Guidebook for Borth and Surrounding Area
Food Scene
Reasonable prices, home-made food, run by a local family and a smashing veggie breakfast!
Uncle Albert's Ice Cream Emporium
High StreetReasonable prices, home-made food, run by a local family and a smashing veggie breakfast!
Sightseeing
3. The Ynys-Las sand dunes forms part of a protected nature reserve and is the largest sand dune in West Wales. It is also next to a beautiful river estuary which overlooks the Dyfi River and Aberdyfi on the other side of the water. A great option at any time of the year and very accessible. You can walk 3 miles to reach it along the beach from Y Wern heading North, if not drive straight down the road all the way to the end and park your car in the large estuary-based car park. Wander and wonder! The circular walk taking in the coastal scenery and passing across the sand dunes is heartily recommended.
Ynyslas Sand Dunes
3. The Ynys-Las sand dunes forms part of a protected nature reserve and is the largest sand dune in West Wales. It is also next to a beautiful river estuary which overlooks the Dyfi River and Aberdyfi on the other side of the water. A great option at any time of the year and very accessible. You can walk 3 miles to reach it along the beach from Y Wern heading North, if not drive straight down the road all the way to the end and park your car in the large estuary-based car park. Wander and wonder! The circular walk taking in the coastal scenery and passing across the sand dunes is heartily recommended.
One of Wales’s most majestic mountains with fewer crowds than Snowdon. It’s a full-day hike (7 hours) and is most easily approached from Dolgellau or the car park just after Corris on the A487. I would recommend waiting for good visibility and good weather in order to fully appreciate the views.
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Penygader
One of Wales’s most majestic mountains with fewer crowds than Snowdon. It’s a full-day hike (7 hours) and is most easily approached from Dolgellau or the car park just after Corris on the A487. I would recommend waiting for good visibility and good weather in order to fully appreciate the views.
If you want to experience something gentler with a nice Victorian feel, I recommend a visit to Devil’s Bridge, East of Aberystwyth, inland 10 miles. The waterfall costs 2 pounds each to visit through a turnstile, but is truly superb. The hike is not long (45 minutes), but the approach to and from it are steep and can be slippery in wet weather. Have a cold or hot drink afterwards in the refurbished Hafod Hotel to celebrate!
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Pontarfynach
If you want to experience something gentler with a nice Victorian feel, I recommend a visit to Devil’s Bridge, East of Aberystwyth, inland 10 miles. The waterfall costs 2 pounds each to visit through a turnstile, but is truly superb. The hike is not long (45 minutes), but the approach to and from it are steep and can be slippery in wet weather. Have a cold or hot drink afterwards in the refurbished Hafod Hotel to celebrate!
If you want a longer walk, I recommend the Ladies Walk in the Hafod Estate which is signposted from the Devil’s Bridge Hotel (2 -3 hours). The grand estate itself is demolished, but the highly landscape park remains intact with Victorian motifs such as surprise grottos and waterfalls. Make sure that you visit the Cavern Cascade in Hafod if possible. It shows the Victorian taste for the scenic sublime off at its best!
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Hafod Estate
If you want a longer walk, I recommend the Ladies Walk in the Hafod Estate which is signposted from the Devil’s Bridge Hotel (2 -3 hours). The grand estate itself is demolished, but the highly landscape park remains intact with Victorian motifs such as surprise grottos and waterfalls. Make sure that you visit the Cavern Cascade in Hafod if possible. It shows the Victorian taste for the scenic sublime off at its best!
You won’t regret a trip to this beautiful valley near Tywyn. The Castell is a ruin now but still provides magnificent views along the fertile valley in the foothills of Cadair. I recommend the drive via the coastal road to Tywyn, turn off at Abergnowlyn. Afterwards, if you feel like something more energetic, hike up Bird Rock (1 hour) and gets views down to the sea.
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Castell y Bere
You won’t regret a trip to this beautiful valley near Tywyn. The Castell is a ruin now but still provides magnificent views along the fertile valley in the foothills of Cadair. I recommend the drive via the coastal road to Tywyn, turn off at Abergnowlyn. Afterwards, if you feel like something more energetic, hike up Bird Rock (1 hour) and gets views down to the sea.
I highly recommend a road trip to Barmouth along the coastal road. Stop off for a tea break in Aberdyfi if the roads aren’t too overcrowded (this is a very popular destination in the high season). Then, when you reach Fairbourne, park your car at the car park shortly after Fairborne at one end of the Barmouth footbridge and walk or cycle over to Barmouth. I moved to Wales because of this experience! The views down the Mawddach estuary are stunning and filled the hearts of early Victorian travellers with wonder – as they do with modern heart now! ‘Wild Wales’ at its best.
Footbridge over railway
16 Marine RdI highly recommend a road trip to Barmouth along the coastal road. Stop off for a tea break in Aberdyfi if the roads aren’t too overcrowded (this is a very popular destination in the high season). Then, when you reach Fairbourne, park your car at the car park shortly after Fairborne at one end of the Barmouth footbridge and walk or cycle over to Barmouth. I moved to Wales because of this experience! The views down the Mawddach estuary are stunning and filled the hearts of early Victorian travellers with wonder – as they do with modern heart now! ‘Wild Wales’ at its best.
Local Borth Favourites
Borth Animalarium is famous or perhaps infamous, making national headlines when one of their lynxes escaped in 2018. However, as the animalarium motto says, it is indeed ‘a small zoo with a big heart’ – and a fantastic experience if you have little ones. The animalarium rehomes a number of rescue animals and boasts an amazing collection of reptiles, monkeys, mammals and even lions. Sometimes, in the evening you can hear them roar from their cage on the brow of this hill.
Ticket price for adults is £9.50
Opening hours: vary seasonally, but they are open most days in the summer from 10am.
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Borth Wild Animal Kingdom
Borth Animalarium is famous or perhaps infamous, making national headlines when one of their lynxes escaped in 2018. However, as the animalarium motto says, it is indeed ‘a small zoo with a big heart’ – and a fantastic experience if you have little ones. The animalarium rehomes a number of rescue animals and boasts an amazing collection of reptiles, monkeys, mammals and even lions. Sometimes, in the evening you can hear them roar from their cage on the brow of this hill.
Ticket price for adults is £9.50
Opening hours: vary seasonally, but they are open most days in the summer from 10am.
sadly is closed for refurbishment during COVID-19 crisis, but if it’s open it is a must-see Borth experience! The pub is near the train station on the bog side of the High Street and is an excellent drinking establishment with a palpably ‘quirky’ olde worlde feel to it. Doors open around 8pm, at Clive’s discretion. They have a ping pong table inside and a piano as well as a working fireplace.
Friendship Inn
High Streetsadly is closed for refurbishment during COVID-19 crisis, but if it’s open it is a must-see Borth experience! The pub is near the train station on the bog side of the High Street and is an excellent drinking establishment with a palpably ‘quirky’ olde worlde feel to it. Doors open around 8pm, at Clive’s discretion. They have a ping pong table inside and a piano as well as a working fireplace.
1. Go for a swim in the sea. Go on! You can warm up in the Victoria pub afterwards if you want… If you don’t feel bold enough go out for the sunset. You won’t regret it!
2. The Sunken Forest: walk North along the beach at low tide and you will probably see some odd stumpy looking formations in the sand. This is the remains of an ancient forest revealed by storms a few years back. This is precious local heritage and evidence that there was once a forest and perhaps productive land and grazing too, in an area that is now covered by the sea. The sunken forest is not just in one place, you will see bits of sunken forest in many areas including opposite the golf course and further afield on your walk up to Ynys-las.
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Borth Beach
Clos Pantyfedwen1. Go for a swim in the sea. Go on! You can warm up in the Victoria pub afterwards if you want… If you don’t feel bold enough go out for the sunset. You won’t regret it!
2. The Sunken Forest: walk North along the beach at low tide and you will probably see some odd stumpy looking formations in the sand. This is the remains of an ancient forest revealed by storms a few years back. This is precious local heritage and evidence that there was once a forest and perhaps productive land and grazing too, in an area that is now covered by the sea. The sunken forest is not just in one place, you will see bits of sunken forest in many areas including opposite the golf course and further afield on your walk up to Ynys-las.
4. Coastal Path route from Borth to Aberystwyth: a lovely half-day hike (roughly 3 hours) and 5 miles. I prefer walking from Aber to Borth and catching the lovely view of the Bog and the Estuary on the final descent, but the other way’s lovely too. To begin the walk from Y Wern walk south along the beach and then up Cliff Drive to the Borth War Memorial on the top of the hill Craig Y Wylfa. Continue on this well signposted track for 5 miles. You will pass a small beach with a stone bunker on the way, there is rumoured to be a dyke stretching far out to sea under the water here – the gateway to the sunken kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod!
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Ceredigion Coast Path
4. Coastal Path route from Borth to Aberystwyth: a lovely half-day hike (roughly 3 hours) and 5 miles. I prefer walking from Aber to Borth and catching the lovely view of the Bog and the Estuary on the final descent, but the other way’s lovely too. To begin the walk from Y Wern walk south along the beach and then up Cliff Drive to the Borth War Memorial on the top of the hill Craig Y Wylfa. Continue on this well signposted track for 5 miles. You will pass a small beach with a stone bunker on the way, there is rumoured to be a dyke stretching far out to sea under the water here – the gateway to the sunken kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod!