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The rocky reaches of the 2,569-foot Moel Hebog are a Snowdonia hillwalking favourite, where the gorgeous views over the mountains and the Llyn Peninsula are complemented by an intriguing cave on the smaller peak of Moel yr Ogof. It’s easy to make the peaks into a circular day hike via the Snowdonia Slate Trail from Beddgelert.
Despite being a major Snowdonia hillwalking hub, Beddgelert is closer to the coast than most people think. Superlative shoreline awaits around Harlech, 14 miles south, headlined by Morfa Harlech NNR’s wildlife-rich dune systems and Morfa Dyffryn’s vast sands. A skyline featuring Snowdonia’s pointed summits and the Llyn Peninsula’s sand-flanked coast edges miles of paradisiacal beach.
Easter through September is the main tourist season, although traveller-friendly Beddgelert is so popular with hikers that most facilities are open year-round. But this does not mean the weather obliges—expect capricious, wet-without-warning weather at any time. July is the warmest month for camping out. Some opt to plan a tent camping trip around May’s Caernarfon Food Festival, 12.5 miles northwest, or September’s Festival No. 6 at the Italianate model village of Portmeirion, nine miles south.