Eco- and environmentally- friendly vacations in Wales
Wales is proving to be a great eco-friendly destination. Here are just some of the attractions, accommodations, transport options and ideas for fun story angles…
Attractions and places to visit
The Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is located in Machynlleth in the hillsides of the Snowdonia National Park. It is one of the world’s most renowned eco-centers, and visits can enjoy interactive displays on sustainable living, renewable energy and environmentally-responsible building and gardening. On arrival, visitors descend 180ft on a water-powered cliff railway and, as well as exploring the exhibits, can enjoy local organic produce in the restaurant. The center also offers residential courses. Nearby, award-winning green B&B’s serve homegrown, organic vegetarian food. www.cat.org.uk
Greenwood Forest Park has been winning major environmental awards. The attraction’s Green Dragon roller coaster is the world’s first environmentally-friendly roller coaster, as it actually generates more power than it uses. Riders first walk up to the loading platform so that passenger weight powers the 250-meter descent including a 360 degree horizontal loop! www.greenwoodforestpark.co.uk
St. David’s is the smallest city in Britain, and is considered the spiritual and adventure capital of Wales. The 'Eco City St. David's' project aims to make St. David’s the first carbon neutral city in the world. The project started when a group of local people decided to address the issues of global warming to shape their city to be gentle on the planet without compromising the community. One of the highlights of the project to date is an ‘Eco Trail’ which has been created linking up specific sites around the community demonstrating examples of renewable energy technology and biodiversity. The community is working with the local council, National Park and National Trust to install renewable technology equipment on local buildings – solar water heating, solar electricity generation, rainwater harvesting, and other water conservation techniques. An Eco City Biodiesel filling station is allowing the community to use fuel made from recycled vegetable cooking oil and that is as biodegradable as sugar. www.eco-city.co.uk
Owned and operated by a collective of three farming families, Cwmni Gwynt Teg wind farm opened in January 2003 in Moel Moelogan in the Conwy Valley. The first community-owned project of its kind, the farm enjoys overwhelming local support, and the final phase of the project, named Ail Wynt, is in the process of completion. The existing project at Moel Moelogan comprises of two turbines, each capable of producing 1,300 kilowatts of electricity per hour. The output of three turbines is equal to the requirement of 2,500 homes, or all the farms, homes and villages in the Bro Garmon area, as well as Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed and Trefriw. www.ailwynt.co.uk
The Marine Wildlife Centre at New Quay in West Wales monitors the local dolphin population along the Ceredigion coast, and is also involved with marine environmental studies. Observations of dolphins are carried out from the land, at sea along the coast, and also offshore. www.new-quay.com/marinecentre
The National Botanic Garden of Wales is dedicated to conserving threatened plants and promoting research. It is Wales’ latest garden attraction created in 18th century parkland at Llanarthne near Carmarthen. www.gardenofwales.org.uk
The National Wetlands Centre is situated on the eastern side of Carmarthen Bay facing the Gower Peninsula. It is Wales’ best place to see wildfowl and waders. It is also a good site for the rare Cetti’s warbler, and is at the front end of wetland conservation in Wales. Its newest feature is the Millennium Wetland complex, home to wildlife as diverse as the dragonfly and Little Egret. www.wwt.org.uk
Coed Hills is Wales’ leading venue for art in the environment, featuring an 80 acre woodland sculpture trail. Visitors also have the opportunity to explore eco-lifestyles and learn more about renewable energy www.coedhills.co.uk
Llanerchaeron is set in the beautiful Dyffryn Aeron. This 18th century estate survived virtually unaltered into the 20th century and was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1989. Today it is a working organic farm and the two restored walled gardens also produce home-grown fruit, vegetables and herbs. www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Dyfi Discoveries is a small family business running heritage and wildlife boat trips. They aim to provide quality guided tours, and raise customer’s awareness about the unique environment in and around Aberdyfi. www.dyfidiscoveries.co.uk
Electric Mountain is a visitor center and starting point for the tour of Dinorwig Power Station, a hydro-electric scheme set within the magnificent backdrop of Snowdonia. Descending deep inside ancient Elidir mountain's labyrinth of dark and imposing tunnels, visitors will experience one of man's greatest engineering achievements. www.fhc.co.uk/electric_mountain.htm
Even over the airwaves, Wales leads the way in helping the environment. Wales' first eco-friendly radio station, Preseli FM broadcasts 24 hours a day via a hilltop transmitter powered by wind and solar energy to north Pembrokeshire and west Carmarthenshire. The station broadcasts bilingually on 106.7. www.preselifm.co.uk
Accommodation
- Adventure sports and activity centers
TYF Eco Hotel (Twr-y-Felin) and Activity Centre is the first carbon neutral outdoor adventure company in the world. It has Wales’ first organic registered hotel - an 18th century converted windmill, and serves only organic local food and drink. www.tyf.com
Preseli Venture is an activity center promoting sustainable adventure tourism in wilderness areas, such as the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. They have just completed (November 2008) the rebuild of their lodge, based around sustainable design, and with a ground source heat pump providing all heat and hot water. The lodge now features new bedrooms for two in the high ceiling barn. www.preseliventure.co.uk
Ty’r Morwydd Environmental Centre and Mulberry House Youth Hostel is located in Abergavenny on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It offers B&B accommodation to education, leisure and tourism groups. www.tyrmorwydd.co.uk
Plas Tan y Bwlch is an environmental studies center located in the Snowdonia National Park. The center provides accommodation and a fascinating range of courses. No experience is required, just a genuine interest in conservation and the countryside. www.eryri-npa.co.uk
- Guest houses and B&Bs
Bryn Elltyd Guesthouse is a cozy solar powered B&B in the heart of Snowdonia, with rooms from £28 per person. The rooms are spacious - built with timber and glass with a colorful turf roof. Even the walls and roof have been insulated with sheep's wool! Solar collectors and water reservoirs power the house as visitors dine on locally-grown organic food. www.accommodation-snowdonia.com
Dyfi View is an organic bed and breakfast four minutes from the market town of Machynlleth. Delicious organic breakfasts are made with local produce mostly from the Dyfi Valley and are served overlooking the Dyfi Valley and Snowdonia National Park. www.dyfiguest.co.uk
Bryn Bella in Betws-y-Coed is eco friendly B&B accommodation, where the eggs for breakfast are collected from their own free-range hens in the garden! www.bryn-bella.co.uk
Brecon Beacons National Park has a wealth of eco-friendly accommodation to help visitors "Stay Somewhere Green." More than 40 businesses have received the "Green Dragon" award for energy efficiency and the park has produced a guide to help businesses reduce their negative impact on the environment. With farm cottages and B&B's to choose from, staying in one of the greenest destinations in the country is easy. www.breconbeacons.org
- Self-catering
Organig Parc Self Catering Cottages are eco-friendly cottages in the heart of the Llyn Peninsula. They provide all the luxury of the 21st century without damage to the environment. A working organic cattle and sheep farm, Organig Parc has its own mountain, river valley, lake, spring, ancient church, and more than 300 acres of organic farmland, including free organic rainbow trout fishing for guests. www.organigparc.co.uk
Llangybi Organics comprises two organic farms and an eco-friendly cottage, located 10 minutes from the popular St Cybi's well. Aiming for freshness, the farms offer field-grown vegetables, soft fruits (mostly raspberries) and small orchards, which include apples, pears and plums trees. The farm also actively helps protect and encourage wildlife, some of which reside on the farm. www.murcrusto.eclipse.co.uk
Clynfyw Countryside Centre is set on a 200 acre, family-run organic farm with five cottages. It has pigs, Welsh Black cattle and winter-tack sheep. Organic crops are also grown on the farm, including oats and barley. The farm is home to a diverse range of wildlife so is ideal for bird watching and nature walks. They try to keep environmental impact to a minimum, and have won various environmental awards. www.clynfyw.co.uk
Druidstone Hotel in Pembrokeshire has 'The Roundhouse', a tiny eco cottage in the grounds sleeping 2 to 4 people. It was Britain’s first hotel room powered entirely by renewable energy. It has solar power and hot water combined with a Finnish masonry stove to back up the hot water in cooler times of year. The shower over a tub, flush toilet, 12-volt fridge and gas cooker combine to make this an easy living experience with a light touch on the earth. www.druidstone.co.uk
Under the Thatch has 23 completely original, fantastically-affordable self-catering accommodations ranging from woodland log cabins, traditional cottages and 17th-century farmhouses to converted railway carriages, authentic vardos and even gypsy caravans. The profits go to rescuing historic buildings at risk. The company aims to rent its accommodations every night of the year: if the properties are not booked out of season, Under the Thatch reduces the price until they are booked because it would rather rent a cottage with no profit being made than have it stand empty, thus providing sustainability for the community. Under the Thatch accepts an obligation and responsibility for the environment and the local communities in which it operates, and aspires to share these values with its customers. www.underthethatch.com
A new eco-friendly vacation village has opened in south-west Wales within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Bluestone comprises 186 luxury log cabins, 30 cottages and 17 studios set around a traditionally-designed village which features shops, restaurants, a pub, wine bar and holistic spa. The "village" also includes the Blue Lagoon - an indoor water park and sports center that will particularly appeal to families. Most importantly, Bluestone has been created with environmental principles in mind, using natural, sustainable materials wherever possible. The water in the lodges is solar-heated and power is provided by biomass crops grown by local farmers. Timber used in the construction is sourced from sustainably-grown and harvested forests. www.bluestonewales.com
Tipiwest offers vacations staying in a tipi on the Cambrian coast, with little or no impact on the environment. www.tipiwest.co.uk
Transport options
Snowdonia Green Key promotes environmentally-friendly ways of seeing the Snowdonia National Park. It highlights transport options such as the Snowdon Sherpa bus as well as trains and buses in the region alongside cycle and walking routes. Buses have cycle racks and space for back packs. www.snowdoniagreenkey.co.uk
A 'Freedom of Wales Flexipass' offers great value for money for travelers as it covers buses and trains across the country, allowing four days travel within an eight-day period for just £69 (around $110). The pass can be ordered online and delivered to a US address, but delivery takes up to 14 days. www.walesflexipass.co.uk/eng/flexi.php
Travelers planning to drive a rental car on arrival in Britain should consider AvisPrestige.com. Fly into Manchester or London airports, for example, and rent a hybrid Toyoto Prius which gives greater fuel efficiency with its hybrid engine.
Restaurants
These are just some of the restaurants, cafes and food-related eco items we’ve come across (there’s a full listing on www.organicwales.com):
Xtreme Organics, Hay-on-Wye - serving fab organic burgers! www.xtremeorganix.co.uk
Muldoons, Cardiff - a coffee shop and café promoting organic and fair trade produce. www.muls.co.uk
The Treehouse, Aberystwyth – organic restaurant and shop selling organic food, clothing and textiles. www.treehousewales.co.uk
The Hive on the Quay, Aberaeron – restaurant specializing in locally-caught fish, organic food, and its famous homemade honey ice cream. www.hiveonthequay.co.uk
Whitesands Café, near St. David’s - a family run business offering snacks drinks and surf/camping equipment. The café has been certified to Level 2 of the ‘Green Dragon Environment Standard’ since 2004. Its owners are very committed to the environment: the roof has solar panels producing electricity, and hot water. The building is also fitted with a small wind turbine producing electricity, and the windows are electronically controlled to maintain a constant temperature by closing automatically to conserve heat.
Farmers Markets are held throughout Wales (there are approximately 27) and are a great place to buy locally produced food, and find a good range of free-range and organic produce. www.organicwales.com