If only Birmingham had a beach. I don’t think there’d be any reason to leave. But when the sunshine hits, I’m flocking to the nearest coastal town just like everyone else. Instead of following every Tom, Dick and Harry to Weston-super-Mare this summer, however, why not head somewhere a touch quieter?
You can get a direct train from New Street to Aberystwyth in three hours. From the station, it’s just a five-minute walk to the iconic seafront—where Aberystwyth’s North Beach is the quintessential seaside sight, filled with sandy shores, donkey rides, a bandstand, and the oldest pier in Wales (opened in 1865).
But there is an alternative. North Beach may attract all the tourists, Aberystwyth’s Seaside Award-winning South Beach (the nationwide standard for the best beaches in the UK) is the spot to know. Tucked between a ruinous castle and the harbour, it’s much quieter and a favourite for surfers and dolphin-spotters.
Keep going further south along the shingled shore, and you’ll find an even quieter, even more sweeping Tan Y Bwlch Beach, which sits beside the Bronze Age burial mound and Iron Age Hillfort, Pen Dinas. But I’d just stick to South Beach if you don’t fancy straying too far from the town.
What else should I do in Aberystwyth?
Take the Grade II listed Cliff Railway up Constitution Hill for the largest camera obscura in the UK. With a 14-inch lens and a 360-degree view of over 1,000 square miles, think of it as a sort of Victoria CCTV, using light to project an image of your surroundings in real-time.
Elsewhere in Aberystwyth, hop aboard a historic steam train at the Vale of Rheidol Railway; learn about the area’s rich heritage at the Ceredigion Museum; or visit the Aberystwyth Arts Centre for a range of events and activities.
