Cwt Bugail Aeron

Mountain bikers can disappear off to Bwlch Nant yr Arian (40 minutes’ drive), Hafod Trails (40 minutes) or the Raven MTB Trail at Brechfa (50 minutes) for adrenaline-inducing downhill rides. The Llyn Brianne and Nant-y-Moch reservoirs (both about an hour) beckon sporty types both on two wheels or on foot, while less-energetic walkers can follow the course of the River Aeron from the shepherd’s hut right to the Wales Coast Path (10 minutes’ stroll) at Ceredigion Bay. Combine exercise with culture and amble along the river to Llanerchaeron (35 minutes), a National Trust-owned Georgian villa designed by architect John Nash in 1790, with a walled garden and wild parkland to discover. There’s more Welsh history to be seen with subterranean tours at National Trust - Dolaucothi’s gold mines (35 minutes’ drive), and if you’d like to give your feet a rest, board the Vale of Rheidol Railway at Aberystwyth (half an hour) for a trip through spectacular countryside on an Edwardian steam train. If days at the seaside are what you crave, choose between the pocket of sand at New Quay (15 minutes), picnics at pebble Cwmtydu Cove (25 minutes) or kayaking and dolphin spotting at Tresaith and sandy Aberporth beaches (both half an hour).