Coed Craig-y-bwch

The woodland above Aberystwyth offers proper walking territory if you know where to look. Coed Craig-y-bwch sits just inland from the town, a decent patch of mixed forest that gives you enough to work with for an afternoon. The trees are decent sized - not ancient woodland, but substantial enough to feel like you've actually gone somewhere rather than wandered round a municipal park.

What you get here is straightforward: trails through the trees, decent views back towards the coast if you pick the right spots, and the kind of quiet you'll appreciate after pottering around Aberystwyth town centre. It's walker territory, full stop. Families with young kids might find it a touch dull after forty minutes - there's no playground, no visitor centre, no facilities to speak of. But if you're after a proper forest walk without the crowds of somewhere like Snowdonia, this does the job.

Allow a good two hours if you want to explore properly and take it at a leisurely pace. Go early on a weekend or weekday morning to avoid bumping into everyone else who's had the same idea. The area drains reasonably well even after rain, though muddy patches are inevitable.

If you're staying at Silver Fern Glamping or Morfa Bychan just down the way, it's a proper no-brainer for a morning before heading into Aberystwyth itself. Close enough that you won't waste time travelling, far enough that you'll feel like you've genuinely left town.