West Wales Guide

Must-see places to visit on a short break in West Wales.

©Glen Bowman CC BY-SA 2.0

Lanerchaeron

Owned by the National Trust, Llanerchaeron is an elegant Georgian villa designed by the architect John Nash, who went on to work on Regent Street and Buckingham Palace in London. It has a walled garden sheltering some of the best herbaceous borders in the country and a working farm. In its perfectly preserved 18th-century farmyard, you can see rare local breeds as well as a collection of vintage farm machinery

©Ed Webster CC BY- 2.0

Vale of Rheidol

The Vale of Rheidol is home to a heritage steam railway that runs between Aberystwyth and Devil’s Bridge. The twelve-mile, one-hour journey passes through scenic woodland and mountains as it snakes through the countryside. On arrival, you can see the eponymous bridge, visit the spectacular Mynach waterfalls, take lunch at the famous Hafod Hotel, and buy award-winning locally-made chocolates from Sarah Bunton.

©Robert Sullivan PDM 1.0

The Mach Loop

Taking its name from nearby Machynlleth, the Mach Loop is a low-level training area for military aircraft. It is one of the few places in the U.K. where it is possible to get a close view of British and American fighter jets in flight. The most accessible place to view is the car park on the A487 between Minffordd and Cross Foxes, although it can get crowded. At the nearby Corris Craft Centre, you can enjoy refreshments and get information on aircraft you might see.

©John Ford CC BY 2.0

Aberaeron

Colourful rendered cottages are a feature of many Celtic areas, including Ireland and Cornwall. One of the best examples in Wales is the Regency harbour town of Aberaeron, from where you can take a riverside walk to Llanerchaeron. Painted a bright blue, the Harbourmaster Hotel on the quayside is a local landmark. It is one of the best places in the area to eat locally sourced fish, lamb, beef, and cheeses, especially good for a Sunday roast

©Ben Salter CC BY 2.0

Dinefwr

Newton House stands at the heart of the Dinefwr Park National Nature Reserve, an 800-acre National Trust estate of ancient woodlands, pastures, lakes, and a deer park landscaped by Capability Brown, where you can see herds of fallow deer and rare White Park cattle. The house itself is a Jacobean mansion given a Victorian Gothic facelift and is famous for its seventeenth-century ceilings and as the most haunted house in Wales.

©Mosey Travel

Botanic Garden of Wales

The National Botanic Garden of Wales is home to the largest single-span greenhouse in the world. Known as The Great Glasshouse, the dome was designed by Sir Norman Foster, famous for “The Gherkin” in London. Rather than the usual tropical plants found in hot houses, the dome re-creates a Mediterranean climate, and houses endangered plants from six regions around the world that share the hot, dry conditions. It even has a “Med Cafe” inside.

©Werner Wilmes CC BY 2.0

Tresaith

Tresaith is best known for its waterfall where the river Saith cascades over the cliffs directly onto the beach. At low tide it is possible to walk along the beach to neighbouring Penbryn, grab some refreshments at The Pymp Tart and then back along the Wales Coastal Path. Bottlenose dolphins and grey seals can often be spotted in the water along this stretch of Cardigan Bay. Returning to the village recharge with a drink in the beer garden of The Ship Inn overlooking the beach.

©Reading Tom CC BY 2.0

New Quay

New Quay is a quintessential seaside resort town boasting a small stone pier sheltering a harbour filled with sailing boats and a large sandy beach. It is also the best place to take a boat trip to spot the bottlenose dolphins that live in Cardigan Bay. The town, perched on a hill overlooking the beaches and harbour, has a plethora of cafes and fish and chip shops with great views. A nearby honey farm, the largest in Wales, sells honey and mead and has a live bee exhibition.

©Mosey Travel

Cardigan

Cardigan boasts two of the most interesting places to eat on the West Wales coast. Yr Hen Printworks offers “Welsh tapas.” Housed in a former chapel turned printworks restaurant, it serves small plates made from locally sourced ingredients, the flavours perfectly complementing one another. Pizza Tipi on the banks of the river Teifi, offers cheap and cheerful stone-baked pizza in a ramshackle collection of rough-hewn wooden buildings including, of course, a teepee.

More West Wales photos…

LLANERCHAERON ©David Merrett CC BY-SA 2.0

VALE OF RHEIDOL ©David Joyce CC BY-SA 2.0

VALE OF RHEIDOL ©Jeremy Segrott CC BY 2.0

VALE OF RHEIDOL ©Richard Szwejkowski CC BY-SA 2.0

MACH LOOP F15 ©Jason Humphries-Brown CC BY-ND 2.0

MACH LOOP CHINOOK ©wallycacsabre CC BY 2.0

NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES ©Mosey Travel