Visit the 10 Beautiful Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons Wales

Just an hour out of Cardiff is a beautiful place to connect with nature and explore, the Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons.

This area has numerous walks across the hills and to the top of South Wales’s highest mountain, Pen y Fan.

The Brecon Beacons is also known as Waterfall Country, with numerous waterfalls and trails.

I’ve visited the following waterfalls, but there are more, and a visitor centre should be your first stop to get directions and what to do and weather conditions.

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If you are travelling around the United Kingdom, the best way is by car. Not only do you get to see more but you will find more hidden gems that the average traveller doesn’t see.

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Waterfalls in the Brecon Beacons

Four Falls Trail

Right in the heart of Waterfall Country, the Four Falls Trail would be the most popular and well-known falls in the Brecon Beacons.

There are three car parks to get to these waterfalls. Clun-Gwyn is the smallest on the side of the road, with about eight parks. From here, it takes you to the other side of two of the waterfalls, Sgwd Clun-Gwyn and Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn. I didn’t park here, so I don’t know anything about the track.

This track also takes you to the Cwm Porth car park, where you can pick up the trail to the other waterfalls and the other side of the two you may have visited. There is also the Porth yr Ogof cave near this car park.

This car park has a shop for maps, food and drink, and an information officer for advice and directions. There are toilets, and this is a pay-and-display car park with picnic facilities.

Once again I didn’t use this car park but went around to the other car park Gwaun Hepste. It is also a pay and display and has a picnic area.

The start is down a road which then turns into a track closer to the waterfalls. This track has markers with reference points if the Rescue or Ambulance is needed. The trail from here is 5.5 miles or 9kms return and is posted as strenuous.

The track itself is a road until you turn off down a narrower road. It’s about 20 minutes from the turnoff to the first waterfall, and it’s all downhill. Remember, back to the car park will be all uphill and steep in parts.

When you get to marker 11, you can either go left to Sgwd yr Eira and go around clockwise or straight ahead to Sgwd Clun-Gwyn and go around anti-clockwise.

Sgwd Clun-Gwyn

I went to Sgwd Clun-Gwyn first, and when you go off the track, you have a very rocky path down to the waterfall.

Once you are down, you have a great view of this waterfall. Unfortunately, it’s not a clear view as a broken branch is in the way.

Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn and Sgwd Y Panwr

It takes about 30 minutes to walk down to the next two waterfalls. The track starts to get a bit rougher with roots and rocks, although it is pretty level.

When you get to the turnoff, you will find the track down a bit challenging. It is steep with rocks and steps and is slippery in parts. It’s about one kilometre each way down to the waterfalls.

The path ends right at the next waterfall, Sgwd y Pannw, which I think is the best. You have a great view of the cascading waters as they are so close and you.

From here, you walk back up the river towards the next waterfall, Sgwd Clun-Gwyn. Although this is flat, there are boardwalks, and it gets rocky near the end. I don’t think I got to the end, but the trail did seem to end unless you had to clamber over rocks.

Working back up to the main track is quicker and easier than coming down. From here, it’s only about 20 minutes to the next turnoff to the last falls.

Sgwd Yr Eira

The steps get wet and slippery near the bottom, and then it’s rocky next to the river. You can walk behind this waterfall, although it is wet, slippery and narrow.

Once you’re back at the top, it’s an easy loop back to marker 11 along a gravel road.

This walk took me under 4 hours, and others I had talked to along the way were taking around 4 hours or more.

It’s a great walk, although you need moderate fitness, and the track is too rough to take a stroller or wheelchair on it.

Elidir Trail

The Elidir Trail also has four waterfalls and two car parks.

The first car park starts in the village of Pontneddfechan. Whichever car park you start from, the trail is 3 miles or 4.8 km long.

This track is posted as moderate, but it is still steep at parts, rocky, wet and muddy in parts.

I started this walk from the Pont Melin-Fach car park. It’s only about a couple of miles from the main road, but this road is very narrow. There wasn’t much, if any, room to pull over if someone was coming the other way.

This track is good and flat until you get to the first waterfall. Although it is level, it is still rocky. The first waterfall is Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf.

You can see it from above or take a path down further along the track. You have a great view looking back up from below.

Back on the main track, it doesn’t take long to get to the next waterfall.

When you get just before the bridge, you can go down on the flat bedrock to get an up-close view of the falls.

Once down, you can walk back to the upper falls for a better view. There are also rock pools here full of tadpoles.

Back up on the track, you have the bridge to cross before the path becomes wet, slippery and muddy. Occasional boardwalks help you cross.

The last waterfall, Sgwd Gwladus, is at the turnoff. You can go across the bridge and down to a lookout, or you can turn off before for a better view of the falls.

I didn’t carry on into the village but turned back to the car park.

Pont Blaen-Y-Glyn

This stand-alone waterfall is a bit out of the way south of Brecon but is an easy enough walk to the waterfall about 20 minutes from the car park.

I was told to walk back across the road bridge to a gate and take the track from there. There is a track from the car park, but the best view of the waterfall, I was told, was from the other side of the Caerfanell River.

It is a good track, but in parts, you have wet and muddy crossings as small creeks cross your path. It can also be a bit steep and rocky.

It doesn’t take long to get to the waterfall.

You can go further up the river, but trees obscure the next lot of falls. I turned back to the car park just a bit further up the track.

It’s a nice little walk to a pretty waterfall that doesn’t seem to have many people on it.

Henrhyd Waterfall

Another single waterfall, Henrhyd, is the highest in South Wales at 90 feet. Although out of the Brecon Beacons, it’s still part of the Waterfall Country. You can do a longer track seeing cascades along the river, which is about an hour each way, but the path is steep, uneven, wet and slippery in parts.

It only takes about 20 minutes to get to the falls. You go down most of the way on a gravel track before heading up the stairs and then along to the falls. You then have rocks again to negotiate down to the water.

There is a ledge behind the falls that you can walk around, although it would be wet and slippery, so take care.

Remember, what goes down must come up, and you have a fair walk back up to the car park.

Brecon Railway

Another attraction in the district is the Brecon Railway from Merthyr Tydfil.

The Vintage Steam Locomotive runs along the narrow gauge line from Pant station to the next station of Pontsticill, which has views across the Pontsticill Reservoir.

When I was on this trip, you stop at Pontsticill station for about 35 minutes, enough time to take in the sights and have a coffee break. You can also take walks in the area and catch a later train back.

I did all the Waterfall Country in the Brecon Beacons over two days comfortably. I don’t know what it’s like in the height of summer, but I did this area in the middle of May, and you weren’t bothered by crowds.

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