Creigiau Car

The drive up to Creigiau Car rewards you with one of those proper West Wales views that makes you understand why people move to Ceredigion and never leave. It's a viewpoint perched above Aberystwyth, offering sweeping vistas across Cardigan Bay and inland towards the Cambrian Mountains - exactly the sort of spot where you can see why the coastline here captivated the Romantic poets.

There's nothing fancy about it. You pull in, get out of the car, and the landscape does the work. On clear days the visibility stretches for miles. Grey days give it a moody, atmospheric quality that's equally striking. It takes about twenty minutes to really soak it in, though you could linger longer with a flask and a decent map.

Walkers will find this particularly useful - it's a natural stop on longer rambles around Aberystwyth, and the elevation gives real perspective on the terrain you've covered or are about to tackle. Photographers should arrive before sunset in summer; the light here is phenomenal. Families won't spend hours here, but kids usually enjoy the novelty of the high vantage point and spotting landmarks below.

It's free, naturally, and there's adequate parking. If you're based at Woodlands Caravan Park or Brynllwyd Glamping - both excellent spots just six miles away - this makes an easy twenty-minute detour on a decent afternoon. Go when the weather's cooperating; there's little point battling cloud and drizzle for a viewpoint.