Cors y Llyn National Nature Reserve

You'll need wellies for this one - Cors y Llyn is a proper wetland reserve that doesn't pull punches about what it is. The boardwalk takes you out into marshland where the reeds tower overhead and the water tells most of the story. Birds are the draw here: curlews, redshank, and if you're lucky, the occasional rarer species that turns up in the migration seasons. It's free to visit and you can spend anywhere from half an hour pottering about to two hours if you're a serious birdwatcher with binoculars and a notebook.

The reserve sits just south of Llandrindod Wells, making it an easy bolt-on if you're camping in the area. Spring and autumn are when it really sings - the light's different, the birds are proper active, and the whole wetland feels alive. Summer can get a bit muggy between those reeds. Winter's quieter but the water levels rise and create a different kind of drama.

Family-wise, it works well if your kids are the type who'll actually watch for birds rather than wander off bored. History buffs might find the ecology interesting, but this isn't a castle or monument - it's pure nature. The nearby caravan parks like Disserth and Penmaenau Farm are within spitting distance, so you could easily base yourself there and visit the reserve on a morning before it gets crowded. There's something satisfying about a reserve that doesn't try to be anything other than what it is - just a slice of Mid Wales wetland doing its thing.