Bwlch Nant yr Arian Forest Visitor Centre

Loved our visit here. Seeing the red kite feeding was brilliant! They start flying in before the time, knowing what’s coming. There are so many! The walk round the lake is lovely. The cafe staff were really welcoming and the food was good. Dogs are allowed in the cafe as long as they are clean and stay off the furniture. The chef even brought our dog over some treats to enjoy :)

This is a lovely place to visit. We came across it whilst on a random drive out. It caters to everyone, a variety of walking trails for all abilities, mountain bike, and horse riding trails, too. All access routes are excellent and include a lovely loop around the lake. There is a Red Kite feeding station alongside the lake, with multiple benches, picnic tables, and grass areas to watch the birds from. I have never seen so many birds of prey together. There is a visitor centre and cafe, with indoor seating and a great outside balcony seating area overlooking the lake and feeding station. A children's playground is also close to the visitor centre. Children have really been catered for superbly, lots of hidden plaques, animals, and objects to find together with wind-up information posts that tell different stories. Highly recommend a visit here.

Fantastic place to visit, great place to see red kites. We did the ridgetop walk which had stunning views! A few short sharp ascents but overall not too tricky

Just got back from a day out here and we can highly recommend it for all ages!

Lots of different options of walks, with various different levels of difficulty and length, depending on what you're in the mood for (see my pictures for more details on the 5 walks available).

We took the option for the Yellow walk which was listed as moderate difficulty, and I would agree with that. Some of the walks are not suitable for smaller children I'd say, due to big drops from the paths, without any fencing (again, see pictures for examples). We were out with our 12 year old today and had no issues completing this walk.

The purple walk is definitely best suited to families with younger children, and is a very informative circular walk around the lake, starting and ending at the visitors centre. The purple walk is also wheelchair and pushchair friendly.

Lots of picnic spaces available and well worth going up to the Giants Chair Viewpoint to see the stunning view from it.

I have never seen so many large birds together in one place, especially during the feeding time, which was at 3pm during our visit - not sure if this changes on a day to day basis.

Lovely cafe and gift shop also available on site, which was also very reasonably priced (about £3.50 for a good slice of cake).

Parking is pay and display, from £1.50 up to £5.00 for the full day.

Well worth a visit if you are in the area, we will definitely be returning to complete some of the longer walks!

Great spot to enjoy the natural world.
Waymarked trails for walking, to suit differing abilities and access requirements; the lakeside route is wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
Also, running and mountain biking routes.
Visitor centre, with café.
Lots of birdlife to look out for, especially red kites: the red kite feeding (daily 3pm, winter 2pm) by the lakeside is a spectacular display.
Nice viewpoint from the upper car park, overlooking the Melindwr Valley out to Aberystwyth & Cardigan Bay.
Ample parking; pay and display (max. £5 all day).

Lovely place to visit. Our group was aged 7 to 72. Easily accessible on the lower path.
Parking £5 all day. Disappointingly machines were shut off after our arrival so anyone arriving after us managed free parking. (Machines cut off due to a boiler issue, which meant the visitors centre, cafe and shop were closed to the public)
Lovely to see the Red Kites being feed, amazing how they know what time it is.

I am a frequent visitor to Bwlch Nant Yr Arian, and I love it.
It is a wonderfully interesting place to spend a day.

The shop in the visitor centre is always immaculately presented and spotlessly clean. You could eat your dinner off the floor if you wanted to, but you wouldn't need to as they have tables and chairs in the cafe! :-)

The young lady in the shop is amazingly friendly and knowledgeable. There's not a single thing she doesn't know !

Stopped here for lunch on our drive back from Cardigan bay, had lunch in the cafe and then our 3 year old got to have a play in the park area.

Great value food and quick service, will definitely stop here again

Car parking charges apply, but the machine takes cards

An interesting walk with a choice of viewing locations for the kite feeding, and a number of features to interest children. The visitor centre was clean with friendly staff. We had the bacon baguettes and these were delicious and inexpensive. It was also pleasing to see signs encouraging visitors to speak Welsh if they so wish.

Absolutely amazing.
Easy bus ride from Aberystwyth and free entry.
The Red Kite feeding was fantastic.
Also the bird feeder outside the visitor centre had Siskin and Green Finch on it which was a loverly treat.
Cannot recommend enough.
All photos are taken by and belong to me.
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Amazing to look up and see birds of prey in every viewpoint. Surprise of swooping red kites at the daily feeding time. Enjoyed two of the walks - lakeside and upper ridge - great views and photos. Good selection of snacks and drinks and mementoes in the visitor centre. Easy parking near to Aberystwyth.

Nant yr Arian offers a truly enchanting nature walk experience that captivated our hearts from the moment we arrived. The picturesque landscape paired with the incredible amenities makes it an ideal destination for everyone.

The visitors centre and cafe boast a magnificent view, providing the perfect backdrop to savor the delicious locally sourced food. The meals made on-site were delightful and I cannot recommend the cake enough.

There were families at the children's play park, keeping the little ones entertained whilst parents soaked in the beauty of the surroundings. Not to mention, the excellent toilet facilities, they were clean and well-maintained, with Dyson driers making our visit even more comfortable.

The cute visitors shop was a treasure trove of unique souvenirs and locally crafted goods, giving us a chance to take a piece of Nant yr Arian's charm home with us.

The extensive grounds offered several scenic walks, each trail revealing its own distinct natural beauty. And the highlight of our visit was the daily kite feeding at 3 pm - an absolute must-see spectacle that left us in awe of these magnificent birds.

Adventure enthusiasts will be thrilled to discover the dirt track for mountain bikes, providing an exhilarating experience for cyclists of all skill levels.

In conclusion, Nant yr Arian is a must-visit destination for nature lovers, families, and adventure seekers alike. With its breathtaking scenery, superb amenities, and unique experiences, it's undoubtedly a fantastic place to immerse yourself in the wonders of nature and create cherished memories. We can't say this was our first visit, it's more of our happy place and it doesn't seem to matter if it's a blustery October afternoon or a sunny August day, with each season brings a new canvas to admire.

No entry cost. Car parking is reasonable. You will need at least 2 hours for a walk and slice of cake.
Cafe is reasonably priced.

Totally amazing place. Nothing can quite prepare you for 150+ red kites flying over the lake at feeding time. (3pm summer, 2pm winter)
Great little trail round the lake, very kid friendly place.
And by the looks of it some great bike trails to explore.

Really enjoyed our walk was foggy day views would been amazing on clear day

If you like birds of prey and want to see red kites, this is the place to come and see them. They are fed at 2pm in the winter months and 3pm in the spring/summer months. They have over 150 red kites come in to feed.

There are a couple walking routes you can do and if you like mountain bike there are a 3/4 routes as well.

There is an accessible route around the lake for wheelchairs and prams as well as small park and a cafe/shop. The cafe had a good choice of sandwiches and they also sold some hot food.

The carpark isn't free, but the most you'd pay is £5 for the whole day. It was well worth the detour home to come and see them.

A fantastic place to visit, walk around and view the amazing number of Red Kites that come for their daily feeding.
Free entry and very reasonably priced parking.

Top tip - get there early before the feeding to make sure you get a parking space quickly (there is overspill parking though so you should always be able to park up somewhere) and a good viewpoint for when the birds arrive.

Wonderful place with stunning views - the miners trail walk in particular was amazing, and lovely walk around the lake. Seemed like plenty of parking and nice visitor centre with cafe and hot food, toilets too.

We had a fantastic visit to the visitor center. We had a lovely walk around the lake, discovering all the wildlife and wild flowers we could find. The cafe was open, but it's take out only at the minute. We and some nice cold drinks and a lovely sandwich from there and sat out and watched the birds.

We stayed there to watch the Red kites feed. That was worth coming just for that. 50-100 kites circling around the lake swooping down to get food and then soar back up in the air.

We will be back soon, may be to do a longer walk and may even bring the bikes along and try one of the biking trails.

Fantastic place, there are walking, bike and horse trails. Numerous bird species including Red Kites that are fed everyday and they flock in the hundreds. If you are in the area this is a must see just pay for car parking. There is also a reasonably priced cafe and a small shop.

Great lunch; I loved the cawl, others the soup, good vegan options too, and cakes. Peaceful walk round the lake with interesting information boards, then the impressive spectacle of hundreds of red kites being fed!
On previous visits, many years ago, we enjoyed the contour walk.
Pay for parking in the car park, or free at the roadside. No entry charge.