10 Best Walks in the Brecon Beacons (2025)

Four Waterfalls Walk (Sgwd yr Eira circuit)

Walk behind a waterfall. Seriously. The most magical walk in South Wales.

The Four Waterfalls Walk in the Ystradfellte area is enchanting in the truest sense. The trail passes Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd y Pannwr, and the spectacular Sgwd yr Eira — where you walk behind the curtain of falling water on a rock ledge. The gorge is deep, green, and atmospheric, and the sound of the falls is constant. It's the walk that makes people fall in love with the Brecon Beacons.

Pen y Fan via the Storey Arms (A470 path)

The highest peak in South Wales. Earn the views, join the pilgrimage, and tick the box.

Pen y Fan (886m) is the highest peak in Southern Britain and the most climbed mountain in Wales after Snowdon. The route from the Storey Arms on the A470 is the shortest and most popular, with a well-maintained stone path that's suitable for most fit walkers. The views from the summit — across the Beacons and beyond — are genuinely rewarding. Yes, it's busy. Yes, it's the 'obvious' choice. But standing on the highest point in South Wales is still worth doing.

Llyn y Fan Fach

The most atmospheric walk in Wales. A mythical lake under a brooding escarpment.

Llyn y Fan Fach is the stuff of legend — literally. The Lady of the Lake mythology originates here, and when you arrive at the dark, cliff-ringed lake, you understand why. The walk follows a river valley through remote, treeless terrain before the escarpment of Bannau Sir Gaer (the Carmarthen Fans) rears up ahead. The lake sits in a glacial hollow that feels prehistoric. If you extended the walk along the ridge, the views over the Black Mountain are extraordinary.

Sugar Loaf (Y Fâl Fach)

The perfect introductory peak — distinctive shape, big views, and done in time for lunch.

Sugar Loaf is the Brecon Beacons' most recognisable peak — a distinctive cone visible from across the eastern Beacons. At 596m it's modest in height, but the views from the summit are outstanding: the Black Mountains, Skirrid, Usk Valley, and on clear days, the Severn Estuary. The walk is short enough for families with older children but steep enough to feel like a proper hill walk. It's the mountain that gets people hooked on the Brecon Beacons.

Sgwd Gwladus (Lady Falls) & Elidir Trail

A standalone waterfall walk that's easier than the Four Falls — and the waterfall is arguably prettier.

If the Four Waterfalls Walk sounds too demanding, the Elidir Trail to Sgwd Gwladus is the perfect alternative. The path follows the River Nedd through atmospheric woodland to Lady Falls — a beautiful horseshoe waterfall dropping into a clear plunge pool. The walk is shorter, flatter, and better maintained than the Four Falls circuit. For many people, this is the more enjoyable option.

Fan y Big & Cribyn Ridge Walk

The quieter, more satisfying way to experience the central Beacons — better than just Pen y Fan.

Instead of trudging up the Storey Arms path with everyone else, this ridge walk approaches the central Beacons from the east, taking in Fan y Big and Cribyn before (optionally) summiting Pen y Fan. The ridge walking is superb — airy, grassy, with views in every direction. Cribyn is a more satisfying peak than Pen y Fan (steeper, more dramatic, fewer people), and Fan y Big is genuinely quiet. This is the walk experienced Beacons walkers do.

Henrhyd Falls

The tallest waterfall in South Wales — and the Batcave entrance from The Dark Knight Rises.

At 27 metres, Henrhyd is the tallest waterfall in South Wales. It drops into a dark, atmospheric gorge that was used as the Batcave entrance in The Dark Knight Rises. The walk is short (15 minutes from the car park) but steep, and the setting is surprisingly wild for something so close to the main road. The waterfall is best after heavy rain when the full width of the fall is in spate.

Skirrid Fawr (Ysgyryd Fawr)

Wales's Holy Mountain — a short, steep hike to a summit chapel and legendary landslip.

The Skirrid is one of the most distinctive mountains in Wales — its split profile was supposedly caused by an earthquake at the crucifixion (hence 'Holy Mountain'). The remains of a medieval chapel sit on the summit. The walk is short and steep, with views across to Sugar Loaf, the Usk Valley, and the Black Mountains. It's been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, and the summit has a genuine sense of the sacred about it.

Talybont Reservoir & Forest Circuit

A peaceful lakeside circuit through forest and farmland — perfect for a low-effort day.

Talybont Reservoir is one of the most peaceful walks in the Brecon Beacons. The circuit follows the reservoir shore through pine forest and past the impressive dam, with the Beacons ridges visible in the background. It's flat, well-surfaced, and dog-friendly — the kind of walk where you can switch off and just enjoy the scenery. The forest sections have red kite sightings and the reservoir attracts birdlife in winter.

Hay Bluff & Twmpa (Black Mountains)

The Brecon Beacons' best ridge walk — endless views over the Wye Valley from an ancient escarpment.

The Black Mountains on the eastern edge of the Brecon Beacons feel like a different world. Hay Bluff's escarpment drops dramatically to the Wye Valley, and the walk along the ridge to Twmpa (Lord Hereford's Knob — yes, really) gives you some of the finest ridge walking in South Wales. The terrain is broad and grassy, the navigation easy, and the sense of space vast. On a clear day, you can see across to the Malverns and beyond.