CampSiriol for Sea, Hills & Sky

CampSiriol is near the village of Bow Street, just four miles down the road from Aberystwyth. The closest beach is Clarach Bay (two miles) where there’s a sand and shingle beach. You could join the Wales Coast Path here and follow it south to Constitution Hill on the edge of Aberystwyth. It’s home to the largest camera obscura in the world, a cafe and the top of Aberystwyth’s cliff railway – which is the longest electric funicular in the world. You can use to descend to the seaside town where there’s more Victorian charm thanks to the promenade, pier and elegant buildings. There’s a marina too with the opportunity to hire paddleboards and kayaks. You can try surfing with lessons available from Aber Adventures at Borth Lifeboat Station (four miles) or at Ynyslas (six miles). Ynyslas Dunes are worth a visit too, part of a national nature reserve on the Dyfi Estuary. There are dolphin-watching boat trips from New Quay (26 miles) and the popular harbour resort of Aberdyfi is 25 miles in the other direction (north). It marks the southern edge of  Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. If you fancy a hike in the mountains, Cadair Idris, at 893 metres, provides a worthy challenge. You can tackle it via the steep Minfford Path in about five hours. A visitor centre and a car park are about an hour’s drive (30 miles) from site.

It’s less than half a mile up the road from CampSiriol to the nearest pub and shop. The Welsh Black has a menu of Thai food (with roast dinners on a Sunday). Ice creams and burgers are on offer from a cafe down at the holiday park at Clarach Bay (two miles) and if you’re taking on the hike to Aberystwyth, you can stop at cafe, Y Consti, to refuel. There are plenty of great options in Aberystwyth itself which has a reputation as a bit of a foodie destination. Try delicatessen and wine shop, Ultracomida, to pick up or eat Spanish and Welsh produce, tapas style, or head to the seafront for fish and chips. For a really good meal out you could go the extra few miles to Y Ffarmers, a country dining pub with a garden in the pretty village of Llanfihangel y Creuddyn (seven miles).