Hostels in Elterwater, England

Elterwater is a small village at the heart of the Lake District of England. It is in the county of Cumbria in northwest England in the valley of the Great Langdale near Coniston. Elterwater is predominantly a holiday town; tourism is the main source of economy. Elterwater gets its name from the nearby lake, Elter Water, where you can go fishing in small skiffs only.

To get to Elterwater, you can take a combination of buses and trains from London’s Victoria Street Station through Birmingham and Oxenholme. You will need to change several times. To get into the village itself you will need to catch a local bus or arrange transport with your hostel if you’re arriving outside the scheduled bus times.

There are a few backpacker hostels in Elterwater. Most of the hostels are in the town centre, which is quite small and walkable, but you might find one or two on the outskirts closer to the walking trails. Expect hostels in the Lake District to be warm (it rains a lot there, after all!) and spacious, with lots of room to lay out wet hiking gear and muddy shoes. Your hostel can also give you details on the hiking and fishing in the area.

England’s Lake District is known for its extensive hiking and cycling trails, and its many lakes with boating, fishing, and swimming. The Great Langdale in particular has some of the best trekking in northern England. The most popular hike is the Langdale Pikes walk, which traverses four different peaks. There are several others across the valley. Elterwater is a cute little village with plenty of shops and cafes, including one of the oldest English pubs. It’s a very good base for exploring the Lake District, as both Ambleside and Grasmere are within striking distance. There are some quaint museums here celebrating authors Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit) and Wordsworth.