ANTUR ALPACA ADVENTURES & CO

You're standing in a Welsh field watching an alpaca spit at your mate. That's basically the best bit of Antur Alpaca Adventures, and frankly, it's brilliant. This proper working alpaca farm near Borth lets you get up close with the animals - feeding them, walking them, the lot - rather than just gawping through a fence like a traditional zoo. It's hands-on in the way kids actually remember years later.

The setup is straightforward. You turn up, meet the herd, and spend time interacting with these remarkably unfazed creatures. They're curious and soft, though occasionally grumpy, which makes the whole thing feel genuine rather than sanitised. Allow a couple of hours if you're not rushing, though families with younger kids might stretch it longer if the alpacas are cooperative. There's something genuinely calming about being around them - no screaming peacocks or stressed big cats.

It works well as a half-day stop during a broader Ceredigion coastal break. You're only twenty minutes from Cambrian Coast Holiday Park, which is top-rated and perfect for a family base. Pop over to Antur mid-morning when the animals are most active, then head back for lunch. Searivers Caravan Park is similarly close if you prefer a quieter setup. Borth itself is small and seaside-proper, though not a major draw, so this alpaca visit justifies an extra hour in the area rather than feeling like wasted time. The animals won't win any wildlife documentary awards, but they'll give you a genuinely good story and probably some excellent photos.