Boncyn Clarach

The walk up Boncyn Clarach from Aberystwyth takes you straight into proper Welsh hill country without the fuss of a major peak. It's a short, sharp climb - nothing that will knacker you out, but steep enough to get the blood moving. The summit rewards with views across Cardigan Bay that shift constantly depending on the light and weather. On a clear day you're looking out toward the Ceredigion coast with Aberystwyth sprawling below. On a grey afternoon it feels altogether wilder and more intimate.

It's the sort of walk families can manage without too much moaning - probably 45 minutes to an hour up, same coming down - though younger legs might need a rest halfway. The path itself is straightforward, well-trodden enough that you won't lose your way. Walkers after something quick and local rather than an all-day trek will find it genuinely worthwhile. The views aren't going to stop you dead in your tracks the way Snowdon might, but they're real and honest and you've earned them.

Staying at Aber Bay Holiday Park or Clarach Bay Holiday Village puts you practically on the doorstep - less than a mile away. Aberystwyth itself has plenty to keep families occupied if the weather turns, and the wider Cambrian Coast offers miles of coast path and decent beach access. There's no entrance fee that I can find, and you can set your own pace. Go early if you can - the afternoon tends to bring the clouds in.