Rhiwdywyll

The forest track up Rhiwdywyll starts quietly enough from the Tregaron side, but once you're in amongst the conifers it becomes genuinely absorbing. This isn't some manicured woodland walk - it's proper forestry territory, the kind of place where you can lose an afternoon without meaning to. The terrain climbs steadily, and the trees create a tunnel effect that's either moody or oppressive depending on the weather and your mood.

Walkers will find this rewarding, particularly those who don't need signposted paths or visitor centres. There's something satisfying about navigating by instinct through these older plantations. On a clear day the views from higher points across the Cambrian Mountains are worth the slog. Families with younger children might find the lack of facilities and defined routes a bit frustrating - there's no "turn left at the information board" here.

Free to access, obviously. Allow a good two to three hours if you're exploring properly rather than just dashing up and back. The real appeal reveals itself if you go when it's not raining, though it's dramatic in the wet too. Spring and early autumn are probably best - you'll avoid the boggy mess of winter without the midges of high summer.

It works well as part of a wider Ceredigion walking trip. Cambrian Mountains Glamping and Camping sits less than five miles away, giving you a solid base for tackling this and other forest walks in the area. Not Instagram-pretty, but genuinely wild.