Old Harbour

The water at Old Harbour sits calm most days, reflecting the Welsh hills behind Aberystwyth like a dark mirror. It's genuinely one of those spots locals know about but visitors walk straight past - a lake rather than the seaside resort the town's famous for, which means you get peace instead of crowds.

What you're looking at is a proper working harbour that's been here for centuries, now transformed into a lake that serves as both a nature reserve and a quiet place to think. The walk around it takes twenty minutes if you're ambling, less if you've got somewhere to be. Water lovers will spot wildfowl year-round; in winter the birdwatching gets genuinely good. Families with young kids find it manageable - flat paths, no dramatic drops - though they'll lose interest after the initial loop unless you bring bread (which you shouldn't, but everyone does).

It's free to visit and there's no entrance fee, though parking nearby in Aberystwyth proper can be tight in summer. Go early morning or late afternoon when the light's proper golden and the day-trippers haven't arrived. Winter's actually better if you can handle the cold.

Stay at Aberystwyth Holiday Village just 0.3 miles away and you're perfectly placed to use this as your morning walk before heading to the main seafront attractions. Clarach Bay Holiday Village, 1.6 miles up the coast, also puts you within easy reach. Old Harbour isn't dramatic or showy, but it's the sort of place that grows on you - the kind of spot you return to on your last morning.