Nestled at the foot on Snowdon and surrounded by stunning countryside Llanberis has long been a destination of choice for any visitor to North Wales.
Almost as soon as lockdown eased, the crowds returned in their thousands, shattering the peace and tranquility, some had become accustomed to.
The roads leading to the mountains became a car park last weekend with Pen y Pass virtually impassable.
But not everyone welcomed the return to normality or a "new normal".
Llanberis born-and-bred Kevin Morris Jones grew accustomed to peace and quiet which settled over the village when lockdown started in March.
The Gwynedd county councillor said: "For the first time ever, I got to spend the summer enjoying the place I live for myself."
Although a strange and unsettling time for man, it was also a time to appreciate the surrounding areas.
"On my walks, I would see other people on theirs that have lived here for years.
"It was so peaceful here, we all felt like we had our little village back to ourselves," Kevin added.
That ended abruptly last weekend when the area was almost over-run with visitors.
Nearly 500 cars were partially blocking the mountain roads of Eryr, prompting many to fear that the wave of visitors would now be a regular occurrence and potentially risk a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
Kevin was left shell-shocked by last week's scenes: "I have never seen Llanberis like that before.
"We do have busy weekends, but I think the fact that mountain paths were now open and the weather was good, meant that we were inevitably going to have an influx of visitors here.
"It’s dangerous, especially considering we have a lot of elderly residents here that have been self-isolating through out those four months. It's risky when a lot of people come here and don't practise social distancing."
As tourist hotspots, pubs and cafes gradually reopen, the councillor insists that action must be taken to consider everyone's wellbeing.
He said: "We need to sort out our transport here.
"Although we do have a park and ride service, at the moment people are too scared to use them for fear of virus spreading.
"I think we need to work on extending the shuttle buses' capacity, and reassuring people that all measures are in place to secure their health and safety.
"An increase in parking tickets and fines would also make visitors think twice about parking their cars in these areas.”
Cafe owner Leah Edge agreed with that analysis.
The business owner runs Mafon cafe on the High Street, which has been closed during lockdown.
"It was strange not having people here for the summer, but it was also really nice to have this place to ourselves," she said.
"For the last couple of weekends, we have seen the difference in the footfall. I've seen the pictures of the parked cars and the litter and it just makes me feel sad. I think people forget that their destination is our home.
"The village prides itself on its natural beauty, and it would be a shame for that to be forgotten."
The business owner is currently refurbishing her cafe in an attempt to make it an accessible and safe place for both her staff and customers for when it will reopen at the beginning of August.
Leah said: "A lot has changed and it has made me reconsider how I can run my business affectively while also keeping my staff and customers safe.
"We will reopen on August the 1st and will be offering takeaway coffees. We're also aiming to make this place a more zero-waste shop.
"I hope people will be more supportive of local businesses, like ourselves. Unfortunately, on social media, I have seen a lot of businesses closing permanently, which has been really sad to see.
"Despite everything, I'm really excited to reopen. It's going to be challenging with all these changes but it is necessary for everyone involved - our businesses, our community and our visitors."
Carla Imbrenda is an adventure guide and heavily depends on the tourists that visit the area.
Although keen to revive her business once again, Carla is also apprehensive about the impact this will have on Llanberis's community.
"We are a close-knit community," she said.
"During lockdown, everyone was working together, being respectable and helping each other. I'm proud of who we are.
"Most people are looking forward to normality, but we have to adapt to changes. I don't think people realise how dependent we are on tourism here, and the sector has to pick up again.
"I'm worried about how people are going to react to visitors. But if the last four months has proven anything, is that we all share the same love for this place. It's undeniably beautiful, we have to protect and respect it at all costs."
