Round trip

Lee Davey checks out the Eyri Snowdonia 360 touring route and finds that its pleasures are best absorbed at a slower pace

The beautiful beach at Barmouth

Scotland’s North Coast 500 route has gained plenty of column inches and visitors since its inception, but the Eyri Snowdonia 360 – a 360-mile loop around Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, Anglesey, the Llŷn Peninsula and the north Wales coast – deserves just as much attention in my opinion.

My research suggested it offered all the drama and adventure of a big-ticket route as well as a plethora of campsite options and great access for caravans and motorhomes. With that in mind, I hit the road with my twin-axle caravan to see whether the Snowdonia 360 lived up to its promise, and whether it truly works for Club members with larger outfits.

The snowdonia360.com website describes the route as “a spectacular 360-mile journey... with attractions, food stops, and plenty to explore”. It’s not prescriptive – it’s deliberately open, encouraging you to dip in and out of sections and build your own route by adding detours and stops to suit your interests and touring style.

And that is the key. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey” can be applied here. The 360 isn’t about racing from A to B; it’s about travelling slowly, absorbing the landscape and finding unexpected pockets of Wales that you might otherwise miss.

The Snowdonia 360 website includes themed itineraries, from jaunts for foodies to adventures across and along the Menai Strait, plus a ‘Plan My Trip’ tool which helps you to build your own schedule. But what really makes the route click for Club members is the density of Club campsites and CLs throughout the region.

Travelling from Dorset, my sat-nav suggested the typical M4-M5-M6 run, which is practical but hardly inspiring. Instead, to get into the spirit of things, we crossed the border earlier to join the A470, which reveals lots of dramatic scenery as the miles tick over. We paused near Rhayader for lunch, admiring hills that felt like a gentle overture for the landscape further north. Later, climbing between two towering peaks at Dinas Mawddwy, our ears popped before we descended into Bala, our gateway to the official route.

Trains and beaches

Bala Lake Railway

A short drive from the eastern edge of the Snowdonia 360, Gaer Hyfryd Affiliated Site in Denbighshire is a wonderfully positioned base for tourers. Once pitched, we picked a nearby attraction from the 360 website to visit: the Bala Lake Railway.

Running for four and a half miles along the shores of Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), this narrow-gauge steam railway was an instant hit. The gentle out-and-back ride offered sweeping waterside views and a nostalgic dose of steam heritage – it teed up our holiday perfectly.

The Irish Sea hugs a significant proportion of the Snowdonia 360, so you’re never far from a stretch of sand, and we chose Coed-Y-Llwyn Club Campsite as our next base, in order to visit some beaches. What surprised us, though, was the variety on offer. Barmouth, for example, delivered the classic Welsh seaside experience – offering cafés, arcades, shops and a sprinkling of fairground rides, it’s a lively, family-friendly town where you can easily fill a whole day. Dogs are welcome on the beach here, although there’s a restricted area between the leisure centre and the river from 1 April-30 September.

Further north, Black Rock Sands offers something different; this vast, windswept expanse near Porthmadog was one of the stand-out stops of our entire trip. Unusually, you can drive directly onto the beach, and even during the peak summer holidays there was ample parking.

We visited this pair without the caravan in tow, as some final approaches to Welsh beaches can involve narrow lanes or steep drops; but it’s worth noting that the main roads of the Snowdonia 360 are reassuringly caravan-friendly (as always, make sure you do your own research in advance to check whether any route is suitable for your touring outfit).

Island life

Welsh Mountain Zoo, near Colwyn Bay – ©Welsh Mountain Zoo

Next up was our first ever visit to Anglesey, accessed via the Britannia and Menai Bridges.

Immediately feeling different from the mainland, the coastline here includes lots of sheltered coves and there are plenty of villages to explore. Our base was Penrhos Club Campsite, on the eastern side of the island. Benllech, with its beach café, shops and parking, became our go-to destination and is a favourite with many visitors to Anglesey, thanks to its rock pools and clean sand. The Anglesey section is a superb mini-loop within the wider 360, offering something a little different from the mountain scenery.

Crossing back across the Menai Strait once more, the route follows the north coast, with long stretches of dual carriageway. This is probably the easiest driving section for caravans and larger motorhomes, but you can break it up with visits to the likes of Conwy with its castle or more seaside fun in Llandudno. We chose the Welsh Mountain Zoo near Colwyn Bay, where we learned about its conservation work and enjoyed panoramic coastal views.

On the slate

Slate mine tour at Llechwedd

Major heritage sites also feature along the route. One of the most striking is the Llechwedd underground slate mine. Heading 500m underground, we learned how children once worked 12-hour days in these dark, damp and dangerous caverns. These were sobering revelations for my son, Charlie, who suddenly reconsidered washing-up duty in the caravan.

Llechwedd’s story is told with real depth, and wandering through the underground chambers brings history sharply into focus. Operations started in 1836 when entrepreneur John Whitehead Greaves realised the potential of the hills around Blaenau Ffestiniog. As the industrial slate boom gathered pace, Llechwedd grew rapidly, feeding a global appetite for high-quality Welsh slate.

If you’re looking for adrenaline-inducing fun while you're here, consider a ride on the Titan zipline above the quarry or a subterranean trampolining experience at Bounce Below (see zipworld.co.uk for more information).

Cheap days out

Not a bad spot for a lunch break!

North Wales is wonderfully generous when it comes to free or low-cost fun. While the region is home to some famous hikes, you don’t need to set foot on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in order to feel immersed in the landscape. For every grand summit, there’s a riverbank, lake edge or sheltered valley that’s perfect for a slow afternoon or a picnic. We found one such spot south of Beddgelert on the A498 – a quiet riverside clearing with easy parking and the sort of backdrop you’d happily photograph, frame and stick on the wall. The plan was simply to stop for lunch, but Charlie and I ended up in the river. That unexpected dip has become one of our warmest memories of the trip.

For our final leg, Riverside Touring Park Affiliated Site was a convenient springboard for exploring the northern reaches of Snowdonia. As well as its proximity to Beddgelert and Llanberis – the starting point for a train ride and many a hike up Yr Wyddfa – its position makes it ideal for day trips to places like Nantlle, a picturesque lakeside village. This scenic area holds fond memories for my wife, Helen, who visited often as a child. We spent the last couple of days meandering along smaller roads to visit viewpoints at our own pace, and as we eventually rejoined the A470 south, it struck me just how much the Snowdonia 360 suits slow touring.

This isn’t a route designed to be conquered or completed within a time limit; it’s one you relax and settle into, letting the landscape, history and occasional detour shape your trip. If you’re planning your 2026 adventures, or beyond, then consider this one, where the miles matter less than the moments. The Snowdonia 360 is precisely that kind of trip – varied and full of surprises – one that makes touring so rewarding.

Stop and stay

A group of walkers at Harlech (©Snowdonia 360)

Club and Affiliated Campsites for the Snowdonia 360

Gaer Hyfryd AS: a peaceful base at the eastern edge of the route.

Coed-y-Llwyn Club Campsite: well placed for beach days.

Penrhos Club Campsite: discover Anglesey’s beaches, bays and coastal villages.

Cae Mawr Anglesey Club Campsite: less than two miles from Penrhos, this site is just as good for outdoor fun.

Riverside Touring Park AS: another good northern base with easy access to Betws-y-Coed.

Min Y Don AS: this site in Harlech is good for western Eryri as well as the Llŷn Peninsula.

More to explore

Five other highlights of the Snowdonia 360 route:

Porthdinllaen: take a detour to this picturesque village on the Llŷn Peninsula and enjoy a terrific beach.

Swallow Falls: close to Betws-y-Coed, the falls are one of the most popular attractions in Wales.

Portmeirion: famous Italianate village and the setting for TVʼs The Prisoner.

Bodnant Garden: 80-acre National Trust garden in the Conwy valley.

Castell Dolwyddelan: Llewellyn The Great’s 13th century stronghold with great views of surrounding hills.