Aelybryn Campsite

The ancient market town of Cardigan is only a mile and a half from the park (the bus in stops right outside the entrance) and has good shopping, drinking and eating as well as a cinema, theatre and swimming pool. It’s a place with a lengthy history too: check out Cardigan Castle, St Dogmael's Abbey, and the Guildhall building, which now houses the town’s market.

Beach buffs rejoice: a 10-minute drive will take you to the sands of Mwnt and Aberporth, and a few minutes further away you’ll find masses more of the golden stuff at Poppit, Tresaith, Newport and Penbryn (all these can also be reached by bus too).

In addition to the thousands of rare sea birds to be found on this stretch of coast, animal fans can spot Atlantic grey seals and bottle-nosed dolphins in Cardigan Bay, visit the Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park, or flit amongst the butterflies at the Felinwynt Rainforest Centre.

The equestrian-inclined will enjoy horsing around at Cardigan's Barley Saturday (end of April), the Agricultural Show (July), and nearby Aberaeron’s Festival of Welsh Ponies and Cobs (August). Autumn visitors can see the dramatic spectacle of salmon and sea trout leaping up the cascading waterfalls at Cenarth Falls.

A good range of golf courses, horse riding, river and sea fishing are on hand for athletic types, as well as kayaking and canoeing in the pretty Cilgerran Gorge.

For adventure seekers, this area is renowned for coasteering (high impact climbing, scrambling, canyoning, swimming, jumping and diving along the rocky coastline); alternatively, the Ceredigion coastal path is the place for a more relaxed meander past coves and beaches, via further wildlife and birdwatching.