CorsGochNationalNatureReserve

The reserve sprawls across moorland just outside Carmarthen, a proper working landscape where you're as likely to spot sheep as you are rare plants. It's a National Nature Reserve, which means the focus is conservation first, tourism second - there's no visitor centre, no gift shop, just you and whatever the Welsh uplands decide to show you that day.

Walkers get the most from Cors Goch. The terrain is bog and wet grassland, so waterproof boots aren't optional - they're mandatory. You're looking at routes that vary wildly depending on conditions; some parts are open moorland, others densely vegetated. In spring and early summer the birdlife is genuinely impressive - curlew, lapwing, snipe. If you're after a gentle stroll with interpretive boards, this isn't it. If you want to wade through actual wilderness thirty minutes from Carmarthen town, you've found your spot.

Entry is free, as far as we can tell, though facilities are minimal. Allow between two and four hours depending on how deep into the wetland you fancy venturing. The nearest caravan sites - Church House Farm Getaways is closest at under two and a half miles - make logical bases if you're planning a few days exploring Carmarthenshire's outdoors.

It's worth the detour if you're serious about birds or bog ecology. For casual visitors wanting a quick photo moment, you'll find it underwhelming. The landscape is genuinely wild, which is exactly the point.