Aber falls
(Rhaeadr Fawr)
The Aber falls (Rhaeadr Fawr) is one of the mightiest waterfalls in the UK, south of Abergwyngregyn (United Kingdom).
The waterfall is a main tourist attraction and it can be busy in summertime. The Aber falls are easy to reach and the walk is suitable for everybody and the path is well maintained. I even saw people walking with buggy’s (not always that convenient).
PARKING AT THE ABER FALLS
Driving on the A55 between Conwy and Bangor, leave the A55 at junction 13, following the signs for ‘Abergwyngregyn’ and then the brown signs for ‘Rhaeadr Aber’ or ‘Aber Falls’. Follow the road until you see signs for the parking. There are a few medium big parkings and we parked our car at the last one (gps 53.227366, -4.001679). You have to pay for the parking, £5 in 2023. There are two toilets here.
ABER FALLS HIKING TRAIL
The path is well signed but you can’t miss the Aber falls. The trail follows the river Afon Rhaeadr-fawr leading directly to the Aberfalls (Rhaeadr Fawr). After 25 minutes you can see the Aber falls in the distance. After another 5 minutes you have reached the first viewpoint at the base of the Aber falls. I don’t know how to express, but the power of the waterfall was so extremely powerful, wow! There was a spray of mist coming towards the viewing point, so some pictures are a little foggy. It had rained the days/weeks before but this makes the Aber falls my favorite waterfall of Wales.
It gets even better if you cross the wooden bridge and walk up, at the other side, to another viewpoint (see picture above). If I already thought that the waterfall was powerful, at this viewpoint it looked extremely powerful. You have to visit the Aber falls to experience it yourself and I hope it had rained a lot. After my visit the Aber falls belong to my favorite top 5 waterfalls in the UK.
The river Afon Rhaeadr Fawr plunges down over 37 meters and is quit powerful. A little bit to the west there is another (smaller) waterfall called Rhaedr Fach waterfall. You can view this waterfall if you walk the roundtrip trail (see map).
The scenery and the surrounding at the Aber falls is so gorgeous, a perfect spot for a picnic. And so we did, at the wooden bridge we relaxed for a while viewing all those people enjoying the water. Children love playing at the river.
It is possible to swim in the plunge pool (if the waterfall isn’t very powerful), but even in summer the water is cold and the rocks are slippery. So be careful if you go swimming (if it is safe). Maybe there are better pools at the Rhaeadr bach (see map left).
For the whisky lovers, there is a famous whisky named after the falls and you can visit the distillery in Abergwyngregyn on your way back. Nice tidbit: Abergwyngregyn means mouth of the river of white shells. You can find more information at the official website of Aber falls whisky.
There are a few other great waterfalls in Northern Wales but the Aber falls is my all time favorite. If you drive to Betwys-Y-Coed you can visit the Swallow falls or Conwy falls, both very beautiful. Another tall and amazing waterfall is located further east in North Wales and is called Pistyll Rhaeadr, a must to visit.
