The nearest small settlements to the mountain are Dinas Mawddwy to the south, Llanymawddwy to the southeast, Llanuwchllyn on the shores of Bala Lake to the north, and Rhydymain to the west.

Aran Fawddwy is best ascended from Cywarch in the south,[4] although a longer ridge climb is possible from the Bala side.

The eastern side is extremely steep, falling spectacularly in crags to a series of glacial cwms or corries which also enclose two small lakes (Creiglyn Dyfi and Llyn Lliwbran).

The view from the summit is extensive, covering most of the mountain ranges of North Wales and as far south as the Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire peninsula.

[5] A cairn is placed on the eastern ridge as a memorial to RAF Mountain Rescue team member Michael Robert Aspain, who was struck and killed by lightning in 1960.