Conwy Falls Snowdonia
The Conwy Falls in the Conwy Valley near Betws-y-Coed are a dramatic series of waterfalls and rapids where the River Conwy descends through a narrow gorge of ancient volcanic rock in one of the finest and most accessible waterfall walks in Snowdonia National Park. The falls descend approximately 20 metres in the principal drop before continuing through a series of cascades and pools in the sheltered gorge below, the moss-covered rock walls and the ancient oak woodland above creating an atmosphere of enclosed natural drama characteristic of the Conwy Valley gorge landscapes.
The geological setting of Conwy Falls reflects the ancient volcanic history of Snowdonia, the rocks through which the river cuts representing some of the oldest volcanic formations in the national park, formed approximately 450 million years ago during the Ordovician period. The differential hardness of the various volcanic and sedimentary layers has shaped the falls and gorge as the river has progressively eroded its bed over thousands of years since the last Ice Age, and the current falls represent a geological process still actively modifying the valley.
The tea room and car park at the falls provide visitor facilities and the short walk to the viewpoint above the principal fall is accessible to most visitors. The longer walk through the gorge woodland below the falls extends the experience into an excellent riverside and woodland walk through some of the finest surviving ancient oak woodland in the Conwy Valley.