Activity and adventure itinerary in South and Mid Wales, The Cambrian Way

Cardiff International White Water is situated at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay. For a thrilling water sports adventure they offer white water rafting, indoor surfing, air trail, hot dogging, gorge scrambling, river boarding, paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking. They also provide bike hire if your clients would prefer to cycle the Cardiff Bay Trail. There is a drop off point for coach parties.

Taff Valley Quad Bike and Activity Centre is located on a Welsh hill farm near Cardiff, offering outdoor activities such as quad biking, assault course, archery, laser shooting and clay pigeon shooting. Helicopter landing is available. Access to the centre is not possible for vehicles of more than 29 seats. For larger groups, contact the centre to discuss other options.

Alternatively, visit Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs where clients can participate in a number of water sports. Breakfast and lunch is offered at the café in the visitor centre which has spectacular views across the reservoirs. There are also 3 miles (5 km) of circular paths around the reservoirs, with a woodland story trail and a bird hide.

Another option could be to include a thrilling adventure at Zip World Tower, the first Zip World to open in South Wales. It is located in the Rhigos Mountain range, overlooking Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, at the old Tower Colliery coal mine. Your clients can brave Phoenix, the fastest seated zip line; Tower Coaster, Europe's unique 0.6 miles (1 km) side by side coaster track and Tower Climber, the three storey outdoor activity adventure which has 69 obstacles and adventures to tackle. A bar and bistro is available on-site.

BikePark Wales is the UK’s first full scale mountain bike park with a network of trails for riders of all abilities, including beginners. Bike hire, bike shop and café on-site. Half and full day packages are offered for groups of ten or more. Access and parking is more suitable for mini buses.

Walk up Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales at 886 metres (2,907 ft) high. The easiest route to take is to start from Storey Arms but there are a number of routes to choose. There is a small car park opposite but it gets full very quickly. Pont ar Daf car park is nearby.

If you are looking for a less energetic walk, you can visit the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park Visitor Centre at Libanus and enjoy the view of Pen y Fan instead. There’s a tea room serving breakfast, lunches and snacks.

We offer of choice of activity locations today. Goytre Wharf is an eight acre site set alongside the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal. Clients can hire boats for up to 12, one of which has wheelchair accessibility, canoes or cycles. Or for a more leisurely day, they also offer walking routes or places to fish. A canal-side café and coach parking is available. 

There are many land and water activities at Llandegfedd Lake Visitor Centre. The 400 acre site offers sailing, boating, stand-up paddleboarding, raft building, canoeing and kayaking at the Watersport Centre. There's also fishing, walking and adventure golf, and leaflets, permits and clubs can be picked up at the visitor centre. There is a restaurant onsite offering views of the lake.

Llangorse Multi Activity Centre offer a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities on-site including rock climbing, bouldering, rope bridges, caving, abseiling, Sky Trek challenge, horse riding and more. The Base Camp Café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The centre offers tailor-made full and half day programmes at group rates. Access to the centre is via a country lane, so more suitable for minibuses.

Elan Valley, known as ‘the Lake District of Wales’ – a Victorian fantasy landscape of stone dams and immense man-made lakes. Learn about the building of the dams and what else the area has to offer at the Visitor Centre. A café, tea room, a gift shop and cycle hire are available. Visitors can choose to just visit the centre or spend longer around the estate which is ideal for walking, cycling, driving and angling. Coach parties will benefit from contacting the centre prior to the visit as they provide a coach operators pack. They also offer a dedicated ranger for a guided tour of the estate. Free refreshments are provided to the tour guide and coach driver. The road around the valley is narrow and coaches must therefore follow a clockwise route.

Alternatively, walk part of Glyndwr’s Way, a long distance walking trail with a variety of routes and distances. The trail starts at Knighton and ends in Welshpool, includes Llanidloes along the Cambrian Way and then diverts off the route onto Machynlleth. This section is approximate 16 miles (25 km). Itineraries are available on the website.

Possible options to end your tour include:

An outdoor adventure with Bala Adventure and Watersports. Options include canoeing and kayaking, climbing and abseiling, archery and camp craft, mountain biking, windsurfing, sailing, gorge walking and raft building.

White water rafting on the rapids of the River Trywern at the National White Water Centre in Bala. Rafting sessions are available for one or two hours with a maximum of six clients per raft. Tailor made weekend adventure breaks can also be arranged. There is a café on site and parking is available for minibuses but advance notice should be given for coach parties. Booking is essential.

Cycling or walking along The Mawddach Trail which starts in Dolgellau and ends in Barmouth. The spectacular flat route takes you 9.5 miles (15 km) along a disused railway track and is suitable for wheelchair users. Bike hire is available in Dolgellau at Dolgellau Cycles.

Climb Cadair Idris, translated The Chair of Idris and named after a mythical giant and warrior. If you spend the night here you may wake up as a poet or mad! The shortest route is around 3 miles (4.8 km) with an ascent of 869 metres (2,850 ft).

Mountain biking with Beics Brenin at Coed y Brenin Forest – choose from a variety of routes suitable for all abilities starting form the eco visitor centre. The centre has a gift and craft shop, play areas and a café . Bike hire and a bike shop is available and there’s also a variety of way-marked walking trails.

Exploring the outdoors is fantastic fun, but please ensure that your clients read up on the risks and make sure they are prepared.

• find safety advice for exploring Wales' National Parks and RNLI's safety tips for staying safe on the Welsh coast on the Visit Wales website;
• visit AdventureSmart.uk for information on how to stay safe whilst exploring Wales.