One of the world’s most beautiful places is in Wales

The publication recently unveiled a list of the 51 most beautiful places in the world

There are so many incredible destinations to explore, and while choosing the most dazzling is a challenge, Time Out has boldly taken it on.

The publication recently unveiled a list of the 51 most beautiful places in the world, featuring everything from lakes and beaches to National Parks, libraries, vineyards, and historic towns.

For its epic list, Time Out writes, “It goes without saying that Time Out’s ranking of the world’s most beautiful places is entirely subjective and by no means exhaustive, but what we can guarantee is real-life experience.

Every single beach, lake, city and valley on this list has been visited and vetted by our globetrotting network of travel writers. In short, they’re all well worth making the journey to see for yourself.”

While many of the featured destinations are scattered across the globe, one is closer than you might expect. A Welsh spot has proudly earned its place among the world’s most beautiful.

Claiming the number 13 spot is our beloved Bannau Brycheiniog, also known as the Brecon Beacons. Time Out describes the National Park as one of Wales’s countless breathtaking landscapes.

They add “Stretching across 520 square miles from mid to south Wales, you can walk across its verdant hills with no one in sight. It’s a cathartic, curvaceous wonderland, with mountain peaks Pen y Fan, Corn Du and Craig Gwaun Taf attracting hikers from across the country (and the world).

If you prefer an easier trek, Sugar Loaf Hill, in the southeast region of the park, offers equally stunning, 360-degree views at a way more comfortable, accessible altitude.”

Time Out also recommends readers visit the popular Hills restaurant, near the town of Brecon, to “indulge in some of the best burgers with views of – you guessed it – Brecon’s hills.”

This isn’t the first time Bannau Brycheiniog has captured global attention. The national park also earned a coveted spot on the New York Times list of the 52 best places to visit in 2024.

For the park’s 66th anniversary in 2023, the national park’s authority decided to scrap its English name, Brecon Beacons, and officially call it by its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog. Its authority said that the announcement was to reflect its commitment to Welsh culture, language and heritage. You can read more about this here.

Pen y Fan is one of the main draws and is the highest peak in South Wales at 886 metres (2,907 ft), rising above a landscape of rolling high hills. It’s one of several flat-topped summits in the area, alongside Corn Du, Cribyn, and Fan y Big, which together form the popular Horseshoe Ridge Walk.

Beyond its dramatic peaks like Pen-y-Fan and Cribyn, perfect for unforgettable hikes, the National Park features vibrant market towns such as Brecon and Hay-on-Wye.

The latter, a charming haven for book lovers, hosts over 20 bookshops and the world’s largest annual book festival. The landscape is also dotted with atmospheric castle and fort ruins, all within a region designated as a national park since 1957.

Jon Pimm, a warden at the park, said: “Each area of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park has its own uniqueness, its own features. After working here for over ten years, I’m still finding new places and seeing wonderful views I’ve not seen before.” For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here