Sychnant Pass

Sychnant Pass (Welsh: Bwlch Sychnant, “dry-stream pass”) carries the road between Conwy and Penmaenmawr over a gap in the hills west of Conwy Mountain, through the village of Capelulo. Much of the pass lies within Eryri National Park, and part of it is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Before the North Wales coastal railway was built, this was the route mail coaches used whenever the faster sands route along the coast became impassable at high tide.

The road narrows between the stone walls of the Pensychnant estate as it climbs from the Conwy side, running along the southern flank of Conwy Mountain, from which footpaths, including the long-distance North Wales Path, branch off towards the summit and its Iron Age hillfort. A car park at the top of the pass is used as an alternative starting point for walks onto Conwy Mountain, for anyone who would rather begin on open hillside than climb from the town.

On the descent towards Capelulo, a Victorian-era nature trail follows a wooded ravine, Nant Ddaear-y-llwynog, behind the village’s inns.

This is a drive-to stop on the road between Conwy and the coast to the west, useful as a quick add-on to a day out rather than a reason to go out. It does not suit anyone without a car, since no rail or regular bus service reaches the pass.