Llyn Pen-cor-Maen

You'll find this mountain lake tucked into the hills above Aberystwyth, a proper slice of Cardigan Bay countryside that most coastal visitors completely miss. The walk up takes you through quiet moorland with proper views stretching toward the Teifi Valley - not a theme park in sight, just the sound of your boots on the path and the occasional buzzard overhead.

Once you're there, it's a straightforward lake - the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think. The water's dark and still most days, fringed with heather and gorse, and the walk itself is the real draw rather than any facilities or attractions around the shore. It's walkers' territory, full stop. History enthusiasts might dig the Bronze Age connections to the area, but this isn't a place to linger with a guidebook. You're here for the walk and the air.

Allow a good two hours for the round trip from the nearest approach, longer if you're in no hurry. Best tackled on a clear day when you can actually see where you're going - mist rolls in fast up here and the paths aren't exactly waymarked to death. Completely free, completely unregulated, which is part of its charm.

If you're based at Forester's Retreat Glamping or tyn ffordd fach campsite, this makes a proper morning's work before heading back toward Aberystwyth. It's the kind of walk that reminds you why Wales gets under your skin.