled weapons, reached by a rough, navigation-demanding walk across the shakehole-pocked uplands north of Trefil.

• Chirk Aqueduct

  aqueduct

  A 10-arch Telford canal aqueduct carrying the towpath 21m above the River Ceiriog on the Wales-England border, alongside its taller railway viaduct twin.

• Chirk Castle

  castle

  A continuously inhabited 700-year-old Edwardian fortress whose free-to-roam estate offers parkland and woodland walks into the Ceiriog Valley.

• Cilgerran Castle

  castle

  A twin-towered medieval castle perched high above the densely wooded Teifi gorge, with steep riverside woodland paths and dramatic views below.

• Clocaenog Forest

  forest

  An expansive conifer forest and moorland with waymarked trails, home to red squirrels and the source of the River Clwyd.

• Clydach Vale Countryside Park

  country park

  A reclaimed Cambrian Colliery site set between two lakes, with a gentle bottom-lake loop and a steeper climb to the secluded top lake amid wildlife.

• Clyne Gardens

  park

  A celebrated rhododendron garden above the bay with a Japanese bridge and tower folly, linking the promenade to Clyne Valley.

• Coed Cefn-pwll-du

  woods

  A lovely woodland near Rudry with gravel paths, stream crossings and some inclines, rewarding walkers with views over the surrounding hills.

• Coed Llandegla Forest

  forest

  A planted conifer forest on the edge of Ruabon Moors with graded walking routes, a reservoir loop and a moorland view trail.

• Coed Morgannwg Way

  trail

  A 57km long-distance waymarked route from Margam through forest and open moorland with views across Swansea Bay.

• Coed Pen-y-Pigyn

  wood

  A peaceful streamside wood above Corwen leading to a viewpoint with unrivalled views over the town and the Dee valley.

• Coed y Bwl

  woods

  An ancient woodland in the Alun Valley famed for its carpet of wild daffodils, anemones and bluebells in early spring, on quiet sheltered paths.

• Coed y Wenallt

  wood

  A 44-hectare ancient bluebell woodland and SSSI on the city's northern edge with a network of footpaths and the remains of an Iron Age hillfort.

• Coity Castle

  castle

  Substantial Norman castle ruins with walkable grounds, an easy historical detour on flat paths near Bridgend town.

• Coity Mountain

  mountain

  At 578m this broad heather-and-grass summit above Cwm and Blaenavon rewards a tough upland slog with panoramic Heads of the Valleys views.

• Cold Knap

  beach

  A long pebble beach with a wide seafront promenade at the western edge of Barry, ideal for a flat, breezy waterside run.

• Constitution Hill

  hill

  A 130m hill at the north end of Aberystwyth promenade with a steep climb to a camera obscura and views along 100 miles of coastline.

• Conwy Castle

  castle

  Edward I's mighty 13th-century fortress dominating the estuary, a striking landmark beside the quay where walking routes naturally converge.

• Conwy Falls

  waterfall

  Twin falls on the Afon Conwy at the head of the Fairy Glen gorge, the centrepiece of a small ancient-woodland nature reserve.

• Conwy Mountain

  hill

  A breezy 244m ridge topped by an Iron Age hillfort, with a fast undulating crest path and panoramic coast-and-estuary views right above the town.

• Conwy Suspension Bridge

  bridge

  Thomas Telford's elegant 1826 suspension bridge crossing the River Conwy on foot, with castle, estuary and mountain views.

• Conwy Town Walls

  landmark

  Among Europe's most complete medieval town walls, a three-quarter-mile circuit of 21 towers and gates encircling the old town.

• Corn Du

  mountain

  A 873m flat-topped summit crowned by a Bronze Age cairn, usually climbed alongside Pen y Fan on the same exposed ridge.

• Cors Caron

  nature reserve

  The UK's most intact raised peat bog, crossed by an accessible boardwalk and the flat old-railway path with abundant birdlife.

• Cosmeston Lakes Country Park

  country_park

  Two lakes and a reconstructed medieval village in an SSSI south of the city, with flat lakeside loops and easy nature trails.

• Cosmeston Medieval Village

  landmark

  A reconstructed 14th-century village within Cosmeston park, a curious historical waypoint on the lakeside trails.

• Craig Cerrig-gleisiad

  nature reserve

  A dramatic horseshoe of glacial crags forming a National Nature Reserve, with steep slopes, rare arctic-alpine plants and a stiff climb to Fan Frynych.

• Craig Goch

  reservoir

  The highest and most ornate of the Elan Valley dams, the endpoint of the surfaced Elan Valley Trail along a former railway line.

• Craig Ogwr

  cliff

  A line of crags high above the head of the Ogmore Valley with airy ridge paths and big views over the Bwlch mountain road below.

• Craig y Llyn

  hill

  At 600m the highest point of Neath Port Talbot, with sandstone cliffs dropping to glacial tarns and panoramic views over the South Wales coalfield.

• Cribyn

  mountain

  A sharp 795m pyramid peak on the Beacons horseshoe, with a punishing steep pull up its western flank and quieter crowds than Pen y Fan.

• Crumlin Arm

  canal

  A peaceful canal towpath following the historic Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal's Crumlin branch, giving level, easy waterside walking and running.

• Crymlyn Burrows

  nature reserve

  An unspoilt 1,000-acre dune, saltmarsh and woodland reserve on the Wales Coast Path, home to the rare fen orchid.

• Cup and Saucer

  waterfall

  An 18th-century circular cascade waterfall on the Black Brook within the Erddig estate, a quirky landscaped feature on the riverside walking loops.

• Cwm Col-huw

  nature reserve

  A small valley nature reserve descending to Llantwit Major beach, overlooked by the Iron Age Castle Ditches hillfort and a popular access point to the coast path.

• Cwm Gwaun

  valley

  A deep, steep-sided ancient oak-wooded valley carved by the River Gwaun from the Preseli Hills to Fishguard, peaceful and rich in wildflowers and birdlife.

• Cwm Idwal

  nature reserve

  Wales's oldest National Nature Reserve, a glacier-carved bowl whose lakeside loop around Llyn Idwal is one of Snowdonia's finest easy walks.

• Cwm Nash

  valley

  A pretty wooded valley where the Nash brook cascades over shallow terrace waterfalls past an ivy-clad ruined corn mill before reaching the sea at Traeth Mawr.

• Cwm Rhaeadr

  forest

  A waymarked woodland trail whose name means 'valley of the waterfall', climbing through conifers and bluebells to a view of Carmarthenshire's highest fall.

• Cwmbran Boating Lake

  lake

  A pair of town-edge lakes with a flat 3.6-mile loop crossing the River Lwyd, an easy waterside circuit close to the centre.

• Cwmcarn Forest

  forest

  A hillside forest of waymarked walking and cycling trails and sculptures climbing toward the Twmbarlwm ridge above the Ebbw valley.

• Cwmtydu

  beach

  A quiet pebble-and-sand cove with caves in contorted rock, a favourite haul-out of Atlantic grey seals on the coast path.

• Cyfarthfa Park

  park

  Landscaped parkland around a Grade I castle with lawns, woodland paths and a lake, an easy scenic loop in the heart of town.

• Cyrn-y-Brain

  peak

  At 565m the highest point of the Ruabon Moors, a heather-and-bog upland topped by a trig point and the ruined Sir Watkin's Tower folly.

• Dare Valley Country Park

  country park

  Five hundred acres of reclaimed former colliery land with waymarked riverside and hill trails, ranging from buggy-friendly tarmac to a rough plateau climb.

• Devil's Bridge Falls

  waterfall

  A 90m cascade of the Afon Mynach in a wooded gorge, reached by a steep circular trail of 675 uneven steps past three stacked bridges.

• Devil's Gorge

  valley

  A narrow limestone gorge in Loggerheads with a clifftop walkway above the River Alyn, popular with walkers and abseilers.

• Devil's Pulpit

  viewpoint

  A rocky limestone outcrop on Offa's Dyke Path with one of the most spectacular bird's-eye views down onto Tintern Abbey, reached by a sharp wooded climb.

• Dinas Island

  cliff

  A rugged headland (actually a peninsula) circled by a fine coast-path loop from Cwm-yr-Eglwys with high sea cliffs, bays and a stiff climb to Dinas Head.

• Dinorwic Quarry

  landmark

  Once the world's largest slate quarry, now a dramatic stepped landscape of terraces and ruins with public paths climbing through it.

• Dolbadarn Castle

  castle

  A 13th-century Welsh round tower beside Llyn Padarn, a short scenic landmark to fold into a lakeside Llanberis loop.

• Dryslwyn Castle

  castle

  A Welsh-built castle on an isolated rocky knoll in the Tywi Valley, a short energetic climb giving fine views over the river and Paxton's Tower.

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