Weekend swim retreat: Plas Weunydd, Eryri

Ella Foote shares her experience of Plas Weunydd, Eryri (Snowdonia) where she met up with local wild swimming guide Vivienne Rickman

While it can often feel like the UK is complicated when it comes to swimming wild and free, there are many places that offer escape, adventure and bodies of water to plunge into. Eryri, formerly Snowdonia, is one of those places! Plas Weunydd in North Wales offers a base for swim adventures, hidden away in the slate hills and with a variety of accommodation options, there is something here for every kind of traveller. As well as glamping tents and a beautiful hotel, you can also check-in to an off-grid shepherds hut. This brilliant location puts you in a prime spot in the National Park, close to a number of swimming spots and also in the centre of adventure with access to Zip World, Llechwedd Slate Caverns and hiking trails.

The accommodation

We stayed in a Barlywdd Sheperd Hut, which is located up in the hills away from the main centre. The off-grid accommodation offers modern comforts, fully kitted kitchen, wood burner and amazing views across the Welsh moorlands; we could even see the sea on one clear morning. The hut would suit a solo traveller or a couple, with a super comfortable double bed.

One of the charms and fun elements of this stay is picking up a complimentary electric buggy on arrival, which you load up with your gear and then head into the hills on an off-road track. It felt like the buggy might not make the climb at times, but we didn’t need to worry and enjoyed pootling up and down the hill over the course of the weekend. Another brilliant perk was the wilderness sauna, which is bookable for exclusive access. It is tucked on the edge of a lake where you can dip and cool off between sauna sessions. No wi-fi, limited electricity and lots of comfort, it was a relaxing experience.

The swimming

There is an abundance of swimming spots. The nearest place to dip is the lake near the sauna, which is a short walk or buggy ride away from the shepherd huts. The coast is about a 30-minute drive from Plas Weunydd and Lake Bala is about 45 minutes away. However, there are also plenty of rivers, waterfall dips, lakes and tarns to explore in the National Park. We met up with local guide and swimming coach, Vivienne Rickman (viviennerickman.co.uk), who not only writes for the magazine but also offers wild swimming experiences and sessions in Snowdonia. Viv guided us on a lovely walk and lake swim not far from Betws-y-Coed and just a short drive from our accommodation. Wild Things Publishing has multiple books about swimming and walking in the local area, too.

The food

The accommodation has a small kitchen with double gas burner, so cooking was simple. With plenty of local produce to buy and take back to the hut, we enjoyed meals with the view. There is also a gas barbecue adjacent to the hut if the weather is fine and dry.

In nearby town, Betws-y-Coed there are plenty of places to eat, pick up supplies or stock up on swim snacks. We had a brilliant meal at Hangin’ Pizzeria.

Best of the rest

Zip World offers a range of experiences that are not for the faint hearted but are immensely fun, including the longest zip line in the UK and fastest zip line in the world. Then there’s the National Park with hikes up mountains like Snowdon. You can also travel to Anglesey for stunning coastal swims.

Our fave thing

Waking up to the views, enjoying hot coffee in the sunshine with the local sheep for company.

With thanks to the team at Plas Weunyd. For more information and to book visit: plasweunydd.co.uk