We had surfing lessons at this Snowdonia inland surf hotspot and want to do it all over again
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If you are looking for that rush of adrenaline once a wave is coming towards you, don’t just walk run to Adventure Parc Snowdonia.
This adventure park features the surfing complex, glamping pods surfside, a rock climbing wall, indoor high ropes, indoor caving and loads more. Depending on whether you need a fun-filled outdoor or indoor activity- there is plenty to do here. So, when I told my best friend she was coming to learn to surf her face was a picture I will never forget. I mean we’re not spring chickens and this is the most physical outdoor activity either of us had done for a long while, so here is how we found it.
Luckily enough, the lovely on-site Hilton Garden Inn offered us a room for the two days’ stay which was a wonderful addition after a day of fun and chilling in the Wave Garden Spa.
The hotel is situated right alongside the surfing complex so any guests booking a stay can receive additional offers for the adventure park- at the moment you can get a 10% discount on stays while enjoying the Adventure Parc facilities.
But, if guests were to wish to stay over even closer to the rippling wave pool, there are glamping pods situated right at the tip of the water.
It really is such a stunning location at the heart of the majestic Conwy Valley in North Wales, they’re surrounded by rivers, mountains, woodlands and wildlife of Snowdonia. It is without question one of the most beautiful regions in the UK, and the team take very seriously their commitment to it with the Parc being built upon, and remediating a former aluminium casting site.
The overall surf experience was definitely something we both said we will remember forever.
When you get to the reception area you are checked in, given a wrist band for the locker area and are handed straight to the staff on hand at the wetsuit stockroom to get yourself ready.
Then our instructor, the lovely Jake, took us to learn the basics in the Surf Academy. We were taught how to get onto the board, the ways to balance, how to hold the board etc. I found this bit fascinating as you don’t realise the skill involved in surfing until you see the precision needed for every move you make.
All I can say is from the minute you are off to proceed into the water for the real deal from here on it is so much fun!
Me and my best friend Lauren were laughing when we were getting in about how much we were going to make fools of ourselves. But she, even more so than me, absolutely surprised us – she took to it like a duck to water!
The getting onto the board and staying in a balanced position is so hard but so rewarding once you get the hang of it (I learned the hard way with a hefty bang to the head and had to sit out).
But, Lauren was absolutely flying and gliding those waves well before me.
Our surf expert once in the water Freya was incredible with us and the two boys who joined our team.
The four of us all needed her for different things, the youngest boy needed extra help getting on and off the board, me and Lauren were probably just about getting the jist of it, whereas the other teenage boy was flying and very nearly got the hang of standing on the board.
Overall, we felt we were in great hands and Freya and Jake certainly made this experience a much more enjoyable one with their passion and dedication to their roles at the complex.
All in all for the price you pay it’s a once in a lifetime experience you have to try we were shocked at how quickly we picked it up considering it is quite difficult.
You can check it out and book here from £53.
Once finished, it was time to head straight over to the Wave Garden Spa, where Amelia greeted us with a huge smile and couldn’t have been more helpful.
If you love a spa day the Wave Garden Spa is a little basic but ticks all the boxes with it’s outdoor experience.
Wave Garden Spa
For the most part, we just absolutely lapped up the relax away from our home life and our precious kids.
The spa is relatively small but has all you need for a relaxing afternoon after a surf for sure.
We were treated to fizz on arrival, we were organised for the rest of the day by Amelia at the front desk and she literally put us at ease from the minute we met her with our busy schedule confusing the pair of us.
Before we knew it Amelia had us booked in for lunch, had our massages secured and was giving us the best welcome to a gorgeous afternoon.
I didn’t feel 100% at this point so Lauren took the reins and had the Hot Wave, Wave Garden Exclusive Experience and she couldn’t fault it.
Lauren enjoyed the hot stones as they were a perfect temperature and used really well (Lauren is a Sports Therapist so knew what she wanted from the treatment). Lauren also stated she would highly recommend this treatment to anyone, not only was it relaxing and calming, it was also overall, simply rejuvenating.
We then spent most of our time soaking up the sun in the outdoor jacuzzi watching the waves go by, it was truly idyllic.
Food during our stay
We had a gorgeous experience of both enjoying a three course meal at the Bar & Grill but unfortunately we didn’t enjoy the other meals during our stay.
We both woke from a beautiful sleep in the hotel’s comfortable, cosy beds but then when we went to breakfast were left really quite disappointed. The bacon and sausage seemed unreplenished and cold.
But, it didn’t dampen the stay.
Once we had embarked on the surfing experience we were starving, and what better way to head to the grill for a much deserved Sunday Roast. But again, this was a little disappointing too.
It seemed our plate was filled with reheated roast potatoes, bloodied plate from the meat and a really watery, tasteless gravy.
Again, it was such a shame but we ended up sharing a stunning dessert to fill the gap in our bellies and the Chocolate Brownie was divine.
Our verdict
We would absolutely return to the Adventure Parc Snowdonia for the incredible surfing experience again AND to head to the Wave Garden Spa again both we would rate an easy 5/5 for service and overall enjoyment during the stay.
We absolutely loved our hotel room and the beds were so comfortable, but because of the disappointing food during our stay I would rate the hotel a 3/5.
Here you can book to stay at The Hilton Garden Inn at Snowdonia Adventure Parc.
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