UK Land Expeditions

They say that Wales is 'God's country'. In the book of Genesis "God" built the earth in six days and rested on the seventh, but legend has it that on the eighth He put the best parts of the earth into this little country called Wales. Mind you we are equally sure He woke up on the ninth and said, 'The weather, I forgot about the damn weather!'

Whatever be the case, this Celtic Land of ours is truly blessed with scenic beauty, and nowhere does that beauty shine so brightly as when it's viewed from its mountain tops. From the peaks of Snowdonia to the Fans of the Beacons, or out over the coastline of Pembroke, the scenic vistas that we have are simply outstanding and this gives us some of the best hiking areas in the UK. Visitors to Wales are simply astonished at the quality and quantity of our hiking trails!

Much of Wales' diverse landscape is mountainous, particularly in the North and Central regions. The highest mountains in Wales are in Snowdonia (Eryn) and include Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), which, at 1,085;m (3,560ft), is the highest peak in Wales. The 14 (or possibly 15) Welsh mountains over 3,000feet (914m) high are known collectively as the Welsh 3000's, and are located in a small area in the North-West.

The highest outside the 3000's is Aran Fawddwy at 905m (2,969ft) in the south of Snowdonia. The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) in the South has Pen Y Fan as its highest point at 886m (2,907ft), and are joined by the Cambrian Mountains in Mid Wales.

Wales has three National Parks: Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons and the Pembrokeshire Coast. It also has four 'Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty' (AONB's), namely Anglesey, the Clwydian Range, the Gower Peninsula and the Wye Valley. The Gower Peninsula was the first area in the whole of the United Kingdom to be designated as an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty', in 1956.