Established as the third Welsh National Park in 1957, the Brecon Beacons can lay claim to being home to some of the finest scenery in Wales and southern Britain. Within the parks diverse landscape you’ll find flat topped mountains undercut by sweeping glacial ridgelines which loom high above intensive cave systems and wonderful waterfalls.

Within the parks boundaries are a whole host of waterfalls, rivers, and lakes which are perfect for taking a wild swim or refreshing post hike dip in.

Within this blog I have pulled together a list of some of my favourite, and what I would argue to be, the best wild swim locations in the Brecon Beacons.

I have categorised the locations within the four distinct regions of the National Park and organised them from West to East.

What I will say is these aren’t the only places to wild swim in the Brecon Beacons. There are so many hidden gems situated on rivers and lakes scattered throughout the area, you just have to channel you inner detective and go seek them out.

Several safety tips and things to consider before going wild swimming.

• Choose your spot wisely - Don’t pick locations with fast flowing currents or stagnant water

• Acclimatise first – Spend a minute or two with your legs in the water so your body gets used to the temperature. Cold Water shock is real and it is the cause of many wild swimming deaths.

• Identify an easy and safe exit point – It’s all good and well jumping in but always work out a safe and easy exit point as you don’t want to get stuck in the water or injure yourself climbing out.

• Don’t jump into unfamiliar water – Especially if you don’t know how deep the water is or you cant see what’s underneath the surface. There could be a hidden dangers beneath the surface including fallen trees and branches,  especially in woodland areas such as the Brecon Beacons

• Pack some warm clothes to change into– I suggest a lightweight down jacket and a beanie to quickly warm yourself back up.

• Invest in a mini foam mat - Usually used for sitting on, they make a great padded and insulated item to stand on when getting changed. You can pick one up from £4.99 from Decathlon.

Western Brecon Beacons

Llyn-y-Fan Fach

A majestical glacial lake which is situated beneath the precipitous glacial escarpments of the Carmarthenshire fans.

Having featured in Lonely Planets top 1,000 places on Earth, coming in the top 10 of the lakes category, Llyn y fan Fach is a lake which always pops up in any travel guide to the Brecon beacons and you can easily see why.

Situated at a height of 506m above seas level, the 29m deep lake covers an area of 25 acres (which I have zero concept of) making it perfect for both a casual post hike dip or a full on wild swim.

at the top of the path is windowless rescue shelter (perfect for changing in colder weather) and a dam wall which is the easiest access point into the water. Alternatively there’s a path which goes around the entire lake meaning you can enter from wherever you please.

Before you take a swim in the lake, I would recommend extending your walk and making the short climb up to Waun Lefrith, which is the ridgeline which looms directly above it.

Then if you have a bit more energy in your legs, I’d also recommend continuing around the ridgeline to the majestical Picws Du, before looping back down to the lake for a swim.

The lake can be reached on foot via a gravel single track road from the free car park which is set deep in the Carmarthenshire countryside. For more information on where to park and how to reach both Llyn-y-Fan Fach and Picws Du, check out my blog post below.

Llyn-y-Fan Fawr

This bigger but less appreciated glacial lake is located a further 2km east from Llyn-y-Fan Fach.

Translated to lake on the big hill, it’s the source of the River Tawe and sits beneath the highest peak in the Carmarthenshire Fans, Fan Brycheiniog (802m).

Being slightly bigger than Llyn-y-fan Fach (Fach means small in Welsh and Fawr means big) the lake, which sits at 605m above sea level, is once again perfect for actually swimming in.

The reason it doesn’t receive as much attention is because its a little more difficult to reach, however dont let that put you off visiting.

If you’re visiting Llyn-y-fan Fach you can reach this lake by simply extending your hike. Or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can take up a hike up the Nant-y-Llyn waterfalls to its base. This route passes by several waterfalls which make perfect alternative to have a quick dip in.

Once again if you’re making the effort to reach this lake, make sure you take the time to hike up to Fan Brycheiniog (802m) and take in the magnificent views of the central Brecon beacons.

Central Brecon Beacons

Llyn Cwm Llwch

Nestled in a bowl like glacial valley beneath the highest peaks of the Brecon Beacons, lies the wonderful waters of Llyn Cwm Llwch.

Significantly smaller than those found in the western Brecon Beacons, the two acre lake is perfect for a post hike swim.

You can easily access the lake from the flat but rocky shoreline.

If visiting this glacial lake for a wild swim, it would only make sense to summit the twin peaks of Pen-y-Fan (886m) and Corn Du which loom dramatically above it.

The highest peaks in Southern Britain are a must visit and command incredible views across the national park. Looking east towards Cribyn, the central beacons ribbon like glacial ridgelines weave there way into the distance, creating layers of mountain goodness.

The best and easiest route to the summit which includes a visit to the Llyn Cwm Llwch is from Cwm Gwdi, details of which can be found here.

Blaen-y-Glyn Waterfalls

These are a series of beautiful waterfalls situated on the River Caerfanell near the Talybont Reservoir.

Often overlooked for the more popular and dramatic falls located within waterfall county, the Blaen-y-Glyn waterfalls are a great stop off point for those who are tackling the popular Pen-y-Fan Horseshoe or visiting the reservoirs.

Access between the main waterfalls is via series of quaint woodland trails which links up the two car parks.

There are plenty of places to go from a wild dip here none of which are unfortunately big enough to properly swim in.

My recommendation would be to follow the right hand side of the river Caerfanell upstream from the main Blaen-y-glyn waterfall.

As you move upstream you will find a series of smaller waterfalls and plunge pools which are far more accessible and atmospheric. They will also be significantly quieter and you should have more privacy when swimming.

Finally if you continue all the way upstream you can also reach the wreckage site of the WWII Wellington bomber and then loop around to the wonderful Fan-y-Big. Details of that hike can be found in my guide below.

Waterfall Country

Henrhyd Falls

The crown jewel of Waterfall County and the must-visit waterfall in the Brecon Beacons National park.

At 90ft, it’s the tallest waterfall in South Wales and was used as a filming location for the final scene of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises where it doubled as the entrance for the Batcave.

What makes this waterfall so special isn’t just its height, but the fact that you can walk and stand directly behind it.

At the base of the waterfall is a very large plunge pool perfect for a refreshing dip, although it’s not large enough to do any proper swimming in.

The area round the pool is rather rocky, slippery, and can be difficult to access due to a number of trees which have either fallen or been cut down. Because of this caution is advised when making your way down to the base of the pools.

For more information on how to reach the waterfall and where to park check out my guide below.

Sgwd yr Eira

The ‘Waterfall of Snow’ is undoubtedly the most popular and impressive waterfall on the iconic Four Falls trail.

Located within a deep wooded amphitheatre, it plunges around 30ft into a gorgeous emerald pool and can resemble a curtain of water after a heavy period of rain. 

What makes the waterfall so special is the path which allows you to walk and stand directly behind the cascade.

The emerald pool is deep enough for a refreshing dip and you can even swim beneath the cascade of water during the drier summer months.

Like Henrhyd falls the area surrounding the pool is both rocky and slippery making access into the water quite difficult. For this reason I’d recommend entering and exiting the water on the right hand side of the waterfalls.

As it is one of the most popular waterfalls in Wales, it is unlikely that you will have this spot to yourself unless you head there at an unsociable weekday hour.

Sgwd yr Eira is part of the wonderful Four falls trail, a 5km circular loop which is well maintained, signposted, and not at all strenuous. For more information on the hike and how to reach the waterfall check out my detailed guide below.

Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn

My favourite waterfall on the four falls trail and arguably the most accessible spot on the walk to take a wild swim.

Translated to the ‘lower fall of the white meadow’ this is actually a sequence of waterfalls, separated by several ledges and deep plunge pools.

It is the initial set of several plunge pools which are the best location for swimming, with the water being deep enough to jump into from the bank and there’s several parts of the river bank which you can easily climb back out.

The falls which separate the pools are very smooth and are great for lounging in to give an infinity pool like feel.

Another reason I recommend swimming here is because it’s the last waterfall you will visit on the Four falls trail, meaning you can cool off before hiking back to your car.

For all the information on how to reach it, check out my guide to the Four Falls trail.

Elidir Trial

A majestical woodland walk which passes three beautiful waterfalls, Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf, Sgwd Ddwli Isaf, and Sgwd-y-Bedol alongside a dozen other small cascades on the way to the breath-taking Sgwd Gwladus, a 20ft cascade of water which spills over an overhanging sandstone rock lip. 

The entire trail offers dozens of gorgeous plunge pools to take a wild swim in, with the most popular choice being Sgwd Gwladus. Although for a quieter wild swim I would head further upstream to Sgwd-y-Bedol or Sgwd Ddwli Uchaf.

For a detailed guide on the Elidir trail, including the best place to park, check out my blog post below.

Sgwd Einion Gam

A hidden gem of a waterfall which lies a further half a mile upstream from Sgwd Gwladus on the Elidir Trail.

The reason that I have included it separate to the Elidir trail is that it’s a bit of a mission to reach. In fact I actually turned around during the first attempt to find this waterfall as I wasn’t certain I was going the right way.

The route should only be tackled when water levels are low enough to safely cross the river. In order to get to its base you have to cross the river twice, pass through an unmarked woodland, and navigate an extremely precarious path.

The reward will be a secluded emerald plunge pool surrounded on all sides by a moss lined rocky amphitheatre.

For a detailed guide on how to reach the fabled Sgwd Einion Gam and the best place to park, check out my blog post to the Elidir Trail.

Eastern Brecon Beacons

Keepers Pond, Blaenavon

Situated in the hills high above Blaenavon, Keepers Pond is a small body of water surrounded by beautiful landscape.

Built in the early 19th century to provide water for Garnddyrys Forge, the pond quickly became a local beauty spot after the forge was dismantled during the 1860s.

At the ponds northern edge there is dam wall which looks towards the eastern Beacons giving it a infinity pool esqe feel.

The lake is a lot smaller than people think but unlike some locations on this list it’s large enough to actually go swimming in.

It is the favourite spot of cold water swimmer Cath Pendleton, aka the Merthyr Mermaid, who recently was the focus of a BBC documentary as she became the first person to swim a mile in the Antarctic Polar Circle.

Free parking can be found in a small car park next to the lake or on the roadside.

So there we have it, my favourite 10 wild swim locations in the Brecon Beacons National park.

If I had to pick my favourites it would be Llyn-y-Fan Fach for an actual swim and Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn for a waterfall dip.

Like I have previously mentioned, there plenty more wild swim locations scattered around the park especially on the Elidir and Four Falls trails, you just have to seek them out.

I like to use an OS Map and seek out rivers which have waterfalls on them, which usually proves to be a success.

Finally just make sure you’re sensible about where you go wild swimming and how you go about it.

If you found the blog useful or have any locations you think I should have included, drop us a comment below as I’m always on the look out for new wild swim spots.

If you did find it helpful, I’d appreciate you giving it a share or giving me a follow on social media, every bit of support goes a long way.

For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.

• Guide to the Brecon Beacons

• Guide to the Gower Peninsula

• Guide to the Elan Valley

• Guide to Pembrokeshire

• Guide to Snowdonia

• Guide to Wales

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