Why we love glamping in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

Many people’s first stop when they’re glamping in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) is the famous and deliciously named Sugarloaf Mountain. The walk is a gentle ascent over heather-clad hillsides before a slightly rockier ridge to the peak. For a more strenuous walk, try the equally popular but more challenging peak of Pen Y Fan. The four-mile circular from Pont ar Daf car park is moderate to difficult, so do your cagoule and embrace the challenge.

If you really want to get your heart rate up, a slightly longer Brecon Beacons walk, is the Dragon Back ridge to Waun Fach, the highest peak in the Black Mountains. It starts off strong with an ascent of 650m but the 360 views are breathtaking (if you’ve got any left) and more than worth it. There are no amenities on this route so fill sandwiches and hip flasks with your favourite things. Another great way to explore the Brecon Beacon mountains is by walking Ysgyryd Fawr, aka The Skirrid. The gentlest route is through Pant Skirrid Wood, but there’s also a fun scramble for more experienced hikers up the north face. The Four Falls trail is perfect for those seeking beautiful examples of Brecon Beacons waterfalls, with the trail even passing behind one of the sheets of rushing water.

There are so many opportunities for wild swimming in the Brecon Beacons that you just have to give it a go. Grab your swimmers, head to Horseshoe Falls and dive deep into its plunge pools, or track down the comparatively remote spot on the Nedd Fechan River, parking at Pont Melinfach car park and walking downstream for about 20 minutes. The plentiful picnic and swimming spots make it a classic feature of glamping in the Brecon Beacons.

At Sgwd Gwladys or Lady Falls, you can swim behind one of the most graceful of waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons, if not the whole UK. Sgwd Yr Eira (Snow Waterfall), another on the Four Falls trail, is particularly spectacular after heavy rainfall. Visitors can walk right behind the waterfall as it plunges from a 50-foot high cliff above. In times gone by, this route was used by sheep farmers herding their flock. You’ll now find more selfie sticks than sheep, but the awe-inducing nature is still very much there. High in the Brecon Beacon national park, Llyn y Fan Fach is an immense wild swimming spot, 18metres deep with rumours of a legendary lake nymph and a scenery that sums up what makes glamping in the Brecon Beacons so special.

Call us crazy but we think the best way to end a Brecon Beacons walk is with a wine tasting session and a delicious meal. The Sugarloaf Vineyard at, you’ve guessed it, the bottom of Sugarloaf Mountain, is a fine place to feast on meat, cheese and vegan platters before exploring the gift shop full of extremely local creations. For a guaranteed good time, book a table at the award-winning The Bell at Skenfrith. Thoughtful decor means you relax on arrival and the menu is top-notch. We recommend the sous vide rump of Welsh lamb, confit potato, asparagus and redcurrant jus for your sins.

If the weather turns while you’re glamping in Brecon Beacons, finding the perfect cafe to wait out the storm is key. The Hours Cafe & Bookshop in Brecon, Powys is just that. This stone Tudor building is all cosy corners and bowls of homemade soup. Find thoughtful gifts, a cracking selection of books and a cafe that is, as The Guardian says ‘an environment to invite lingering.’ Perfect. If you’re book buying in Hay On Wye, make a stop at nearby pub The Felin Fach Griffin for a spot of lunch. A daily changing menu built on what is available locally that day, meaning it doesn’t get much fresher, or tastier.

Think glamping in the Brecon Beacons, think outdoor adventure, with plenty of chances to slip into something practical and slightly uncomfortable and go extreme! You’ll find some of the best rock climbing in the world in the Brecon Beacons, with old quarries, overhanging crags and rockfaces galore. The team at Hawk Adventures have been organising some of the best things to do in Brecon Beacons for over 30 years, so their rock climbing adventures are some of the best.

For the water babes, canoeing at Llangorse Lake will bring utter joy. Rent a canoe at the lakeside jetty between 10 am and 2 pm from Easter through to September, or take to another form of transport and explore the incredible Brecon Beacons national park on horseback with taster sessions to full-day hacks at Ellesmere Riding Centre. Confident, accomplished riders can explore the Black Mountains on 2 to 5 days trails. After all that exercise you might feel like taking up a different kind of outdoor activity - lying down. It doesn’t get much better than stargazing at Usk Reservoir and if you’re lucky you’ll see the milky way from its banks. With so much to choose from during the day and so many great places to spen the night, you’ll finish your days of glamping in the Brecon Beacons, with a head full of stories and a body full of pleasant exhaustion.

Glamping in the Brecon Beacons

Walk stunning scenery all day without seeing another soul before returning to your beautiful home; that’s glamping in Brecon Beacons. After a day filled with outdoor adventure, return to a comfy bed, blazing fire and the thoughtful touches only a Canopy & Stars owner would think of.

What glamping means to us

Glamping in the Brecon Beacons is camping with a touch of luxury and without any stress. Connect with nature, take a digital detox and spend time with those that truly matter in an awe-inspiring location. Find remote cabins, perfect shepherds huts and beautiful bell tents when glamping in the Brecon Beacons.

How we choose our places

Canopy & Stars spaces are standout. We only accept 20% of applications and our owners are always passionate about what they do. When you are glamping in Brecon Beacons, rest assured a member of the Canopy & Stars team has visited the space and knows it is special.

About Canopy & Stars

Canopy & Stars are UK-based glamping experts putting sustainability and positive environmental impact at the heart of what we do. Employee-owned and independent to the core, each of our spaces are inspected and selected by a member of our team and chosen for its beauty and location in nature.