To provide you with the best experience, cookies are used on this site. Learn more

You are here: Destinations

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

Inspiration

Number of results: 52

, currently showing 22 to 42.

Sort By: A-Z Lowest A-Z Highest

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.
Y Fenni | Abergavenny

Address

Monmouthshire, NP7 5HD

Abergavenny is the traditional gateway to South Wales and to the Brecon Beacons National Park. The old market town is surrounded by beautiful border countryside and home to the best food festival in the UK.
Oswestry

Address

Shropshire, SY11 2TE

Telephone
01654 702653

info@mwtcymru.co.uk

Oswestry is the third largest town in Shropshire with a population of 17,000; it is five miles from the border with Wales and has a mixed Welsh and English heritage.
Tywyn

Address

Tywyn, Gwynedd, LL36 0DF

Telephone
01654 767321

TIC.Aberdyfi@eryri-npa.gov.uk

Tywyn

Tywyn is a coastal town in Southern Snowdonia on the Mid Wales coast. The name Tywyn comes from the Welsh word for beach or sand dunes.
St Dogmaels

Address

Pembrokeshire, SA41 3PX

The riverside village of St Dogmaels sits on the border of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. The village's main attractions are St Dogmaels Abbey and Y Felin water mill.
Llandysul

Address

Ceredigion, SA44 4DN

Telephone
01545 570602

aberaerontic@ceredigion.gov.uk

Nestling on the banks of the river Teifi, Llandysul is a traditional unspoilt small market town.
Aberriw | Berriew

Address

Powys, SY21 8BQ

Telephone
01686 640478

Berriew (Welsh: Aberriw) is a village in Powys situated between Welshpool and Newtown. The river Rhiw near the confluence (Welsh: aber) with the River Severn flows through this picturesque village.
Crug Hywel | Crickhowell

Address

Crickhowell, Powys, NP8 1AA

Telephone
01873 853254

Crickhowell

The historic town of Crickhowell lies on the River Usk on the southern edge of the Black Mountains in the Eastern part of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
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.
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.
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.
Talgarth

Address

Brecon, Powys, LD3 0BW

Brecon

The ancient market Town of Talgarth nestles beneath the Black Mountains which run along the border between Wales and England. Close to Brecon, Crickhowell and Hay-on-Wye, it provides an ideal base for visitors wishing to explore the area.
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.
Llanbedr

Address

Llanbedr, Gwynedd, LL45 2LD

Telephone
01341 280787

Llanbedr

Llanbedr is an attractive village situated between Barmouth and Harlech. It's an ideal location for walking and Shell Island is famous for it's abundance of sea shells.
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.
Fairbourne

Address

Fairbourne, Gwynedd, LL38 2PZ

Fairbourne

Between Dolgellau and Tywyn off the A493, the village of Fairbourne has a sandy beach two miles long on the Cambrian Coast with the superb countryside of the Snowdonia National Park to the east.
Tregaron

Address

Tregaron, Ceredigion, SY25 6JL

Telephone
01970 612125

aberystwythTIC@Ceredigion.gov.uk

Tregaron

Tregaron is a town where history, legend, and nature intertwine—offering visitors a truly authentic Welsh experience. Whether you’re drawn by the wildlife, the scenic routes, or the rich folklore, this is a place where the past comes to life amid…
Dinas Mawddwy

Address

Dinas Mawddwy, Gwynedd, LL49 9LP

Dinas Mawddwy

North-east of Machynlleth and south-east of Dolgellau, the village of Dinas Mawddwy is just to the side of the A470 at the junction with the mountain road to Lake Vyrnwy and Bala.
Tref-y-Clawdd | Knighton

Address

Knighton, Powys, LD7 1EN

Knighton

Knighton is a Mid Wales Marches town with a remarkable landscape and rich history. Located on the scenic Heart of Wales railway line, it makes a great base to explore the Offa's Dyke Path or Glyndwr's Way National Trails.
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,
Llwyngwril

Address

Gwynedd, LL37 2JS

Telephone
01341 280787

barmouth.tic@gwynedd.gov.uk

Llwyngwril is a coastal village with a population of around 500. The village falls within the Snowdonia National Park.