The 5 best places to watch the sunrise in the Brecon Beacons National Park
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.
With the majority of the park being located within an hours drive of my home on the Gower, it’s a region I’m frequently visiting and one that continues to amaze me.
Within this blog I have pulled together a list of what I would argue to be the five best sunrise locations in the Brecon Beacons.
One thing to note is that I have not watched the sunrise from every corner and peak in the National Park. The Brecon Beacons has 34 Hewitt’s and numerous other peaks and viewpoints to watch the sunrise from. Just set that alarm (or dont sleep at all) and keep your fingers crossed for some good conditions.
What I use to choose and plan sunrise locations
I personally use an app called PhotoPills to choose sunrise locations and help plan my compositions for sunset, sunrise, and the milky way.
I have no affiliation with the company and I hate paying for apps (It costs a one off fee of £9.99) when there are free ones available, but PhotoPills was definitely worth the investment.
Not only does it allow you to see where the sun will rise and set, months and even years into the future, but it is packed full of amazing features. One of which is the augmented reality mode which uses your phones camera to show you exactly which point on the horizon the sun will rise and where it will set.
Safety tips and advice around hiking at sunrise
Pack a head torch - Unless you’re Killian Jornet, it’s likely that you will be starting your sunrise hike under some form of darkness. A head torch will make that first part of the journey safer, easier, and more comfortable. It will also mean you have some battery left on your phone to take photos and navigate your way back down.
Be bold start cold - When tackling a sunrise hike you’ll quickly warm up and begin to overheat, especially when climbing the mountains in Snowdonia. I always make the mistake of get out of my nice warm vehicle, thinking it’s colder than it actually is, and putting too many layers on. Then 10 minutes into my hike I’m a hot sweaty mess and stopping to delayer.
Pack extra layers - It’s usually much colder on the summit that it is down in the valley, especially when the sun hasn’t risen. In addition, all that sweat you’ve accumulated hiking will quickly send a chill down your body when you’re stood still on a mountaintop. I always pack a spare top, a lightweight down jacket, hat, and gloves in my bag. So when I do reach the summit I can quickly layer up and stay warm while I’m waiting for the sun to rise.
Take some snacks a plenty of water - If you’re going on a sunrise hike then chances are you going to be getting up ridiculously early. This will probably mean you either wont have the stomach or the time to have breakfast . Make sure to pack something to eat on the summit as it will help with warmth, energy levels, and make the descent much more enjoyable. No one likes a hangry hiker.
Waun Lefrith
At 676m, the flat topped plateau may not be the highest peak in the park, but its sweeping ridgeline and dramatic views make it one of the more most impressive and inspiring locations in the national park.
This gorgeous glacial ridgeline sits high above crown jewel of the Carmarthenshire fans, Llyn-y-Fan Fach, a glacial lake which has featured in Lonely Planets top 1,000 places on Earth.
With the sun setting to the west of Llyn-y-Fan Fach, Waun Lefriths location makes a great spot to capture the sun either rising above the horizon, or above the mighty Picws Du.
For more information on where to park and how to reach Llyn-y-Fan Fach, Waun Leffrith and Picws Du, check out my blog post below.
Picws Du under first light from the summit of Waun Leffrith
Pen-y-Fan
Standing in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, the 886m Pen-y-Fan is the highest mountain in southern Britain and offers magnificent panoramic views across the national park.
With the sun rising in the east and the views afforded by the summit, It would be hard to argue that there is a better place to watch the sunrise in the Brecon Beacons.
Looking east towards Cribyn, the ribbon like glacial ridgelines of the central beacons weave their into the distance, creating layers of mountain goodness.
Sunset from Pen-y-Fan behind Corn Du
During certain times of the year the sun will rise will directly from the behind the ridgeline of the central beacons.
The quickest route to the summit is via the short two mile path from Pont ar Daf car park on the side of the A470. The fitter folk amongst you will be able to reach its lofty heights in around 45 minutes. However if you’re not short for time seeking more of a challenge I would recommend either tackling the Pen-y-Fan horseshoe or hiking up from Cwm Gwdi.
Just make sure you’re on the summit at least half an hour before sunrise so you can catch the magical orange glow which usually lights up the sky.
One final thing to note is your guaranteed crowds here no mater the time of year or weather. So if you’re looking for solitude, then this wouldn’t be the location I would choose.
I love the fact that a mountain with views as special as Pen-y-Fan is so accessible, but when you have groups of “lads” cracking open a cans of lager on the summit at 6am it puts a bit of a dampener on the moment.
The view from the summit of Pen-y-Fan towards Cribyn
Cribyn
Sitting 91m beneath the neighbouring Pen y Fan, Cribyn is pyramidal monolith which protrudes triumphantly from the central Beacons red sandstone ridgeline.
Although slightly shorter than its neighbour, Cribyn is far from inferior. The angular peak affords spectacular views back towards Pen-y-Fan and over the surrounding landscape.
Although the views wont be as impressive as you get on Pen-y-fan, you will still be afforded a majestical sunrise with epic views.
The added bonus is you will a fraction of the crowds on its summit compared to the neighbouring Pen-y-fan, and if you’re lucky you might even get a brief moment of solitude.
This partly because the view isn’t as good but also because the car park and the summit is a little more difficult to reach.
The quickest and easiest way to reach this peak is to walk up the gap from the Neudd car park in the Taf Fechan Forest.
Sunrise From Cribyn
Craig Cerrig Gleisiad
The 629m peak of Craig Cerrig Gleisiad may not be the tallest or the most well known the Brecon Beacons, but it has has one of the finer views in the Central Beacons.
Nicknamed the Eiger of the Beacons due to its extremely steep north face, this dramatic flat topped glacial mountain sits within a nature reserve and offers stupendous views towards the highest mountains in South Wales, Pen-y-fan and Corn Du.
The sun tends to rise behind the twin peaks of Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du, giving you a fantastic composition to focus on.
Its status as an unknown gem, combined with the fact that it’s a stones throw away from the start point of Pen-y-Fan, means you’ll probably have this place to yourself. Its also a great place if you are a little short on time as you reach the summit in half an hour if you make haste and head up its eastern flank.
For more information on how to reach this beautiful peak, check out my separate hike guide below.
Fan Brycheiniog
At 802, Fan Brycheiniog is the highest peak in the Carmarthenshire Fans.
Sitting beneath this mountain is beautiful Llyn-y-Fan Fawr. Translated to Lake on the big hill, this bigger but less appreciated glacial lake is located a further 2km east from Llyn-y-Fan Fawr and is the source of the river Tawe.
Not only does this peak give you great views over Llyn-y-Fan Fawr but it also looks directly towards the central Brecon Beacons.
Because this mountain is a little more difficult to reach, I would recommend wildcamping up on the summit so you dont have to sacrifice too much sleep. Another added bonus of wildcamping here is that you can also get incredible sunset views looking westwards towards Picws Du.
You can reach this lake by simply extending your hike from Llyn-y-Fan Fach, or if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can take up a hike up the Nant-y-Llyn waterfalls to its base.
Not sunset but you can imagine the views you do get…
So there we have it, my favourite 5 sunrise locations in the Brecon Beacons. If you are looking for places to watch the sunset in the national park then check out my alternative guide below.
Like I have already mentioned there are so many other locations in the national park, both high and low, to watch the sunrise from, you just have to endeavour to go an seek them out.
If you found the blog useful or have any locations you think I should add to this list, let me know as I’m always on the look out for new sunrise locations.
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 and photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.
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