Llangrannog

Llangrannog has only a handful of places to stay within the village itself, which is part of its appeal: a scatter of traditional B&Bs and guesthouses, a beachfront pub with rooms, and a small number of self-catering cottages built into the steep valley sides above the sand. Rooms with sea views are limited and get booked up well ahead for the summer season, so early planning pays off if you want to wake up looking out over Cardigan Bay. The village's small scale means there is nothing in the way of a large hotel here; anyone wanting more choice in room types or facilities is better served by New Quay or Cardigan, both under half an hour away by car, from where Llangrannog makes an easy day trip along the coast road.

For those prepared to stay a little further out, the surrounding countryside has a good spread of farmhouse B&Bs and boutique guesthouses within a few miles, often with views back down towards the coast. Whichever option you choose, book ahead for July and August, when Llangrannog's beach and dolphin-watching reputation draw visitors from across Wales and beyond, and note that some of the smaller village guesthouses close over the winter months.

Llangrannog is a village built around its beach and its coast path, and most days out here revolve around one or the other. A handful of real highlights make it worth the detour off the main coast road.

• Traeth Llangrannog — the main village beach, a Blue Flag sandy bay split by the River Hawen, with rockpools and caves at the eastern end and a seafront car park right behind it.
• Carreg Bica — a tall, jagged sea stack standing on the beach, said in local legend to be the tooth of a giant who once lived in the area and spat it out after a toothache.
• Cilborth beach — a smaller, wilder cove immediately south of the main beach, reachable on foot around the rocks at low tide and a good spot to escape the busier sand in summer.
• Ceredigion Coast Path to Ynys Lochtyn — the path north from the village climbs onto National Trust land at Pen-y-Badell and out along the narrow Ynys Lochtyn promontory, one of the most scenic short walks on this coast and a strong bet for spotting dolphins and porpoises offshore.
• Dolphin and seabird watching — Cardigan Bay holds one of Europe's largest resident populations of bottlenose dolphins; the cliffs around Llangrannog and neighbouring Aberporth are well-used vantage points, especially on a calm, clear day.
• Cwmtydu to Llangrannog coast walk — often rated the most dramatic section of the Ceredigion Coast Path, running past hidden coves, folded cliff strata and Iron Age hillfort remains.
• Watersports on the beach — the sheltered bay is popular for surfing, bodyboarding and sea kayaking, with informal lessons and hire available locally in season.

Options are small in number but firmly rooted in the village. The Pentre Arms sits right on the beachfront with sea views from its bar window, serving Welsh cask ales and pub food, while The Ship is the other long-standing village pub. For daytime refreshments, the Patio café by the car park and the seasonal Beach Hut kiosk are popular stops for coffee, ice cream and light lunches after a morning on the sand. Choice thins out considerably once the summer season ends, so it is worth checking opening hours if visiting outside the main holiday months.

Wild camping is not legal in Wales without the landowner's permission, so pitching up on the cliffs or coast path around Llangrannog on spec is not an option, however tempting the sea views. What the area does have is a good choice of proper campsites and caravan parks on the clifftops either side of the village, many of them family-run and making the most of their elevated position above Cardigan Bay, with some pitches looking straight out over the water towards the sunset. Facilities range from simple grass touring pitches to fuller-service sites with electric hook-ups, shower blocks and on-site shops, and a number now also offer glamping options such as static caravans, pods or safari tents for anyone who wants the coastal setting without bringing a tent.

The terrain here is quintessential Ceredigion coast: narrow lanes, steep valleys and exposed clifftops, so an awning or windbreak is worth packing even in summer, and it is worth checking a site's access road before towing anything large, as some of the routes down into Llangrannog itself are tight. The best months to camp are from late spring to early autumn, when the weather is at its most settled and the days long enough to make the most of the beach, the coast path and the chance of spotting dolphins offshore; many sites close over winter or reduce to a skeleton service. Book ahead for the school summer holidays in particular, when the village's single beach car park and its campsites both fill fast, and midweek stays outside August tend to be a much quieter, cheaper alternative for the same coastline.