Aberaeron

Those candy-coloured Georgian houses along the seafront weren't built by accident. Mid Wales's most photographed harbour town was deliberately designed to look this good when it was rebuilt in the early 1800s, and the effect still stops traffic today. Rows of pink, blue, yellow and green terraced houses curve around Aberaeron's neat little harbour, where fishing boats bob alongside pleasure craft and the occasional seal pops up to see what's going on.

The town sits bang in the middle of Cardigan Bay, making it a proper base for exploring this stretch of the Welsh coast. New Quay's dolphin-watching trips are just 10 minutes south, while the puffins on Cardigan Island are an easy drive north. Inland, you're looking at proper hill country - the Cambrian Mountains rise just behind town, offering decent walking once you get your legs under you.

Aberaeron itself runs to a handful of streets and the harbour. The high street has the usual mix of cafes, gift shops and a Co-op, plus some decent restaurants that make the most of the local catch. It's quiet outside summer, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Capel Neuaddlwyd, the little Methodist chapel up the hill, gives you the best overview of those famous houses if you fancy the short walk.

Getting here means the A487 coast road from either Aberystwyth (20 minutes north) or Cardigan (30 minutes south). There's a railway station at Aberystwyth if you're coming by train. Several holiday parks dot the countryside around town, from basic camping spots to more comfortable caravan parks like Aeron Coast and Llanina, both within easy reach of the harbour and those postcard views.