The Brecon Beacons, declared a National Park in 1957, is a perfect place for self-catering cottage holidays. The highest point is Pen y Fan at 886 metres standing high amidst mountains just waiting to be explored. When looking for cottage rentals in the Brecon Beacons you can have an enclosed garden, if you’re taking young children or a dog, a hot tub, be rural, near a town or village or perhaps one of our luxury collection, the choice really is yours.

The Black Mountains form a natural border with Herefordshire and the Brecon Beacons cover an area which includes Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire and Powys, so very diverse with spectacular scenery and a wonderful variety of wildlife to look out for. For those who love horse riding, or just want to have a go, there are some superb hacks, arguably some of the best in Europe.

It’s also the first National Park in the UK to achieve Geopark status, a UNESO site of particular geological importance and heritage. The whole area is wonderful for outdoors enthusiasts with public rights of way all over the hills and mountains, through hidden valleys and along rivers, something to suit everyone and very dog friendly.

There are lots of lovely towns and villages to discover, with friendly places to eat and drink traditional fayre plus a great choice of holiday cottages in the Brecon Beacons. Llandovery is a pretty market town and well worth a visit, once an ancient Drover’s town it now has small shops and cafes which embody the spirit of the area. Usk, named after the river running through it, is known for its floral displays and salmon fishing as well as craft and antique shops plus dog friendly cafes and pubs. Abergavenny is known as the Gataway to Wales, a busy market town sitting in the shade of Sugar Loaf Mountain and a great place to visit, shop, eat, drink and explore.

Brecon is a great base for those wanting peace and quiet as well as a great choice of outdoor activities including fishing, canoeing or a relaxing canal cruise. It’s a lively market town in the shadow of the mountains with beautiful scenery and a rich history with museums and historic places to visit. Every year they hold an International Jazz Festival in August which attracts people from all over the world. You can easily get to Swansea, Hereford, the World Heritage site at Blaenavon or the Show Caves at Dan-yr-Ogof, which are all less than an hour away in the car.