Coed Nant yr Hogfaen

The woodland around Coed Nant yr Hogfaen is quietly impressive - the sort of place you stumble into rather than plan for. It's a working forest in the hills above Llandovery, with proper trails threading through beech and conifer, and the Nant yr Hogfaen stream running alongside for good measure. The paths are well-maintained but genuinely feel like you're walking into somewhere real, not a manicured tourist attraction.

This is walker territory, plain and simple. If you're after an easy stroll with interpretive signs and a cafe at the end, look elsewhere. But if you've got decent boots and you want to tick off a solid two to three hours in actual Welsh woodland without crowds, it delivers. The forest sits high enough that you get decent views back towards the Black Mountains when the weather plays ball.

It's free to access - you just turn up - and there's no formal opening hours as far as anyone can tell. Parking is minimal and informal. The real pull here is that it feels like proper countryside. Families with younger kids might find it a bit thin on the ground in terms of things to do, but children who actually enjoy walking rather than just wanting to be dragged round a path will love it.

Stay at Erwlon or Riverside Pods, both within spitting distance of Llandovery, and you've got the forest as your morning walk sorted. It's the kind of place that makes a caravan holiday feel less like a tourist trap and more like you've actually gone somewhere.