- Carmarthenshire

Wet & Wild

In Carmarthenshire, short breaks that harness the power of the wind bring you kite surfing, windsurfing and sailing on stiff breezes. Water challenges are not all coastal with some of the best canoeing runs in Wales available on the river Teifi.

Check out Llandysul paddlers www.llandysulpaddlers.org.uk they offer river swimming trips, giving holidaymakers the chance to float three miles down the Teifi river. You’ll rush through white water and meander down more gentle stretches. You can even take a picnic – as long as you have a waterproof lunchbox. Other activities, such as gorge walking, rock climbing and mountain biking, are also available.

Carmarthenshire has two huge 7 mile plus beaches which are suitable for all types of wind assisted activities. Pendine beach is the most popular destination with Windsurfers and Kitesurfers. For more information on extreme sports in Carmarthenshire Click Here

Mountain Biking

Mountain bikers are addicted to the adrenaline buzz – and it’s available in big doses in the trails that snake through the Brechfa and Crychan forests. In fact Brechfa Forest has become one of Wales’ premier off road biking destinations with some of the trails are the best in the UK, the Gorlech trail boast some truly exhilarating white knuckle descents! For more information Click Here

There’s an excellent choice of other routes including mountains, country lanes, cross country sections of the National Cycle network and traffic free routes. The 13 mile traffic free cycle Millennium Coastal Park is a ‘must ride’ two wheeled experience.

Plenty Of Horse Power

Bring your own horse or borrow one! Choose from beach rides, trail rides, stationary rides, a horse riding safari or an instructional riding holiday. Carmarthenshire is also home to Ffoslas the UK’s newest turf racecourse, the first to open in more than 80 years. For more information Click Here

Walking

Come walking in Carmarthenshire and enjoy gentle riverside paths, seafront strolls or head for the rough, tough Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacon National Park. Head south to try out some of the best coastal walks in Wales or go north for a more rugged, rural scene. Selected “County Walks” offer way-marked trails with accompanying leaflets giving route details and information on features of interest. Many routes link together to form longer distance trails, including the Carmarthen Bay Coastal Path. For specific walking Publications please call Carmarthen Tourist Information Centre on 01267 231557 or down loadable from Here

The Heart Of Welsh Rugby

Carmarthenshire’s largest town, Llanelli is one of the most famous rugby towns in the world and is the base for one of Europe’s top professional teams The Scarlets

Other sporting venues in the area include Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club Wales’ first Nicklaus design golf course.

Skiing & Snowboarding

You don't need to holiday in the Austrian or Swiss Alps to learn how to ski and board and in fact you can become an expert without even setting foot on a snow-covered mountain. Located in Pembrey Country Park overlooking the coastal scenery of Carmarthen Bay, Ski Pembrey offers two separate ski and snowboard areas for first timers or those brushing up on technique. Opened in 1998, the superbly equipped centre is open all year round with an Alpine Ski Lodge and Café, a floodlit 130m main slope, a 40m nursery area with sprinkler systems and button lift, mountain bike hire as well as the “Cobra”, the ultimate toboggan ride. For more information Click Here

Carmarthen Bay

Carmarthenshire is home to an amazing variety of seashores, from Cefn Sidan the longest stretch of sand in Wales to beautiful estuaries and an innovative – and highly successful coastal park. To experience the beauty of Carmarthenshire’s coastline then a visit to Laugharne is a must. As anyone who knows the place will tell you, there’s nowhere quite like Laugharne. The master of capturing its uniqueness in print was Dylan Thomas he wrote ‘Undermilk Wood’ in homage to his beloved Laugharne.

Go west from Laugharne and you’re soon on a beach that was long enough to be used for land speed records. In the 1920’s Pendine Sands echoed the roar of monster machines driven by Sir Malcolm Campbell and Welsh ace JG Parry Thomas. Nowadays, just sit back and soak up the surroundings – mess about in the rock-pools or walk over the headland, which is the gateway to the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park. Even Pendine can’t compete with what comes next – the 7mile stretch of sands at Cefn Sidan. Home to Beach Break Live! The sense of space here is almost overpowering. Behind the soft rolling dunes are more treats. Hours of fun in Pembrey Country Park; 500 acres filled with, among other things, adventure playgrounds, crazy golf, cycle hire and pitch and putt. There’s even a 130 metre dry ski slope.

Pembrey Country Park

Old Fashioned

Carmarthenshire’s gardens occupy a landscape that has witnessed the ebb and flow of history for thousands of years. Carmarthenshire’s stormy past is evident from the many castles in the county, Dinefwr, Dryslwyn, Llansteffan, Kidwelly, Newcastle Emlyn, Llandeilo and Carmarthen itself to name but a few and hardly a bend in the road is turned without coming across one. Carreg Cennen near Llandeillo is the ultimate romantic ruin, a weatherbeaten shell poised on the edge of a 325ft cliff with 60-mile panoramic views that are breathtaking – the Preseli Hills to the west and the brooding Black Mountain to the south. As well as wondrous gardens, awe-inspiring castles our market towns are brimming with local produce & chic shopping as well. Everyone's talking about Llandeilo. This sleepy market town with its twisty streets and quaint rural appeal has witnessed something of a style explosion in recent years. A host of independently-owned fashion shops, eateries and other charming one-off outlets have sprung up to crown Llandeilo the cool capital of Carmarthenshire. And how cool is this - up market fashion label Toast has now expanded to open branches in London, Harrogate and Oxford while Salvador Deli, a den of delicious delights, has been named one of the 50 best delis in Britain by an independent newspaper.

As well as the lure of the brooding Brecon Beacons, there’s culture and tradition in the hills where Wales’s very own Robin Hood figure Twm Sion Cati hid out centuries ago. Legend suggests that Carmarthen is the birth place of Merlin and the charming village of Myddfai has been in the spotlight for centuries. It was home to the medieval Physicians of Myddfai, sons of the legendary Lady of the lake.

Big County, Lots Of Towns

Carmarthenshire’s towns are friendly and full of character – you won’t find an anonymous new town in sight. Carmarthen, the oldest town in Wales is today a perfect blend of history and tradition coupled with modern elegance. Naming the Prince of Wales amongst its inhabitants, Llandovery is jam-packed with historic inns, local crafts, traditional pubs, cafes - perfect base for exploring the rugged hills and Brecon Beacons. A transformed town within the Millennium Coastal Park, Burry Port has a modern landscaped seafront that has brought new life to this historic port overlooking the Gower. Sitting on the banks of the River Teifi, Newcastle Emlyn is full of rural charm with lots of independently-owned shops, cafes, pubs and of course a castle. Close by is Cenarth Falls, one of Wales’s first beauty spots. Llandeilo is a classy county town and shopping hot spot with an array of fashionable galleries and boutiques. Wander along the main street, popping in and out of the quaint little one-off shops such as Toast & gourmet ice cream at Heavenly.

An animated, friendly town, Llanelli is the largest in Carmarthenshire with good shopping and a vibrant indoor market housing generations of family stalls. Located on the edge of the wild Black Mountain, Ammanford is an ideal base for exploring the stunning scenery and mountains. One of Wales’s best-preserved medieval castles stands at the centre of Kidwelly, which sits on the Gwendraeth Estuary. Where Carmarthenshire meets Pembrokeshire you’ll find Whitland, with an important history celebrating the achievements of Hywel Dda, King of all Wales in the 10th Century.

There’s plenty packed into the cute farming town of St Clears. A lively, bustling place with award winning family firm butchers whose tradition stretches back years. Laugharne, the sleepy, timeless seaside town which provided the inspiration for Dylan Thomas’s ‘Under Milk Wood’ and where he lays buried. Llanybydder is locally renowned for its rich trout and salmon fishing and was also a wool grading centre for a once thriving weaving industry. Look out for the famous monthly horse sales