Things to do in and around Ceridigion

[sazlocks]

Camping in Ceridigion for 2 weeks with DH, DS1 who is 2.6 and DS2 who is 6 months. Would be great to get any suggestions for good and cheap places to visit. We are staying near Mwnt.

there are lots of lovely beaches around
there is also a nice railway line

trying to remember as the family who i was nannying for 7 years ago had a holiday home near there...

we did lots of beaches and went on the railway... and spent a lot of time on their 40 acre estate...

Go to Aberystwyth, climb (or get the lift thing) up Constitution Hill, and admire the most beautiful view in the world. I miss Aberystwyth.

Don't know where Mwnt is but:

beaches at Borth and Ynys-las are lovely and totally deserted (nb watch the tides...)

Devil's Bridge railway is nice and your 2 year old will probably enjoy a trip on it: or you can just go to watch the steam train leave from Aberystwyth station. The walks at Devil's Bridge to see the bridges are probably a bit much for 2 year old though- they are very steep.

Walking at Nant yr Arian forestry centre on the A44 is good and they feed Red Kites there every day- it's free to watch! (cafe is the slowest in the known universe though unfortunately...)

Aberystwyth is nice for a day trip: quite a few things to see (free museum, and a cliff railway).

Likewise the Elan Valley and Rhayader.

Happy Holidays!

i remember us going to beaches called tresaith and pen bront wyn (or something like that) and they were really really lovely beaches

yay - thanks for suggestions - starting to get excited now.......

Newquay is lovely too, a shell beach, and you can do a nature boat trip from there

Aberporth beach is just lovely. And there's this fantastic guy there who comes down about once a day to check on the life guards - I think he trains them or something. Anyway, he looks about 60 but in relatively good shape (and doesn't he know it!), and wears black speedos, and comes down with a really long white kayak, talks to the lifeguards, does some lunges and then goes off in his kayak for a bit. Comes back, does a few more lunges, poses around a bit. He's great - we see him every year we go there and were a bit worried this year when he wasn't there on the first day! We call him Mr Posy-pants

Anyway, more maturely: Newquay is great for boat trips and you might see dolphins. Railway is good - can't remember what it's called. Cardigan Bay Farm Park is odd, but a favourite with our children. Cilgerran Castle is nice too.

Go visit Aberaeron for the day and go to Hive on the Quay for honey icecream. The road next to that running along side habour was voted No 2 prettiest street in UK. All the houses are icecream colours. I grew up there.

Mwynt is beautiful beach, and gorgeous and if the weather is nice, you will not need to go anywhere else:) The tea shop sells lovely welsh cakes.
There is a cute little aquarium in aberaron which is nice for a little diversion (and had an indoor sandpit last time I was there...)
The railway mentioned above is lovely too.

If you're feeling brave enough to drive down narrow country lanes, Cwmtydu and Llangrannog are lovely seaside villages. I grew up in New Quay and go there often but in the holidays Cwmtydu is a lot quieter, you can park very close to the beach and it has a reasonably priced cafe that sells bacon rolls and coffee . It has a pebble beach not sand which is a plus for my 7yr old ds!!

We are staying near Mwnt in a few weeks it's such a great area have been there loads of times.

LLangranog is lovely, 2 pubs right on the beach, Ice cream parlour, fish and chip shop lovely cafe, gorgeous beach and cliff walks and thats pretty much it - parking a bit of a mare in hols get there early.

Lovely farm shop near to Sarnu for stocking up.www.llwynhelygfarmshop.co.uk

Penbryn best beach NT totally unspolit lovely woodland walk down from car park.

Cardigan - lovely spanish deli at the indoor market

Newport Pembs is a nice day trip too if you want to go south. www.castellhenllys.com

we have just come back from aberporth and its a lovely area. spent a couple of days on mwnt beach (second the welsh cakes... yum) and climbed the hill behind the chapel, great for dolphin spotting. we also went to cardigan farm park which was amazing. got 5m to a seal and saw two dolphins frolicking v cheap too. dont bother with the rainforest centre (v pricey and its tiny) just enjoy the beaches. there is also a fab harbour just past gwbert where crabbing is shockingly easy. the beaches at tresaith and aberporth are lovely (and the walk between them is nice too if you like that type of thing) treaith in particular has a gorgeous waterfall.

My PIL live in Llangrannog. Just spent 2 weeks there doing the touristy things we don't normally have time to do at weekends.

Good free things we did were the wildlife centre just outside Cardigan and the National woollen mill. Both had interactive exhibits and a cafe. Woolen mill is good for a rainy day.

Ditto Llangrannog beach, there is a car park half way up with a park and ride this year paid for by the businesses at the beach or do as we do and get someone to drop you down the bottom and then they can go back up to free car park. There is a car park down the bottom but it is £3.

The Spanish deli in the market in Cardigan has gone sadly, they still have the deli in Aberystwyth though.

We went on the dolphin watching boat from New Quay and apparently it's the worst time of year to go and we went at high tide. Doh. Just as likely to see dolphins and seals from the shore! We also enjoyed the Honey Farm at New Quay too!

I live very near Mwnt,so I know where you will be camping.I second the wildlife centre near Cilgerran,we go there a lot as the cafe does very nice food and there is a sweet little playground area.The spanish deli reffed above has a shop ,Ultracomida,in Narbeth.Narbeth is about 45 mins drive but is a nice little high street if you feel you want to shop at all while you are here (good small boutiques etc). Across the estuary from Mwnt is Poppit sands,a good flat sandy beach with life guards at busy times. The Elan valley and Rhayader mentioned by above poster are lovely but they are miles and miles away in mid-Wales,a good 2 hour drive away.Cardigan Farm park is loathed locally as the man who owns it is really horrible and has blocked off part of the right of way through his property.I also thought his animals looked pretty dirty and uncared for,although they were clearly fed enough,but I would avoid it tbh.Sarnau farm shop is good,and there is a great little farmers market in st dogmaels on a Tuesday morning,lovely salads,cakes,local fish,bread etc,and fantastic jam-fox hill farm jam-that I get through jars of every month.st Dogmaels is very pretty with its ruined abbey and a working watermill that you can visit. You will have a lovely time anyway,it is fab here.Might see you on the beach!

Oh am sad about the Spanish deli (Ultra Comida) that and the Howies sale store (please say that is still there or DH will sulk) are our main stops in Cardigan, will have to make do with the sweet shop.

Have been to the Deli's in Narbeth and Aber - can you tell we are foodie's! Narbeth can be combined with a trip to the Swimming pool at Bluestone nearby on a rainy day.

Agree Elan and Rhayder a bit far they are nearer to where we live - not far from Hay-on-wye.

Interesting about the Cardigan Farm park Helly will give that a miss.

Our nearly 3 year old loves loves loves Folly Farm it is prob an hours drive but is well worth it and your two will be free so would cost £8 each for the adults not bad for a days worth of entertainment. Take a picnic though food is pretty meh.

Howies shop still there,may have changed location depending on when you were last here.It is right by the bridge over the river.It isn 't as much of a sale shop as it used to be,more just a regular Howies shop.Folly farm food is terrible I agree.The food is slightly better at the Manor House wildlife park near Tenby,and they have done a good job with the animals,my girls loved the wallabies,but it is a long drive if your dc's are very tiny,mine are 3 and 5 and they find it a bit of a stretch.
Haywire you are not all that far from my in-laws then,they are Newbridge-on-Wye way.

Hmmm not liking the sound of the non-sale prices (takes out small mortgage)

We loved Manor house, seemed to be suprisingly really well done despite or even because of the Anna Ryder whatsit person. Shamefully I got a bit teary last time about Steve the Gibbon having a new lady friend( this will only make sense if you have been there or seen the TV prog) They were hugging godamit.

Newbridge-on-Wye home of Quackers (sighs at how tied to small person attractions my life has become) not far away from us.

Ha ha yes,Quackers.My dh's small cousin loved quackers.He is now a bit too old at 12!Where are you then Haywire?

We are in Talgarth which is just outside Hay but we come West often for hols. Just got back from a week near Strumble head and off to Mwnt 1st week in Sept.

Oh,Talgarth.Very pretty countryside there.My DH grew up near Brecon.We were in Central London for a really long time but we have returned to Wales and are really enjoying life here in the Wild West.It is so brilliant to pop to the beach in five minutes!

We lived in London too then Bristol and Oxford among other places but have lived here for 4 years or so and we love it too. Wales is ace. Jealous of your nearness to beach though.

Yes,it is very nice.We have two small girls (3 and 5) and it is lovely for them.We also have an aged fox terrier so say hello if you spot us around and about!Hope you have a good holiday.

Thanks all - fab suggestions and will avoid Cardigan Farm Park. Also sad about the spanish deli as we went last time we were up that way and it was lovely.

Yes but sazlocks you can use it as a reason to pop to their bigger shop and cafe in Narbeth!Great cheese selection,and that delicious spanish hot chocolate that makes a sort of semi-custardy drink.Yum.

Please tell me he is still doing this now??!