Llyn y Fan Fach

The basics

According to medieval folklore, a young farmer watched a fairy princess emerge from the lake and convinced her to marry him, promising never to hit her more than three times. When he broke the promise, she disappeared back into the lake to never emerge again. Strange as it may be, the legend continues to intrigue visitors today, adding mystery to an otherwise simply beautiful lake.

You can hike to it on your own—a good map will help—or walk with a guide to hear about the legend and get tips for other routes nearby. Some guided excursions might offer transport, too, helping you avoid the drive along the narrow single-track lane to the trailhead.

Things to know before you go

• Download an Ordnance Survey map in advance, or buy a paper one to bring with you.

• Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes to tackle the trail, which can be challenging with loose stones.

• The Llanddeusant car park has portable restrooms. There are no cafes along the route, so bring water and snacks with you.

• The round-trip loop from the car park to the lake takes 2–4 hours, depending on your speed, fitness level, and picnic plans.

• This is a good family walk for older kids who can manage the gradual inclines to the lake.

How to get there

Drive to Llanddeusant, and put the postcode SA19 9UN in your GPS to find the small car park with space for around 30 cars. If there is no space, there are limited spaces on the grass verges nearby. By public transport, you can take the hourly T6 bus north from the Swansea bus station and ask the driver where to disembark for the Llanddeusant car park. The journey takes over an hour.

When to get there

To avoid the wettest weather, the optimum months to hike up to the lake are from April through October. While the hike isn’t as popular or well-known as Pen y Fan, it does get busier in the peak summer vacation months, so start the walk early to get a place in the car park.

Continuing the hike

If you’re a keen hiker, opportunities abound to increase your step count. Continue past Llyn-y-Fan Fach to the Bannau Sir Gaer ridge for the view down onto the lake that pops up in all the Google searches. You can continue along the ridge, ascending Picws Du toward Llyn-y-Fan Fawr. This trail then returns to Llyn-y-Fan Fach, rejoining the trail to the Llanddeusant car park. This full route takes up to six hours.