Parc Natur Penglais

The walk up to Penglais from Aberystwyth town centre is steep - properly steep - but once you crest the hill, the view across Cardigan Bay makes it worth every laboured breath. Parc Natur Penglais is essentially a wild, windswept nature reserve crowning the headland, with paths threading through rough grassland, gorse, and scattered woodland that feels genuinely untamed for somewhere so close to the seafront.

This isn't a manicured park with benches and bins. It's proper countryside, which means it rewards those who want to explore on foot rather than those after a quick snap and a coffee. Walkers will get the most from it - the trails give you genuine Ceredigion coastline views, and on a clear day you can pick out the curve of the bay stretching south towards New Quay. Birdwatchers should bring binoculars; the headland attracts seabirds and migrants depending on the season.

The reserve is free to access, though facilities are minimal to non-existent. Allow an hour or two depending on how many paths you fancy following. Spring and early summer are best for wildflowers and nesting birds; winter gets bleak and often windswept, though the emptiness has its own appeal.

If you're staying at one of the holiday parks clustered around Aberystwyth - Clarach Bay or Aberystwyth Holiday Village are closest - Penglais makes an excellent morning outing before heading back down for lunch. It's the kind of place that separates visitors who actually walk from those who don't.