North Wales village paying price for waterfall amongst 'most famous' in Europe
Also known as Aber Falls, the 120ft cascade and its surrounding area have been popular tourist destinations since the Romantic Period in the 18th and 19th centuries. As the waterfall gathers increasing attention on social media, the flow of people wanting to see it has turned into a stampede.
An access road to the falls have now become so busy that the nearby village of Abergwyngregyn can become traffic gridlocked at peak times. Residents complain of being trapped in their homes, unable to leave a village that was home to the last native prince of Wales.
In terms of popularity, the waterfall was ranked 10th in Europe, placing it alongside some of Iceland's iconic cascades. Another North Wales waterfall to feature prominently in the study was Horseshoe Falls on the River Dee in Llangollen, Denbighshire, which was placed 12th.
To arrive at its findings, German travel provider SpaDreams analysed 219 European waterfalls. Search volumes were aggregated from Google, Bing, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and TikTok.
The Hamburg-based company said waterfalls have long held a certain allure. 'Anyone who has ever stood in front of a waterfall knows its magic: the hypnotic roar of the water, the caress of the spray on the face, the feeling of being in touch with the pure energy of nature,' it said.
With a total search volume of 202,330, Rhaeadr Fawr is not the biggest waterfall in Wales but it's regarded as one of the most impressive. Billed as a 'must-visit' attraction, with scenic walks, it's within easy reach of families from Liverpool and Manchester wanting a day out.
The waterfall has attracted celebrity endorsements too: last year model and TV personality Christine McGuiness described it as 'the most magical, beautiful thing I have ever seen' after visiting it on BBC's Pilgrimage: The Road Through North Wales.
As it lies just a mile from the A55, the waterfall is easily accessible. A narrow road winds through Abergwyngregyn up to Aber National Nature Reserve where ticketed car parks are run by Eryri National Park and Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
At busy times, villagers say queuing traffic can snake back all the way to the dual-carriageway.
Cyngor Gwynedd is sympathetic to the issues and has met representatives to discuss solutions. But it said there are 'no easy fixes'.
In the past, Horseshoe Falls (search volume 166,020) has also faced illegal and inconsiderate parking, though enforcement has helped ease the issues.
According to the SpaDreams study, Europe's highest profile waterfall is Rhine Falls in Switzerland (search volume 674,250). One of the Continent's biggest falls, spanning 150 metres, it sees up to 600,000 liters of water per second plunge over a 23-metre drop.
In third spot was 165-metre Marmore Falls, Italy, the world's largest man-made waterfall having been created by the Romans.
Otherwise, seven of the top nine were waterfalls in Iceland, crowned by the majestic Skógafoss (search volume 551,950). Cascading from more than 60 metres, it creates an imposing curtain of water that creates large, rainbow-forming mist clouds.
Other Welsh waterfalls to feature in the European list were Swallow Falls near Betws-y-Coed, Conwy (search volume: 62,660, 36th place) and Henrhyd Falls in Bannau Brycheiniog (search volume: 62,660, 44th place).
One of the tallest in Wales, Pistyll Rhaeadr in the Berwyn Mountains, was ranked 60th with a search voume of 33,120. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits heading on Greece holidays could face extra costs of up to €20 a night
Brits heading to Greece including islands like Santorini and Mykonos will need to pay tourism taxes - and during the peak summer months these can add on a hefty cost Brits who snap up bargain Greece holidays this summer may want to double check their destination's tourist taxes to avoid any nasty surprises when they arrive. Like most holiday destinations, a number of Greek islands have upped their tourist fees which need to be paid on arrival. In Santorini and Mykonos, where you'll find plenty of the more luxurious resorts, those who arrive on cruises between June to September face costs of €20 per night, which will need to be paid at the port. Meanwhile on the mainland, tourists can expect to pay €8.00 per night between April and October, or €2.00 per night outside of this peak season. This is compared to the previous charge of €0.50, making for a huge jump. The new charges have been brought in to reportedly help fund efforts against climate change, as well as improving infrastructure and disaster prevention. It's worth noting that in Greece, tourist tax rates can vary depending on the type of accommodation you're staying in, and whether you're visiting during the peak summer months, or if you're travelling outside of the busiest dates. If you're unsure, get in touch with your hotel or accommodation provider directly, and they can advise you of what fees you'll need to pay when you arrive. Tourist taxes aren't anything new; they're often a few extra Euros a night, and the idea is that the money is poured back into the destinations to combat overtourism by boosting local infrastructure and protecting local environments or heritage sites. Travel experts have warned Brits of a number of price hikes when it comes to tourist taxes, including popular European city break destinations such as Venice, Lisbon, Porto and Amsterdam. As a result, travellers are being urged to check the fees at various holiday destinations so that these are factored into their budgets, even if they have snapped up seemingly cheap holiday deals. Helen Rolph, travel insurance expert at said: 'The concept of a tourist tax isn't a new one, but it is certainly something many more countries have introduced over the last few years. Many of these countries seem to be charging tourists in response to overtourism concerns. This year, Scotland's capital will charge visitors a 5% levy on hotel costs, while Thailand looks set to bring in a charge of around £6.86. "The new and increasing tourist fees across Europe allow cities to fund measures to attract more holidaymakers, support the local infrastructure and businesses, and to prevent damages from overtourism. As holidays surge in price this year by over 10%, we encourage all travellers to look into the tourist taxes in place before booking a holiday destination, to help avoid any unexpected extra costs they haven't budgeted for."
Daily Record
3 hours ago
- Daily Record
The Scottish caravan park 'just a short walk' from one of country's best beaches
One visitor described the views as "second to none". As we enter the middle of July, the summer season is officially halfway over. That means time is running out to book a family holiday before autumn rolls around. When it comes to staycations in Scotland, the only limit is your imagination. Whether you are looking for a quiet woodlands retreat or a fun coastal getaway, you have plenty of options. However, sometimes nothing beats a good old-fashioned caravan park. One new park that has already earned positive reviews from visitors is Melvich Bay Caravan Park. The 25-acre caravan and campervan park is located along the north coast of Sutherland, on the popular North Coast 500 scenic driving route. According to staff, the site is approaching 70 per cent occupancy. Director and local farmer Angus Forbes, who launched the business in March with two co-directors, commented: "Demand from visitors has been exceptional. Customer satisfaction has been overwhelming and we're heading towards 66 per cent occupancy on the site. "We were only expecting 25 per cent occupancy in the first three months. We've even had an enquiry from a couple interested in coming up from the central belt to get married on our park—which is unexpected—but flattering!" Melvich Bay Caravan Park benefits from panoramic views of Orkney and the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies on the outskirts of the village of Melvich, "a short walk away" from the sandy Melvich Beach. As reported by the Daily Record, Melvich Beach was recently named among the best beaches in Scotland by The Times. The newspaper praised the bay for being well-suited to campervans and described it as a "wide curve of ochre sand". Melvich Bay Caravan Park owners launched the business to address a shortage of facilities for travellers on the increasingly popular North Coast 500 route. They hope to grow bookings month by month on reputation, recommendations, and the appeal of its pitches. The park features 30 pitches of 12 square metres for camper vans, motorhomes, and other visitors. It charges £35 for an overnight stay, with amenities including modern toilet and shower facilities and chemical waste disposal. Among the happy visitors to Melvich Bay Caravan Park are Kelvin Pitt, whose Google review describes the outlook of the beach as "second to none". The holidaymaker adds that he would "recommend this site all day long". With demand well ahead of expectations, the directors are increasing their focus on sustainable tourism. In a letter sent to local stakeholders, including Highland and Islands Enterprise and Highland Council, Melvich Bay Caravan Park director Malcolm Morrison calls for the Leave No Trace campaign—which urges North Coast 500 holidaymakers to take their litter home—to be "beefed-up". Morrison wrote: "The North Coast 500's Leave No Trace policy already makes it clear on its website that illegal disposal of waste is unacceptable, but it is the belief of my co-directors and I that a substantially beefed-up campaigning should be developed and broadcast widely throughout the region ahead of this year's busy tourist season." He added: "While thousands of annual visitors to our Highland communities have been an economic boon, the environmental disruption of litter and, worse, recklessly discarded biological waste, has been a rightful source of local complaint."
Time Out
3 hours ago
- Time Out
The best lido in Britain is in south London
After enduring the sweltering heat that has descended upon London this summer, there's only two places that anyone wants to be: in an air-conditioned room, or in the water. Nothing is better on a sunny day than lathering on your suncream and cooling off in a pool – even better if it's outdoors. Luckily, there are dozens of brilliant lidos in the capital so that you can get that beach-feel in the city centre, and without leaving sand in your socks for months to come. Lidos often require pre-booking (unless you fancy an hours-long queue – or getting turned away entirely), so you want to make sure you're going to the best of the best. That's why the AA has decided to do some serious research to figure out the best lidos in the country. The good news? The best lido in Britain is right here in London. The AA was pretty thorough in its search for the nation's favourite outdoor pool. The company combined data from Google searches, Google review scores, amount of Instagram hashtags used, entry and parking fees, average temperature, and hours of sunlight in summer. All that info was then combined to give each lido an average score out of 100. So where should you be heading next time a heatwave strikes? According to the AA, Brockwell Lido, which achieved an overall score of 82.9/100. We're not surprised – it's only been a couple of weeks since we at Time Out reached the exact same conclusion, saying Brockwell is the city's top pool. So what's the fuss about? Regulars love that the lido doubles up as a great spot to sunbathe, and that it features a Grade II-listed art deco building, dating back to the 1930s. It's also home to a cute café you can pop into once you've done enough swimming in the bright blue 50m long pool, and boasts a sauna. The next London lido on the AA's chart was also south of the river: Tooting Bec Lido got a score of 76.4 and placed second overall. Coming in at a whopping 91m, TBL is the UK's longest freshwater outdoor swimming pool, and it's set against a wall of gorgeous colourful changing huts. You will also need to book ahead here to get a swimming slot. Securing fourth best in the country, and third in the capital, was London Fields Lido. Its score of 71.3 was largely due to being one of the warmest in the country, due to it being one of the few heated outdoor pools in the city. Although that may not be necessary at present, it makes for a very pleasant swim most of the time. Hampstead Heath ponds and Hampton pool also made it into the nation's top 10 at sixth and eighth place respectively. Clearly, we're spoiled for choice for great lidos here in the capital.
