Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake)

The lake is a working recreation spot as well as a scenic stop. Visitors come for paddleboarding, canoeing, rowing, windsurfing, swimming and fishing. Water-sports users need a permit for activities such as paddleboarding, canoeing and rowing, and fishing requires a permit. The rare gwyniad, a whitefish native to Llyn Tegid, is protected and cannot be fished.

There are two useful access points: the authority car park on the foreshore near Bala and another at Llangywer. The foreshore has a picnic area, public toilets and a slipway, so it is the practical base for a short visit. Dogs are welcome, but overnight camping and lakeside barbecues are not permitted.

Look along the banks and quiet edges for otters, kingfishers, herons and water voles. The lake is also notable for the extremely rare glutinous snail, recorded in the UK only at Llyn Tegid. Around the wider Bala area, red kites and buzzards are regular possibilities. Local folklore says the lake was named for Tegid Foel, a legendary king whose kingdom was submerged beneath the water.