Merlin
Merlin
Merlin offers the ultimate off-grid experience, where you’ll be completely surrounded by nature with views of the trees and surrounding countryside. Located near Betws-y-Coed - the gateway to Snowdonia - you’re just a short drive from alpine forests, independent shops, and award-winning eateries. Merlin sits on a beautiful estate, with the River Conwy flowing nearby and sweeping views into the valley below. For the adventurous, you can hike Snowdon or explore the estate which hides a secret wild-swimming spot, perfect for a refreshing dip.
Built with comfort in mind, Merlin has a hot shower, a king-sized bed with Piglet in Bed linen, and a kitchenette with a gas hob. As a digital detox cabin, it comes with a phone lockbox, radio, and plenty of board games - everything you need for a peaceful, phone-free break.
At certain times of year, you may share Merlin’s surroundings with the local dairy cows, but the cabin will be fully fenced during these periods for your comfort and safety. Unfortunately, Merlin isn’t dog-friendly, due to the nearby cows and surrounding wildlife, though if you're lucky you might meet the friendly farm dog if you head down to the wild swimming spot!
Luxury king size bed with Piglet bedding
Well equipped kitchen
Fresh tea and coffee
Hot shower, towels and toiletries
Outdoor fire pit and indoor wood burner (for safety reasons, the fire pit may be removed in summer)
Wood burning stove
Logs, firelighters, kindling
Phone lockbox
Map of local area
Board games, books and radio
Instant camera with 10 pack of film
Eco-composting toilet
Parking
Area highlights
Our fave things to do near Merlin
Wild swim on the estate
Merlin's estate has a private wild swimming spot just a few minutes walk from the cabin. Relax there with a book or take a cold plunge to boost your dopamine for the day.
Visit the on-site gardens
Lima Gardens, which are on the estate, host garden open days, flower arranging courses, wreath making classes and even yoga sessions. You can book any of these sessions on their website here.
Explore Betws-y-Coed
Explore the local village of Betws-y-Coed which is packed with traditional stone-and-slate houses, quaint independent shops and the infamous Pont y Pair Bridge. The village is also the starting point for some amazing walks to Swallow Falls or Lyn Elsi.
Gwydir Forest Park
Gwydir Forest Park surrounds Betws-y-Coed and is filled with mountain lakes, woodland trails and rushing waterfalls. There are many different routes for all abilities, each taking you through alpine forests and showcase far reaching views across the might mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia).
Head to Conwy Falls
Start your walk to Conwy Falls through scenic woodlands behind the Conwy Falls Café. Locally known in Welsh as Rhaeadr y Graig Lwyd, the waterfall is incredible and also famous for salmon jumping.
Walk to Swallow Falls
Take a beautiful walk from Betws-y-Coed to Swallow Falls on the River Llugwy. The walk takes you through forests and along the river, ending at impressive rapids. The popular viewpoints are on the south bank, but for a better view with fewer people, try the north bank.
Availability
FAQs
You can read all our FAQs here.
Reviews
No hassle or stress!
Loved the cabin, the setting, the quiet and going back to basics with cards, a radio and a digital camera!
Loved the beautiful nature around, peace and quiet!
Loved the location, decor/quality of the cabin, amenities and cookware etc.
Loved everything. The location was perfect, no noise pollution but not a far drive away from a lot of activities and shops.
The location and everything about it was just perfect, far away from any noise or outside world yet still close enough to explore and eat out if needed.
Loved the wild swimming, cabin was so cosy!
Loved the wildlife, peaceful!
Loved how remote it felt.
Loved the location and steady pace!
Amazing location, beautiful cabin!
I absolutely loved the cabin, the bed was extremely comfortable and the amenities were sufficient. The location was perfect - completely idyllic, close to wonderful walks in nature and easy to access. The unplugged detox experience was amazing, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I have never felt more at peace than the few days I spent there.
Loved the stunning scenery and the coziness of the cabin!
I loved the coziness, structure & simplicity of the stay! Good books, views and time to disconnect from the modern tech world we live in!
Beautiful, relaxing, totally off grid and living the simple life. Absolutely gorgeous hearing the stream from the cabin. Stunning.
We loved how secluded the location was as we were far from the footpath / public view. The cabin had everything we needed.
Very relaxing, cabin was beautiful, it was a perfect getaway!
My partner and I stayed in Merlin for 3 nights. It was such a wonderful experience we truly had a lovely time. The location was amazing it was so peaceful. The cabin was equipped with everything we could possibly need and it was very clean and so cosy (once we had the fire on. Minor things to note: For people who do not have a car (We had a car). The cabin manual stated that it was a 2 hour walk to the nearby town. It did not state (4 hours total) I think that is a long way for most people to walk. In our manual it also stated that we weren’t allowed to walk out past the landowners house but we tried to find the footpaths to leave the site but we really could not. We tried to embrace the art of getting lost, but it took us down some strange paths and eventually we gave up. I think the site requires better signage if you are expecting people to walk. Also in the online manual it included recipes. I wish the printed version in the cabin included them also as I had to go on my phone to see the recipes which I really didn’t want to do. I would reccomend this experience to anyone wishing to have a digital detox. Just if you do not have a car I would not recommend staying in Merlin. I understand unplugged tries to accommodate people with public transport and cars so there probably are better connected cabins.
Loved the peaceful environment. The simplicity of going back to basics. The trees, the river the opportunity to reset for the new year.
Loved switching off - loved the quiet and private location!
Loved the scenery, the wood fire, the wild swimming spot!!
Everything we needed was stocked in the cabin. It was in a perfect condition and great location. So easy to find and make ourselves at home!
I loved the area and the layout of the cabin
Loved the tranquility and access to all the necessarily essentials for off grid living
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