Fforest Fawr (the name translates as 'Great Forest' in English) is a swathe of upland country which was included within the Brecon Beacons National Park when it was designated in 1957.  These uplands lie at the heart of the Geopark although it extends beyond them to include much surrounding countryside.

In fact Fforest Fawr Geopark's 300 square miles / 763 km² include mountain and moorland, woods and meadows, towns and villages, lakes and rivers and a great deal more besides.

Start your exploration of the Geopark with an exploration of these pages:

• Understanding will provide you with information on all sorts of topics.
• Enjoying will give you ideas for places to see and things to do.
• The Looking after section describes how the area is protected and how you can help.
• Education is for those who want to use the Geopark as an outdoor classroom.
• What's on provides details of walks and talks and other events coming up - including European Geoparks Fortnight (next one runs from Sat 23 May - Sun 7 June 2009)

Once you know a bit more you'll be ready to visit us. Now, getting here is easy!

Take the train!

The Heart of Wales Rail Line runs along the Towy Valley.  The Geopark is within easy reach of  the stations on this line at Llandovery, Llangadog, Llandeilo and Ammanford.  There are stations too at Merthyr Tydfil at the southeast corner of the area whilst Abergavenny to the east lies on the Newport to Hereford line.  Consult National Rail Enquiries for details of services.

Or the bus!

There are several bus services which run through the Geopark.  Consult Traveline Cymru for more information.  Special Beacons Bus services operate through the summer and provide an excellent opportunity for walkers to get to know the area better.

You could come by car.

The A40 runs from Abergavenny to Brecon, then along the northern edge of the Geopark to Llandovery and Llandeilo.  The A465 'Heads of the Valleys Road' runs along the southern edge of the Geopark from Merthyr Tydfil to the Vale of Neath.  The western part of the Geopark is reached from the end of the M4 within 30 minutes.

But why not cycle?

The National Cycle Network is expanding all the time and there are several routes which link to Fforest Fawr Geopark.  Do yourself and the environment a power of good - bike it!

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