Llandysul

The River Teifi winds through this working market town like a silver thread, past stone cottages and the remains of what was once Wales' printing capital. Llandysul feels properly Welsh - you'll hear the language spoken in the post office queue and see it on every street sign. The town sits in a gentle valley, surrounded by rolling hills that turn from emerald green in summer to burnished gold come autumn.

Climbing Gernos Mountain rewards you with sweeping views across Ceredigion's patchwork countryside, while Bryn Cnwc-Dysul offers a slightly gentler ascent for families. The surrounding landscape is a walker's paradise. Ancient woodlands like Allt Ty-chwîth and Dan-coed-mawr Wood carpet the hillsides, crossed by old drove roads and sheep tracks.

Coed Y Foel Nature Reserve is the pick of the bunch for wildlife spotting. Red kites circle overhead here - a proper spectacle that still gives locals a thrill. The town itself keeps things simple: a few pubs, essential shops, and St Ffraid's Church watching over it all from its hillside perch.

Getting here requires a bit of planning. The nearest railway station is Carmarthen, about 25 miles south, so you'll need a car. But that's rather the point - Llandysul sits well off the beaten track, which keeps the tour buses away.

Staying at one of the nearby parks like Woodland Hideaway or Wild Meadow Camping puts you right in the heart of this landscape. You can walk from your pitch into proper Welsh countryside within minutes, yet still pop into town for supplies or a pint.