Shepherd's huts near Aberystwyth with wifi provided

Aberystwyth could have been tailor-made for outdoor lovers. This likeable, lively town of candy-coloured houses fans out along a long beach, with the isolated uplands of the Cambrian Mountains rising beyond with their many miles of hiking and biking trails. This is a cultural beacon in Mid Wales, too, with one of the nation’s best arts centres, the National Library of Wales, a highly regarded university, and the equally top-drawer dining options, all of which offer plenty of diversion on wet days. The closest pitches to town are south of the Afon Rheidol river in Southgate.

Wales’ biggest bay, spanning from North Pembrokeshire to Gwynedd along the Ceredigion coast, was where Wales camping really took off—and Aberystwyth is perfectly positioned for a closer look at the Ceredigion region’s share of the shoreline. Along this beguiling seaboard, mainly made up of peaceful beaches and lonesome coves, there are a greater density of campgrounds and caravan parks than anywhere else in the country. You’ll find big affairs with myriad facilities and farm sites with a few tent spaces.

Aberystwyth is a student town, and even in winter’s depths you’ll find something going on, but late spring (before summer’s big groups of holidaymakers arrive) is a beautiful time to come both for seaside and hillwalking. August, meanwhile, oversees the big festivals, when the town is at its liveliest. Aberystwyth itself catches the brunt of any incoming weather systems—it’s a place for campers to take care when the winds get up.