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The Wales Way

The Wales Way is three national routes – The Coastal Way, The Cambrian Way and The North Wales Way – that lead you on a journey through some of the Country's most striking scenery along the coast, across castle country, and through our mountainous heartland.

The Coastal Way in Ceredigion

For wildlife enthusiasts, the Ceredigion stretch of the Coastal Way is particularly inspiring. Birds and animals thrive in protected waters and there are plenty of ways to get a closer look. Spot porpoises, dolphins and grey seals on a boat trip, and explore the marshland home of kingfishers and otters on the Teifi estuary, or spot ospreys in summer and greenland geese in winter on the Dyfi estuary.

Nearby is Ynys-hir, the first RSPB reserve in Wales. If you travel by train to Aberystwyth, you'll pass close to the osprey's nest and you'll see the RSPB reserve's bird hides as you cross into the huge Dyfi National Nature Reserve, whose sand dunes and saltmarshes are internationally important for their birdlife. Underlining their importance, this cluster of three sites sit within Wales’s only designated UNESCO Biosphere.

If conditions are right, you may catch a glimpse of Borth’s submerged forest, an otherworldly collection of ancient tree remains stretching for nearly three miles along the shore. According to legend, they are part of the lost kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod (sometimes known as the ‘Welsh Atlantis’).

Aberystwyth is the thriving ‘capital’ of Ceredigion and Mid Wales with the university, arts centre and National Library of Wales and at its heart, as well as romantic castle ruins and an ancient hillfort testament to it strategic position on the coast.

Take a trip away from the coast here on the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway and re-live the romantic age of steam as you ride up to Devil’s Bridge, where you’ll find dramatic waterfalls hidden in a deep gorge. You can continue to the Hafod estate and Cwmystwyth, or head south along the inland route to Strata Florida abbey to discover its remarkable history and enjoy is tranquil surroundings.

You'll also want to visit the market towns of Lampeter and Tregaron as well as the little harbours of Aberaeron, New Quay and Aberporth – they have Ceredigion’s country charm and salty seafaring heritage written all over them.

Which way from here?

Rather than a rigid set of directions, each ‘Way’ is a jumping-off point for exploration, with plenty of opportunities to venture off the main path and create your very own personal journey, taking your time and exploring in an 'igam ogam' or zig-zag to take in some of the pretty coves and beaches such as Mwnt, Tresaith, Penbryn and Llangrannog or follow the river routes to discover spectacular inland sights.

See

Ceredigion's beaches and coastal communities

Ceredigion Coast Path

Ceredigion's river valley routes

Ceredigion's Cambrian Mountains

Ceredigion is sandwiched on the Coastal Way between Pembrokeshire in the south and Snowdonia Mountains and Coast (in the county of Gwynedd) in the north. Don’t miss out. Follow the road in all directions. Head south west over the Teifi river at Cardigan for Pembrokeshire or if you're travelling north, continue over the Dyfi river for Snowdonia Mountains and Coast.

The Coastal Way runs in an unbroken sweep along the whole of Cardigan Bay. It's a 180 mile (290 km) route stretching from Aberdaron on the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula along the coast of Snowdonia to the miniature city of St David's in the south west. It’s an epic coastal journey through a protected Heritage Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and two National Parks.

The Wales Coastal Way

Onwards along the Coastal Way

There’s so much to see along the Coastal Way it’s difficult knowing where to start, but as we say in Welsh, "start at your feet", and where better than here in Ceredigion. You can travel north with the Cambrian Railway line and explore the narrow gauge steam trains that link to it, or south and west with Traws Cymru buses to relax and enjoy the view.

See

Getting to and from Ceredigion

Days out by train and bus

The Cambrian Way

You can meander - or as we say in Welsh, go 'igam ogam' - between The Wales Coastal Way and the Cambrian Way by crossing from one to the other where they touch - at the border of the counties of Gwynedd and Powys near the northern border of Ceredigion in the valley of the Dyfi river.

The Cambrian Way follows the spine of Wales for 185 miles (300km) between Cardiff in the south and the resort of Llandudno on the north Wales coast. The route links the Snowdonia National Park, the Cambrian Mountains and the Brecon Beacons National Park.

If you're travelling by car, you can swap between the Cambrian Way and the Coastal Way by crossing the Cambrian Mountain over spectacular mountain passes.

See Crossing the Cambrian Mountains

You can also cross from the Cambrian Way to the Coast by train - the Cambrian Line links Shrewsbury in Shropshire with Aberystwyth on Ceredigion's coast.