Surf Snowdonia
In a decision many have classified as entirely unlikely, Snowdonia National Park was selected as the source of a roughly-$13 million, year-long project to bring waves, surf, and sand to rural north Wales. On the eastern side of the sleepy, quiet village of Dolgarrog, surrounded by hilled forests and farmlands, an abandoned aluminum factory has become the site of a 300-meter artificial lake, bisected by a steel and concrete pier, segmented by enviable waves that have enthusiasts and surfers alike flocking to its shore.
Developed over the past decade by Wavegarden, a Spanish-based company, the artificial lake was first created in a prototype facility near Zarautz. The lozenge-shaped fresh-water lagoon is the size of roughly six football fields and set in the green Conwy Valley. Wales’ Wavegarden, the revolutionary world-first inland surf lagoon is the United Kingdom’s most compelling outdoor adventure destination. A powerful two-meter wave rises, almost on-demand, at the center of the lagoon and moves outward for 150 meters.
The sleepy village has become one of the most-talked-about surf locations in Europe. Though the lake sits completely landlocked, many swear that the surf has never been better.
