Llŷn Peninsula · Moderate · Circular

Tre'r Ceiri and Yr Eifl from the Llanaelhaearn road

Up from the Bwlch yr Eifl road to Tre'r Ceiri, the best-known hill fort in Wales, and on to Yr Eifl's summit, the highest point on Llŷn.

Distance
5.0 km (3.1 mi)
Ascent
391 m
Time
About 2 h 45 min
High point
559 m
Grade
Moderate
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Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.

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Tre'r Ceiri and Yr Eifl from the Llanaelhaearn road
Ellievking1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

The walk starts from the car park on the B4417 above Llanaelhaearn, at about 208 m. A short stretch of the road leads to the start of the path, which climbs the slope of Yr Eifl to Tre'r Ceiri, an Iron Age hill fort, 485 m, whose walls still stand up to 4 m high in places, with the remains of about 150 stone houses inside. A path goes on to the summit of Yr Eifl, Garn Ganol, 561 m, the highest point on Llŷn, with its cairn and trig point. The views run over Llŷn and Cardigan Bay and, on a clear day, to Ireland and the Isle of Man. The way down takes a different path to the road, with a short walk back to the car park.

It is 5.0 km with 391 m of ascent; allow about 2¾ hours. The grade is Moderate.

The path is steep and rocky in places and the top is exposed to wind and often in cloud: take a map and compass and wear boots. Stay on the path through the fort to protect the walls, and keep dogs under control: there are sheep on the hill. There is no pavement on the B4417 at either end of the walk.

The car park is on the B4417; no charge or fee is shown for it in OpenStreetMap. The village car park in Llanaelhaearn is 750 m away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Tre'r Ceiri, the town of the giants, is an Iron Age hill fort first built about 200 BC, with about 150 stone houses inside its walls
  • Its walls still stand up to 4 m high in places, and it was occupied into the Roman period
  • Garn Ganol, 561 m, is the highest point on Llŷn, with a cairn and a trig point
  • On a clear day the view takes in the Isle of Man, the Wicklow Mountains, the Lake District and all of Cardigan Bay

Summits on the way

  • Yr Eifl 561 m

Getting there

Start: Tre'r Ceiri car park, Llanaelhaearn road. 52.97275, -4.41364

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Tre'r Ceiri car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.