Is it safe to swim in Lake Bala?
It’s very popular for swimming in the summer, but distance swimmers must tow a marker buoy. The lake has some algae on the bottom, which makes entry a bit tricky. The town end of the lake is the most popular for swimming and other water sports. Llyn Tegid or Lake Bala , on the edge of Snowdonia, is the largest natural lake in Wales being about 7 km long and 1 km wide. There is a legend of a lost palace beneath the lake, caused by a cruel prince who refused to listen to a harpist about an impending flood that was to kill him and his guests in his castle.To this day the old town lies submerged beneath the lake which is now called Bala Lake or Llyn Tegid. According to this legend underneath the lake lies the old town of Bala which was once ruled by a wicked prince named Tegid Foel. Tegid Foel had a wife called Ceridwen.Bala Lake or Llyn Tegid is a mesotrophic lake, 4 miles long and ½ mile wide, lying at a height of 530 feet above sea level. The main P&D parking area and ‘beach’ can be found just off the A494, where there are toilets and a cafe.At 3½ miles long, ¾ mile wide and up to 140 feet deep, Bala Lake is the largest natural lake in Wales. Gusting south westerly winds through the valley makes it a perfect spot for all kinds of watersports, from sailing and windsurfing to fishing.Canoe on the largest natural lake in Wales or walk around the lake. Walk on the well-marked networks of path of a Walkers are Welcome town – officially recognised. Swim in the lake the venue for open water swimming championships and triathlons including national selection.
Where is Bala Lake near?
The centrepiece of Bala is Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales, measuring around 5km long and 1km wide. Sandwiched between Eryri (Snowdonia) and the Berwyn mountains, it’s overlooked by its own mini-massif: the Arenig mountains. Llyn Tegid | Bala Lake Bala Lake, or Llyn Tegid, is over four miles long and a mile wide at it’s widest point, making it the largest natural lake in Wales. It is an important home for the rare ‘gwyniad’ fish – a species that became trapped in the lake at the end of the last Ice age some 10,000 years ago.At four-miles long and over 40m deep, Llyn Tegid (‘Bala Lake’) is the largest lake in Wales, with its own mythical monster called Teggie. The 6th century legendary poet Taliesin may have been raised here.The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a lead. Llyn Tegid, also known as Bala Lake, is the largest natural lake in Wales, and this trail takes you along its banks and over the hills all the way around the lake, providing fantastic views from different points.Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), like many of Eryri’s (Snowdonia’s) lakes, was formed when a long, deep glacial valley became blocked by Ice Age debris. At four miles long and well over 40m deep, it’s the largest lake in Wales, with its own Loch-Ness-style mythical monster.
What is the myth of Bala Lake?
It was said Llyn Tegid (now called Bala Lake) was bottomless. Centuries ago an expert diver tried it, but was terribly frightened by his experience. He asserted that a dragon was coiled up at the bottom of the lake, and if he had not been very careful the creature would have swallowed him. The Tryweryn and Dee flow either side of Bala, creating Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake) – Wales’ largest natural lake. Whether it’s sailing, canoeing, wild swimming or trout fishing you’ll find a place here.
How deep is Bala Lake?
The jewel in the crown is Bala Lake, see picture, the largest natural lake in Wales. The lake is over 3½ miles long, ¾ mile wide and over 140 feet deep in places. The lake is set in stunning mountain scenery and is a popular venue for fishing and water-sports including sailing, kayaking and canoeing. Bala Lake is widely used by watersport enthusiasts, because of the winds which sweep through its mountain valley setting. Kayaks and Yachts are available for hire to tourists, the steam trains of the Bala Railway run along its shore. The lake is 484 hectares in size and extends to 42 metres in depth.Bala Lake is owned and managed by the Snowdonia National Park Authority as a recreational resource. The Authority also conserves the lake and its special biodiversity.Bala lake (‘Llyn Tegid’ ) is 4 miles long and 0. It offers excellent coarse fishing. Participants have to wear a lifejacket or buoyancy aid at all times. Power boats are not allowed but small battery/electric engines are allowed.
What is the rare fish in Bala Lake?
Gwyniad. This rare fish is a resident of just one lake, Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala) in north Wales, but its numbers are declining, prompting a rescue effort. The species was left behind at the end of the last ice age, living in the deeper reaches of the lake for the last 10,000 years. Bala, market town, Gwynedd county, historic county of Merioneth (Meirionnydd), northern Wales. It lies in Snowdonia National Park at the northern end of mountain-girt Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), the largest natural lake in Wales.Bala Lake has 14 species of fish, including the Gwyniad (Coregonus lavaretus), a species of whitefish which is unique to Bala Lake. Around the lake and some rivers, are otters. The lake is also the home of the glutinous snail – Myxas glutinosa. This is the only location in mainland UK where this snail is found.At nearly 4 miles long and half a mile wide, Bala Lake is a beautiful place to visit if in Gwynedd. Wales’ largest natural lake provides spectacular views and is very popular with tourists and their dogs.Bala Lake holds perch, roach, pike, trout, grayling, eels, along with salmon in the season and the legendary Gwyniad, this is a plankton feeder and seldom caught on rod and line, also present are minnows, loaches and bullheads.The closest beaches to Bala are at Barmouth or Fairbourne, accessed by a drive along the magnificent Mawddach Estuary. All of the coastline to the west of Bala is along Cardigan Bay with the mountains of Snowdonia as the back-drop.