Brecon
Aberhonddu
The market town at the foot of Pen y Fan.
Photo: WelshDave / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Brecon is the natural capital of the national park, a cathedral and market town at the meeting of the Usk and Honddu rivers. It is the closest town to Pen y Fan, the highest peak in southern Britain, and the terminus of the pretty Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal.
Staying near Brecon
The most convenient base in the park for the central Beacons and Pen y Fan. Properties around Brecon put you minutes from the mountain car parks and the canal, with the town's shops and pubs on hand.
What's here
Pen y Fan and Corn Du from the Storey Arms or the quieter Cwm Llwch; the canal for walking, cycling and boat hire; Brecon Cathedral; and the Brecon Mountain Railway a short drive south.
When to visit
Year-round; midweek in November and January is cheap and often clear. The Brecon Jazz weekend in August fills the town.
See what's available in Brecon
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Common questions
Is Brecon the best base for climbing Pen y Fan?
It is the most convenient town. The main Pen y Fan car parks at the Storey Arms and Pont ar Daf are about 15 minutes' drive from Brecon, and quieter routes such as Cwm Llwch start even closer. The town also has the shops, pubs and supplies you want either side of a walk.
Is the Brecon Beacons good for stargazing?
Yes — the whole national park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, one of only a handful in the world. Away from the town lights, on a clear moonless night, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye, which is a large part of the appeal of a winter hot tub break here.