★ 5 · 48 reviews
Lake Vyrnwy is a striking Victorian reservoir surrounded by thousands of hectares of heather moorland, forest and farmland, jointly managed by the RSPB and Hafren Dyfrdwy as a Special Area of Conservation. A 12-mile circular route runs right around the lake, popular with walkers and cyclists, while three well-placed bird hides give the chance to spot pied flycatchers, redstarts, peregrine falcons and — if you're lucky — otters. The shorter waymarked trails from the visitor centre range from an easy 30-minute wildlife walk to a 2-mile route out to Rhiwargor Waterfall, which tumbles over 100ft in dramatic stages at the lake's northern tip. There's a café, shop, toilets and a small cinema showing a film about the reserve near the dam, plus a sculpture trail dotted around the site. Dogs are welcome but must be kept on leads throughout, as the reserve has ground-nesting birds and grazing livestock. It's further afield than most of our recommendations — around an hour and a half's drive from Tywyn via Machynlleth and Llanfyllin — but genuinely worth the journey for a proper day out in the hills, especially in autumn when the woodland colours are at their best.
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