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Destinations in Mid Wales | Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Mid Wales

Mid Wales stretches from the Brecon Beacons in the south to the mountains of Southern Snowdonia in the north, from the English border to the Cardigan Bay coast. It covers three counties, dozens of market towns, hundreds of miles of walking paths and some of the emptiest landscape in Britain. This is not a place you visit for attractions. You come for the land itself.

Where should I go in Mid Wales?

That depends on what you are looking for. The Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) have the highest mountains in southern Britain, waterfall walks and the dark sky reserve. Central Powys is quieter still: market towns like Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells surrounded by green valleys and the Elan Valley reservoirs. The Ceredigion coast runs along Cardigan Bay with harbour towns, dolphin watching and the Wales Coast Path. Southern Snowdonia has Cadair Idris, the Mawddach Estuary and the castle town of Harlech. North Powys stretches from Welshpool to Machynlleth, with Lake Vyrnwy and the Montgomeryshire canal.

What is the landscape like?

Varied, and wilder than people expect. The Cambrian Mountains in the centre of the region are among the most sparsely populated uplands in England and Wales. Red kites circle overhead, rivers run fast and clean, and the roads wind through valleys where farms outnumber houses. The coast is different again: wide bays, rocky headlands, bottlenose dolphins offshore and long beaches that empty out as soon as you walk five minutes from the car park.

Which towns are worth visiting?

Brecon is the gateway to the national park, with a cathedral, independent shops and a good food scene. Aberystwyth is the largest town on the coast, a university town with a promenade, pier and a funicular railway up Constitution Hill. Machynlleth has a Wednesday market, the Museum of Modern Art and the Centre for Alternative Technology nearby. Rhayader is the gateway to the Elan Valley. Crickhowell has more independent shops per head than almost anywhere in Wales.

Every town here has its own character. None of them are trying to be something they are not.

Mid Wales rewards the visitor who picks one area and stays a while. Book a cottage in the Brecon Beacons for walking, a B&B in Aberystwyth for the coast, or a farmhouse in the Cambrian Mountains for the silence. Each area has its own character, and a week is barely enough to feel you have scratched the surface. Browse our accommodation search to find your starting point.

Discover Mid Wales Destinations

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Number of results: 52

, currently showing 21 to 40.

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Llanfyllin

Address

Llanfyllin, Powys, SY22 5AQ

Telephone
01938 552043

ticwelshpool@btconnect.com

Llanfyllin

Llanfyllin is thriving market town in north Powys on the upper reaches of the Cain valley. It is an ideal centre to explore the area including nearby Lake Vyrnwy and Welshpool.
Aberdyfi | Aberdovey

Address

Aberdyfi, Gwynedd, LL35 0ED

Telephone
01654 767321

TIC.Aberdyfi@eryri-npa.gov.uk

Aberdyfi

Aberdyfi's pastel-coloured terraces front a large sandy beach and quaint old harbour. The town is a popular centre for sailing, watersports and golf.
Cei Newydd | New Quay

Address

New Quay, Ceredigion, SA46 0JP

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythtic@ceredigion.gov.uk

New Quay

A visit to New Quay is all about sandy beaches that extend in an arc around the bay, the harbour where boat trips will take you dolphin spotting in Cardigan Bay, and the great Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas enjoyed a few pints in the local.
Aberteifi | Cardigan

Address

Cardigan, Ceredigion, SA43 1JL

Telephone
01545 570602

aberaerontic@ceredigion.gov.uk

Cardigan

Cardigan sits on the border between Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire with many superb beaches & coastal walks nearby.
Machynlleth

Address

Machynlleth, Powys, SY20 8BL

Machynlleth

Unwind in the heart of the Dyfi Biosphere at Machynlleth. Part of the UNESCO Dyfi Biosphere and offers exciting activities, from mountain biking to exploring the natural beauty of Mid Wales. The Centre for Alternative Technology is an excellent…
Llanrhystud

Address

Llanrhystud, Ceredigion, SY23 5BW

Telephone
01970 612125

AberystwythTIC@ceredigion.gov.uk

Llanrhystud

Llanrhystud is a Ceredigion coastal village midway between Aberystwyth and Aberaeron. It has a half mile long sandy beach at low tide which is well suited for windsurfing and swimming.
Pontrhydfendigaid

Address

Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion, SY20 8TG

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythTIC@ceredigiong.gov.uk

Pontrhydfendigaid

At the heart of Pontrhydfendigaid - 'the bridge of the blessed ford' (known locally as ‘Bont’) is a narrow hump backed bridge across the river Teifi, whose source is about 5 miles away in the hills, at Teifi Pools.
Aberystwyth

Address

Ceredigion, SY23 2AG

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythtic@ceredigion.gov.uk

Welcome to Aberystwyth - a beautiful and lively seaside town on the Mid Wales coast. Enjoy stunning natural beauty, cultural attractions, unique shopping and dining, and a range of accommodation options. Easily accessible by railway, bus, or car,…
Y Borth | Borth

Address

Borth, Ceredigion, SY24 5JU

Telephone
01970 612125

Ceredigion

Borth is a charming coastal town in Mid Wales, part of the Dyfi Biosphere and the only UNESCO Biosphere reserve in Wales. With a Blue Flag Beach, excellent surfing, stunning natural surroundings, unique local legends, and a railway station on the…
Aberhonddu | Brecon

Address

Brecon, Powys, LD3 7AD

Brecon

Brecon is a historic market town where you'll enjoy losing yourself...not only in the narrow streets and passageways lined with Georgian and Jacobean shopfronts, but in the sense of timelessness about the place.
Corris

Address

Corris, Gwynedd, SY20 9SS

Corris

Located 5 miles north of Machynlleth, Corris boasts a surprisingly rich vein of local attractions nearby together with thrilling mountain biking in the forest, excellent fishing at Llyn Myngul (Tal y Llyn Lake) and challenging walking on Cadair…
Cenarth

Address

Cenarth, Ceredigion, SA38 9LE

Cenarth

Cenarth is a pretty village which lies on the county boundary between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. It is renowned for its waterfall and salmon fishing.
Bala & Penllyn

Address

Bala, Gwynedd, LL23 7AD

Telephone
01286 679686

tourism@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

Bala

Bala & Penllyn is an area within the Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park surrounded by the peaks of Aran Benllyn, Arenig Fawr and the Berwyn Mountains and home to the largest natural lake in Wales,
Llanfair Caereinion

Address

Llanfair Caereinion, Powys, SY21 0SQ

Llanfair Caereinion

Llanfair Caereinion in Montgomeryshire's Banwy Valley is one of the smallest towns in Powys. Almost 3,000 people lived here in the mid 19th century when the woollen industry was at its peak.
Aberaeron

Address

Ceredigion, SA46 0BT

Telephone
01545 570602

aberaerontic@ceredigion.gov.uk

Aberaeron is one of Wales's most stylish coastal towns. It is on the Ceredigion coast and the Wales Coast Path is accessible from the town. Sited at the mouth of the river Aeron, the harbour operated as a port in the 19th century and steam ships…
Y Gelli Gandryll | Hay-on-Wye

Address

Hay-on-Wye, Powys, HR3 5DG

Telephone
01982 553307

Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye - in Welsh 'Y Gelli Gandryll' or just 'Y Gelli' is well known as 'the town of books' and is home to the Hay Literature Festival.
Llanymddfri | Llandovery

Address

Llanymddfri | Llandovery, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, SA20 0AW

Llandovery

Llanymddyffri, or Llandovery, means ‘church among the waters. Surrounded by three rivers, the Towy, the Bran, and the Gwydderi. Llandovery is a market town with a population of just under 3000.
Llanidloes

Address

Llanidloes, Powys, SY18 6EQ

information@llanidloes.com

Llanidloes

Llanidloes is a small historic market town in Mid Wales; it is the first town along the River Severn.
Blaenau Ffestiniog

Address

Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, LL41 3HS

Telephone
01766 512981

porthmadog.tic@gwynedd.gov.uk

Blaenau Ffestiniog

Blaenau Ffestiniog is famously known as the "slate capital of Wales" and the "town that roofed the world". Its industrial role has long since diminished, yet Blaenau Ffestiniog attracts many visitors because of its rich slate history.
Dolgellau

Address

Southern Snowdonia, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 1PS

Dolgellau

Dolgellau is the ideal base to explore southern Snowdonia's dramatic scenery, adrenalin-fuelled activities and world heritage attractions. It's a historic mountain town built on the wool trade and steeped in folklore.