Banc Y Gwmryn

The walk up to Banc Y Gwmryn, just inland from Aberystwyth, rewards you with proper views across Cardigan Bay and back towards the town's seafront. It's a modest peak by Welsh standards - nothing that'll leave you gasping - but the surrounding moorland gives you that real sense of elevation without needing crampons or a packed lunch that weighs a ton.

The route itself takes you through open country with decent paths underfoot, though it can get boggy after rain. Count on forty minutes to an hour up from the nearest car park, depending on your fitness and how often you stop to look back. The summit isn't marked by anything fancy - no trig point, no cairn - but you'll know you're there by the sudden drop in the land and the way the landscape spreads out before you.

This works best for walkers who fancy a proper hill without the commitment of heading further up into Snowdonia. Families with older kids will manage fine; anyone under ten might find the moorland a bit repetitive. The real appeal is in how close it sits to Aberystwyth itself - you're never more than three miles from the holiday parks clustered around Clarach Bay, Aber Bay, and the seafront. Pair it with a day down at the beach, a ride on the funicular, or one of the other local walking routes and you've got a solid afternoon.

Best visited outside wet weather, when the bog becomes properly boggy. Summer weekends bring walkers, so an early start keeps things peaceful.