Mawddach Biking

Routes, maps and guides to cycling and mountain biking around the Mawddach Estuary in Wales

As a base for your cycling holiday, the Mawddach estuary has wide appeal, with everything from epic bike rides along quiet country lanes through to full-on mountain bike routes. 

With accommodation to suit all pockets and a great selection of places to eat and drink and you have the perfect venue for a cycling break.  

Bike rentals are available in Taicynhaeaf, Barmouth, Dolgellau and Coed y Brenin. A number of different bike formats, including e-bikes, tandems, small-adult-sized tag-alongs and child trailers are also available for hire on the estuary. There is a main-line railway station at Barmouth and bus services run up and down the estuary, so you could even holiday completely car-free.

Bicycle rentals from Coed Cae

The principal points on the estuary, Dolgellau, Penmaenpool, Arthog and Barmouth, are linked by the Mawddach Trail, a way-marked and largely traffic free cycleway. Other cycling arteries, National Cycling Network Route-8 and Route-82, connect Dolgellau with the mountain bike trails at Coed y Brenin, and further afield the Cli-Machx and Mach trails. These routes also connect either end of the estuary to the principal towns of Porthmadog and Trawsfynydd to the north, and Tywyn, Corris and Machynlleth to the south. Route-8, also known as the Lôn Las Cymru, runs over 400 km (250 miles) between Holyhead on Anglesey and Cardiff or Chepstow.

For something a little different, why not explore some of the remains of 20th century military activity in the area. From hill-top memorials to beach defences, there are over 50 different sites in and around the Mawddach estuary to be explored on foot, by bike or by car. See here for further details.

The Mawddach also boasts some great walking, including the Mawddach Way, a 3 day route around the hills flanking the estuary.

Please visit the EVENTS page for a full list of what's on around the Mawddach estuary throughout the year.