Itinerary Planner

Autumn Coast and Countryside | Three Days from Cardigan Bay to Bannau Brycheiniog

A three-day autumn road trip across Mid Wales, from the Ceredigion coast through the Cambrian Mountains and the Elan Valley to Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). You'll see grey seal pups on the coast, waterfalls in the hills and golden woods beside the reservoirs.

Day one: the Ceredigion coast

Start in New Quay on Cardigan Bay. Grey seals have their pups on the beaches below the cliffs from September to November, and you can watch from the Wales Coast Path, keeping well back from the edge. Boat trips run from the harbour into the autumn, weather permitting, with New Quay Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips among them. In the afternoon, drive north to Llanerchaeron near Aberaeron, a Georgian villa and working farm estate in the Aeron valley, and have supper at the Moody Cow Bistro at Moody Meadows.

Day two: into the Cambrian Mountains

Head inland to Devil's Bridge, where the Mynach Falls drop through a wooded gorge below three bridges built one on top of another. For a guided day in the hills, Cambrian Safaris Tours runs trips into the Cambrian Mountains from Devil's Bridge. Then take the mountain road east through Cwmystwyth to the Elan Valley and stop at Cwm Elan, the Elan Valley Visitor Centre, before the light goes. Stay the night near Rhayader.

Day three: red kites and Bannau Brycheiniog

Catch the red kite feeding at Gigrin Farm near Rhayader at 2pm, then drive south down the Wye valley through Builth Wells to Brecon and Bannau Brycheiniog. The Castle of Brecon Hotel is in the middle of town if you want a final night before heading home. On a clear evening, the skies over Bannau Brycheiniog are some of the darkest in Britain.

Where to stay

Spend the first night on the coast near Aberaeron, where Pant-y-Celyn Holiday Cottages has self-catering, and the second near Rhayader, where Nannerth Country Holidays has farm cottages in the Wye valley. The Castle of Brecon Hotel makes an easy last night before the drive home.

Good to know

This route is about 90 miles over three days, much of it on quiet mountain roads. Allow time for stops, and check tide times before coastal walks. Keep dogs on a lead near seals.