Lone Student kayaking on the Llyn Padarn lake in Llanberis

Bangor and the area

Nestled between the mountains and the sea, our campus is surrounded by a breathtaking natural landscape. But don’t just take our word for it – travel guide Lonely Planet named North Wales as one of the best regions in the world to visit.

Our Location

Discover a university in a truly spectacular environment.

What to do in and around Bangor

In Bangor

In the centre of Bangor you'll find a wide-range of supermarkets, food shops, high street chains, cafes, bars and restaurants. Most of the University buildings and Halls are within walking distance of the city centre.

The Students’ Union provides much of the focus for activities and entertainment, and all of our clubs and societies are free to join.

Sport Centre

The University’s Canolfan Brailsford Sports centre has recently been redeveloped and includes a two storey gym, performance gym, state of the art fitness equipment, sports halls, climbing wall, squash courts and a brand new sports dome which is home to indoor netball and tennis courts.

The Pontio centre

The Pontio centre is a social hub as well as an internationally significant centre for learning, innovation and the performing arts. In addition to being a home for our Students’ Union, it includes a cinema, theatre, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces, bar and café.

Two accommodation villages – Ffriddoedd and St Mary’s

The majority of our accommodation is located at two student villages, Ffriddoedd and St Mary's, which are both within walking distance of the main University buildings, city centre and train station.

We also have a postgraduate hall, Neuadd Garth, located on College Road. Most of our accommodation is en-suite and for all students living in halls of residence gym and Campus Life membership are included. More information...

Around Bangor

Bangor is perfectly placed for sports enthusiasts, but even if you're not into outdoor sports there's still plenty to explore in the surrounding area.

You can visit historic nearby towns such as Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Conwy, which all have impressive castles, or scenic villages like Llanberis and Betws-y-Coed.

Students sitting on the beach in nearby Llanddwyn

Anglesey

Anglesey is one of the most popular destinations in North Wales. When the sun is shining, get your friends together and explore Anglesey's many beaches and miles of beautiful coastline.

The town of Menai Bridge, which is where our School of Ocean Sciences is based, is around 15 minutes' walk from Upper Bangor. Menai Bridge has several cafes, restaurants and bars and a number of locally-owned shops and boutiques.

Anglesey is also your gateway to Ireland and regular ferries run from Holyhead to Dublin, with the journey taking around two hours. You can travel to Holyhead by direct train from Bangor.

Snowdonia

The Snowdonia National Park’s 25 miles of mountains, lakes and rivers offer plenty of opportunities for you to enjoy the great outdoors.

Walking, climbing, kayaking and canoeing are just some of the sports that can be enjoyed in the area, which is also home to Surf Snowdonia surfing lagoon, Europe's longest and fastest zip wires at Zip World Velocity and Zip World Titan, and Bounce Below, a cavern of underground trampolines!

Many of the University’s sports clubs organise regular trips to Snowdonia.

The Adventure Starts Here

Why not make the most of the wealth of opportunities on your doorstep while studying at Bangor? Some of the adrenalin fuelled activities in the area include riding the waves at Surf Snowdonia, experiencing the longest zip line in Europe at Zip World and bouncing on giant underground trampolines at Bounce Below!

Whether you're into outdoor sports or you just like being in a beautiful environment, there's something for everyone.

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