The Paddocks - Cardigan Bay

Bring your beach gear – there are lots of lovely sandy stretches along this part of the coast. The beaches of Aberporth, Penbryn and Tresaith are all about five minutes’ drive away, and once you’ve had your fill of those, there’s still Llangrannog (15 minutes’ drive), Gwbert, Mwnt (both 20 minutes), Poppit Sands (25 minutes)… A visit to one of these, or a walk along the coast path, may allow you to spot the dolphins and other marine animals that live in Cardigan Bay, but for a better chance you’ll need to head to New Quay (15 minutes) to board a dolphin-spotting boat trip. For other animal encounters, try the Cardigan Island Coastal Farm Park or Welsh Wildlife Centre (25 minutes). Elsewhere nearby you hire paddleboards or kayaks from Aberporth beach, admire some sturdy engineering at the Internal Fire Museum of Power (five minutes) or learn about one of the area’s more unusual modes of water transport at The National Coracle Centre (15 minutes).