Aberystwyth

The seaside railway reaches its final terminus here, where Victorian terraces cascade down to a pebble beach that's proper Welsh coast - no pretence, just honest waves and salt air. Aberystwyth grips the Cardigan Bay shoreline with the confidence of a university town that's seen generations of students come and go, leaving behind a lively pub culture and surprisingly good bookshops.

Constitution Hill looms over the town centre, its funicular railway creaking upwards since 1896. Worth the ride for views that stretch across the bay to Snowdonia on clear days. The National Library of Wales sits grandly above the town, while the ruins of Aberystwyth Castle remind you this place has weathered storms for centuries.

Venture inland and you'll find why the Welsh call this landscape 'the green desert'. Devil's Bridge - or Pontarfynach if you're feeling linguistic - sits at the end of the narrow-gauge railway line, where three bridges stack impossibly above the Mynach Falls. The journey itself is half the point, winding through valleys where sheep outnumber tourists by hundreds to one.

Coed-cyd forest offers proper walking country, while peaks like Mynydd Bach and Cwm Mawr provide hiking with genuine rewards. The viewpoint at Craig Colomenod gives you the full sweep of mid-Wales rolling away to the horizon.

Basing yourself at one of the holiday parks around Aberystwyth makes perfect sense. Several campsites and glamping spots dot the countryside within easy reach, from Clarach Bay Holiday Village on the coast to woodland retreats inland. The town's compact enough to explore on foot, but having a countryside bolt-hole means you can escape the student bustle when term's in session.