The A470 — Spine of Wales (Cambrian Way)
A470 · Cardiff Bay (Mermaid Quay) → Llandudno · Wales
- Length
- 186 miles
- Drive time
- 5 h (best over 2–4 days)
- Type
- Grand touring road
- Region
- Wales
THE iconic Welsh drive: the only A-road in Britain to run the whole length of a country, 186 miles from Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay to Llandudno's Victorian promenade. Once voted Britain's favourite road, it climbs past Pen y Fan at Storey Arms, threads the wilds of mid-Wales, and crosses Eryri over the Crimea Pass. Dual carriageway to Merthyr, then proper single-carriageway touring all the way north.
Highlights of the The A470 — Spine of Wales (Cambrian Way)
- Storey Arms & Pen y Fan (highest point)
- Crimea Pass into Blaenau Ffestiniog
- Cardiff Bay start, Llandudno pier finish
Where to stop on the The A470 — Spine of Wales (Cambrian Way)
- Pont ar Daf car park (Storey Arms) viewpoint — Pen y Fan trailhead at the 440 m crest of the Beacons — coffee van most days
- Erwood Station Craft Centre café — Coffee shop and gallery in restored railway carriages just over the Wye bridge
- Texaco, Rhayader fuel — Fill up here — fuel is thin on the ground for the next 40-odd miles of mid-Wales A470
- Cross Foxes food — Smart bar and grill beneath Cadair Idris where the A470 meets the A487
Drive the The A470 — Spine of Wales (Cambrian Way)
Open The A470 — Spine of Wales (Cambrian Way) on the map → ⬇ Download GPX
GPX works with Garmin, TomTom, Beeline and most bike sat-navs. Free, no sign-up — these are indicative waypoints, so follow the road signs, not the arrow.
Plot it, add it to a club run with a meeting point and pit stops, then share the whole trip as one link. Free, no account, works offline.
Route research: Wikipedia — A470
More driving roads in Wales
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- Horseshoe Pass A542 · 7 mi · Wales
- Llangynidr Mountain Road B4560 · 8 mi · Wales
- Rhigos Mountain Road A4061 · 6 mi · Wales
- A44 over the Cambrians A44 · 25 mi · Wales