Mynydd Pen-Rhys

The walk up Mynydd Pen-Rhys isn't long, but it's steep enough to make you work for the view. From Port Talbot, you're looking at a proper climb - about 450 metres up - but the payoff is genuine: on a clear day you can see right across to the Brecon Beacons and down to the Bristol Channel. The peak itself is marked by a stone cairn, nothing fancy, but it feels like you've earned it.

This is walkers' territory, full stop. Families with young kids might find the gradient frustrating unless they're keen hikers already, but teenagers with decent boots will manage it fine. History buffs get something too - the hill's name references a saint, and the whole ridge has old lead mining heritage underfoot if you know where to look. Allow 90 minutes up and back from the car park.

The approach from the south is the most straightforward, and you'll pass through moorland that changes colour with the seasons. Spring brings wild ponies grazing; autumn turns everything bronze and gold. Weather matters here - it can cloud over fast, so go early and check the forecast.

If you're staying at Willow Springs Campsite nearby, this is an obvious choice for a morning excursion. It's free, it's accessible, and it genuinely rewards the effort. Not Instagram-famous, which is exactly why it's worth doing.