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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 22 to 42.

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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.
Aberporth

Address

Ceredigion, SA43 2BU

Telephone
01239 613230

cardigantic@ceredigion.gov.uk

Set picturesquely overlooking two sandy beaches, the resort village of Aberporth is one of West Wales' most favoured family holiday locations. The beach is a regular recipient of Blue Flag and Seaside awards.
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.
Llanfair ym Muallt | Builth Wells

Address

Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3BU

Builth Wells

Builth Wells is home to the Royal Welsh Show, red kites and the final resting place of Wales' last prince, Llewelyn the Last.
Llanwrtyd Wells

Address

Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, LD5 4RW

Llanwrtyd Wells

Llanwrtyd Wells is the smallest town in Britain. It is also one of the friendliest, having a long history of catering for the many visitors who today come to enjoy the unspoilt beauty of the surrounding Cambrian Mountains.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ludlow

Address

Shrophire, SY8 1AS

Telephone
01584 875053

info@ludlow.org.uk

Located 28 miles south of Shrewsbury and 23 miles north of Hereford, the town of Ludlow is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and neighbouring Wales which is 14 miles to the west.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
Pontarfynach | Devil's Bridge

Address

Devil's Bridge, Ceredigion, SY23 3JW

Devil's Bridge

The village of Devil's Bridge is situated at the head of the Rheidol Valley in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains. Famous for its bridges and waterfall, Devil's Bridge and can be reached via the Vale of Rheidol Steam Railway.
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.
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.
Llangammarch Wells

Address

Llangammarch Wells, Powys, LD4 4EE

Llangammarch Wells

Llangammarch Wells lies south-west of Builth Wells and east of Llanwrtyd Wells and is the smallest of the four spa towns/villages of Mid Wales.