Pen Trebared

The walk up Pen Trebared, just inland from Cardigan, gives you proper views across Cardigan Bay without the crowds you'd find at more famous Pembrokeshire peaks. It's not a dramatic climb - more of a steady pull through farmland and scrub - but the payoff is genuine. On a clear day you can see right across the bay, and on grey ones the light plays across the water in ways that make you understand why people have painted this coastline for centuries.

This is fundamentally a walker's spot. Families with younger kids might find it a bit of a slog without much to do at the top beyond looking at the view, but teenagers who actually enjoy walking will get something out of it. History types will appreciate the older paths etched into the landscape. Allow an hour to ninety minutes depending on fitness - it's not a marathon, but it's not a stroll either.

The route is free and you can start from various spots around the area. Go in the morning if possible; afternoon light gets blocked by the hills to the west. It works brilliantly as part of a longer coastal walk, and if you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Cardigan Bay Holiday Park is closest at just over a mile away, or try Mwnt Camping if you want to be nearer the coast - you can combine it with beach time at Mwnt or Newquay to the south. Worth doing once if you're in the area. Don't expect solitude, but you'll find something real.