Carmarthen

Ancient Welsh storytelling comes alive in the place the Romans called Moridunum. Carmarthen stakes its claim as Wales's oldest town, and walking through the market square on a Thursday, you can almost feel the weight of two millennia beneath your feet.

The town proper sits snugly in the Tywi Valley, where the river curves lazily through farmland that's been worked since medieval times. Market day transforms the centre - proper Welsh lamb, local cheese, and vegetables that actually taste of something fill the stalls. The rest of the week? Well, it's pleasantly quiet, perfect for pottering about without fighting crowds.

Mynydd Figyn rises to the north, offering cracking views across Carmarthenshire's patchwork fields. It's a decent trek up, but well worth it on a clear day when you can see right across to the Brecon Beacons. Down in the valleys, St Teilos Church and the little Capel Isaac chapel tell older stories - the kind of places where Sunday services have echoed for centuries.

Getting here couldn't be easier. The A40 sweeps you straight from Swansea in forty minutes, while the train from Cardiff takes just over an hour. Llandeilo, that food lover's paradise, sits just up the valley - close enough for a proper lunch at one of its gastropubs.

Staying at one of the valley's caravan parks or glamping sites puts you right in the heart of things. Wake up to sheep bleating instead of traffic, yet you're still within striking distance of both the coast and the mountains. The Towy Valley sites like Gelli Glamping offer that perfect balance - rural peace with easy access to explore everything from Dylan Thomas's Laugharne to the dramatic coastline of Pendine Sands.