Best Places for Stargazing in Wales
A look at the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s Dark Sky Map for Wales tells a fascinating story: if you can get away from the population centres in the south, and steer clear of the north coast, then you’re spoilt for choice.
The fact that so much of Wales’ population is clustered around Cardiff, Swansea and the valleys means that most of the rest of the Principality is there for you to explore. In this guide, we’ve hand-picked some of the best places in Wales for stargazing, alongside some superb hiking routes to enjoy while you’re there.
Top tips for stargazing in Wales
If you’re planning a hiking and stargazing trip in Wales, there are a few things to bear in mind before you go:
- Check the weather: a clear night is vital to see as many stars as possible.
- Time your trip right: a full moon can produce a lot of glare, so try and go around a new moon.
- Make sure your route is safe: not all routes in rural areas will be accessible or safe to hike after dark.
Eryri National Park (Snowdonia)
Don’t worry, we won’t get you into an argument about queuing at the summit of Snowdon. The whole of Eryri National Park is designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve, giving you more than 2,000 square kilometres to choose from.
Down towards the southern end of the park, the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog can act as a good base for stargazing in North Wales. The Cym Cynfal viewpoint to the south east has parking and some excellent views across Snowdonia. Look south and east to avoid the light pollution of the town. This route to the north provides an excellent day hike to the top of Manod Mawr at 661m above sea level.
Route: Manod Mawr, Eryri
Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons)
The A465 Heads of the Valleys road acts as a metaphorical boundary for light pollution in Wales. To the south are the villages and towns of the valleys, and beyond them Cardiff. To the north you’ll find the Brecon Beacons and an almost unspoiled skyscape.
We’ve already highlighted the area around Pen y Fan as an excellent spot for seeing the Northern Lights. As an alternative for stargazing in the Brecon Beacons, with much flatter hiking terrain, head west towards the Usk Reservoir and walk a relatively easy loop around the water.
Route: Usk Reservoir Trail
Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape
Travelling across from the north west of England? The Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape is one of the first places you’ll reach that’s out of the reach of the light pollution of Chester, the Wirral and Liverpool.
The centre of the landscape will provide the darkest skies. The local park authority recommends the Moel Famau Bwlch Pen Barras car park as a good stargazing spot. Moel Famau is the highest peak in the Clwydian Range at 551m above sea level and is accessible for most walkers.
Route: Moel Famau, Denbighshire
Llŷn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula on the Irish Sea coast is perhaps an underrated place to go stargazing in North Wales. Much of the attention tends to focus on Pwllheli, but if you carry on past it towards the end of the peninsula you’ll find some wonderful dark sky locations.
The small village of Aberdaron is a good starting point and there are several campsites nearby. This route starts and finishes by Aberdaron beach and gives you plenty of challenging terrain to navigate, alongside opportunities to stargaze from both coastlines.
Route: Aberdaron
Ynys Mon (Anglesey)
With so much traffic crossing Anglesey on the way to Holyhead and the Dublin ferries, parts of the island are not as dark as you might expect. However, there are still excellent stargazing locations if you head away from the busiest routes.
Penmon Point on the eastern side of Anglesey is known for good stargazing and wildlife spotting. This relatively flat route starts there. Look north and west for the darkest skies and avoid the brighter lights across the bay.
Route: Penmon, Anglesey
Elan Valley
The Elan Valley in mid Wales, west of Rhayader, has International Dark Sky Park status, meaning the area is almost completely free of light pollution.
The best walks and stargazing points can be found around the Caban Coch, Penygarreg and Garreg Ddu reservoirs near the visitor centre. This route takes in all three reservoirs and starts and finishes at the visitor centre car park.
Route: Elan Valley, Powys
Pembrokeshire
In the far south west corner of Wales is Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, which has some of the darkest coastal skies in Wales.
Newgale Beach looks west towards the Irish Sea and offers excellent dark sky views, particularly if you head south away from Cawdor Barracks. This stretch of coast provides excellent stargazing opportunities to the north and west.
Route Location: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Gower Peninsula
You don’t necessarily have to travel far from Wales’ urban centres to find dark skies. Just west of Swansea you’ll find the Gower Peninsula, whose western reaches look out over the Bristol Channel away from the city lights.
Rhossili car park is a good starting point for a coastal walk taking in Worms Head and Rhossili Bay. The route can easily be split into two shorter sections if preferred.
Route: Worms Head & Rhossili Down, Swansea
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