Blue Flags fly over most of Ceredigion’s most popular beaches again for 2018. Borth is good for swimming and about 35-40 minutes drive away. A prehistoric forest, an eerie landscape including the trunks of hundreds of oaks that died more than 4,500 years ago, was revealed at low tide by the ferocious storms of February 2014 which stripped thousands of tons of sand from beaches in Cardigan Bay. The forest of Borth once stretched for miles on boggy land between Borth and Ynyslas, before climate change and rising sea levels buried it under layers of peat, sand and saltwater. Nearby is Ynyslas which is no good for swimming because of currents but is a dream place for running with sea-loving dogs! It is sandwiched between a long sandy beach in Cardigan Bay and the beach in the Dyfi Estuary. The area between the sea and the estuary beach is made up of the Ynyslas Sand Dunes which are part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve and home to many rare plants and animals. The sands of the estuary beach can be driven onto and parked upon. The nature reserve has a visitor centre with toilets and a small shop.  Tresaith is beautiful and not to be missed…well worth the drive but get there early for easier parking.  The Afon Saith stream cascades over the cliff edge at the right-hand end of the beach.  There’s fabulous rock-pooling as well as a cafe, a bucket-and-spade shop and the Ship Inn which sells decent pub grub and craft beers from the Brains brewery.  As you will have read above, Llangrannog Beach is beautiful and rated in the top 50 UK beaches for 2018 by The Sunday Times.  Also check out the Beaches.

There are so many but among our favourites are Aberdyfi (just fabulous), Aberaeron, New Quay and Llangrannog.

Aberdyfi is a small seaside village nestling on the north side of the Dyfi / Dovey estuary and is a thriving little harbour resort set within the Snowdonia National Park, where the river Dyfi meets the blue waters of Cardigan Bay. Aberdyfi has watersports galore – sailing, sailboarding, rowing, canoeing, fishing and boat trips. In the summer, there are yachting regattas, sailboarding competitions, rowing regattas and other watersports events along with family entertainment on its award-winning beaches.

Aberaeron grew from fishing village to a significant trading port but those days are past.  Today the streets are lined with independent shops.  There is an annual seafood festival and the yacht club hosts a number of regattas each summer.  Nearby Penbryn Beach is one of the best spots in Wales for stargazing and spotting seals. New Quay  is a pretty seaside town in Ceredigion, Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town. Llangrannog’s lovely sandy beach nestles below the cliffs.  In the 18th century, salt smuggling was rife in Ceredigion where it was used to preserve bacon and herring. Costing half the price in Ireland, there was a busy illegal trade, evidenced in places such as Ogof yr Halen (meaning Salt Cave) at Llangrannog. Similarly wines and spirits were smuggled, stored and traded in local caves.  In the village, Llangrannog’s church is dedicated to Carantoc, the son of a 6th century saint and founder of numerous churches in Wales.  The Urdd is the Welsh youth movement and it is the biggest of its kind in Europe. Each year its centre at Llangrannog provides activities for some 20,000 youngsters and features a heritage centre, dry ski-slope, equine centre and climbing wall all open to the public.  Take the coast path past Carreg Bica, gob around the ancient hill fort of Pen Dinas Lochtyn and out along the grassy peninsula to get one of the best on-shore dolphin spotting sites in the UK! 

Cwt Tatws – Stylish Welsh accessories

Jane Beck Blankets – Welsh blankets and quilts

Seld – Contemporary Welsh gifts and furniture online

The Welsh Heart Company – Welsh tartan hearts, gifts and wedding accessories

Curlew Weavers – There are free tours around the mill (demonstrations by appointment only) and a large craft shop

Cardigan Bay Seafood Festival – One of the highlights in the Welsh food calendar

Caws Teifi Cheese – Flagship local cheeses

Taste Trail Ceredigion – See the local taste trail map!

Cwmystwyth is considered the most important non-ferrous metal mining site in Wales providing a premier example of mining heritage in Ceredigion. Within the site there is evidence for all phases of mining activity; from the Bronze Age, through the medieval period, to its revival in the 18th century and the peak of activity with a subsequent decline in the late 19th and the early 20th century. It has been designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Silver, lead and zinc have been mined in the valley of the River Ystwyth since Roman times, an activity that reached its peak in the 18th century. The largest of the very many mines was the Cwmystwyth mine. The mine, with its amazing bronze age finds, lies up the valley from the cottages and the mines themselves are fenced off for safety. The Silver Mountain Experience nearby at Llywernog, Ponterwyd SY23 3AB is great for families.

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