Llyn Pencarreg

The water here is proper still, dark as slate against the green slopes of Ceredigion. Llyn Pencarreg sits quietly in countryside you won't find cluttered with tourists or ice cream vans - it's a genuine working landscape, the sort of place where you hear birds rather than traffic.

This is a modest reservoir lake, nothing flashy. Walkers use it as a turning point on longer routes through the Teifi Valley, and that's really where its appeal lies. The walk around the perimeter takes a couple of hours depending on the path you choose, and the water views change with every turn. Birdwatchers come for the grebes and the occasional heron. In spring the banks come alive with wildflowers. It's not dramatic - no Instagram moment waiting - but it rewards quiet observation.

You'll get the most from it if you're the type who enjoys solitude and isn't after a destination itself but rather a good walk with water views. Kids might find thirty minutes interesting, an hour at most, unless they're the sort who'll happily skim stones for afternoon hours. The nearest town is Lampeter, only a couple of miles away, which makes it a cracking spot to break up a caravan stay at Lampeter Caravan & Camping or Canvas & Campfires. Several of the other farms like Treberfedd offer longer stays too, and Llyn Pencarreg works as a morning or evening wander before heading back for a meal.

Free to access, no facilities that we could find, no admission charges - just turn up and walk. Best in calmer weather when the reflections come through properly.