Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
eventually wind up on the dunes at the edge of the Dovey estuary, with views of the
North Wales' mountains in the distance. Head inland and you quickly get into the
wild country of hills and valleys and the little city of Lampeter with its university.
Essentials
GETTING THERE
There are hourly trains from Birmingham New Street Station
to Aberystwyth (the Arriva Trains Wales service; from £20; trip around 3 hr.; a con-
necting service from London makes it nearly 5 hr.).
Arriva
(www.arrivabus.co.uk)
operates the X40 Aberystwyth-Carmarthen bus service, roughly hourly, which takes
around 2 hours. It passes through Aberaeron, from where the A550 service connects
with New Quay. A few buses continue from Carmarthen to Cardiff, a total journey
time of around 4 hours. Arriva also operates other buses in the area.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Aberystwyth Tourist Information Centre,
Te r-
race Road (
&
01970/612125;
www.ceredigion.gov.uk), is open year-round, gener-
ally 9:30am to 5:30pm. Offices are also at Aberaeron, New Quay, and Cardigan.
GETTING AROUND
The Arriva bus services (see “Getting There,” above) are
the best option. See p. 706 (Laugharne) for details of the Rover ticket.
Exploring the Area
MWNT
This is a classic Welsh beach, not least because of the tiny, mean-
dering, hedge-lined lanes that lead to the cliff-top parking lot several miles north of
Cardigan on the B4548. One person hauling a caravan can cause gridlock, and there's
lots of standing around with hands on hips, cars reversing into farmers' fields. But
when you get here the view from the grassy, windswept National Trust pay parking
lot is awesome: A sandy beach with crashing waves, sheltered by rock faces on three
sides. Steps descend past a snack kiosk (with homemade Welsh cakes) to the friendly,
sometimes crowded, sands. Children adore the place, running into the water, playing
beach cricket, dashing back up the steps (past people carrying canoes down) for an
ice cream.
NEW QUAY
This quaint town tumbles down the hillside into a little quay, a
lovely curving beach, and a traditional seaside resort: Ices, blow-up sunbeds, and
pubs jostling for attention with green hills rising all around. Dylan Thomas lived in a
cottage across the bay and his classic
Under Milk Wood
is believed to be based on the
town and the people he met here. Thomas drank in the
Blue Bell,
and there's a
Dylan Thomas Trail around places thought to feature in the topic. The beach nestles
between a stone slipway and stone pier. The beach gets busy but is soft, sandy, and
safe.
Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
(
&
01545/560032;
www.cbmwc.
org) occupies a listed, seafront building. It's free to enter and features information on
bottlenose dolphins, gray seals, porpoises, and other local creatures. The charitable
trust runs trips on its Dolphin Survey boat, which give a real insight into the bay's
inhabitants. The center is open April to September, daily 10am to 5pm. Two-hour
boat trips cost £18 for adults, £10 for children 11 and under. A path from town takes
you onto the cliffs for spectacular views, especially from the National Trust spot Craig
Yr Adar (Bird Rock). There you'll see many types of gulls, kestrels, and often seals and
dolphins. Afterward there are plenty of fish-and-chip options, including the Mariner
and Captain's Rendezvous, all within a few yards of one another.
ABERAERON
The main road runs through Aberaeron like many towns, but hid-
den away to one side is the delightful quay-side. It's like something in western France,
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