Along the boulevard comes the crowds: drag queens uttering one-liners, farmers gossiping in Welsh, a choir out of rehearsal but still singing, and a man rapping to himself and the sky. There seem to be as many dogs as people, and twice as many seagulls, all looking at the fish and chips. At the cable car to the cliff there is a line of Hasidic Jewish families with ice creams in hand, and the pier is full of good-humoured Brummies enjoying the snooker tables and ATMs, waiting for the Pier Pressure nightclub to open. At the ruined castle, a group of Australian fans of the TV crime series Hinterland stare around in bewilderment: is this really a gritty murder capital? Behind the town rise the mountains of Mid Wales; in front is the glittering sea. This is Aberystwyth on a sunny afternoon.
Far from the major population centres, along a long slow railway line, and with a climate that peels paint faster than a Tom Jones audience took off their underwear, Aber, as the locals call it, has taken some beatings. But that setback has produced something unique among British seaside resorts: a place that is proudly cultivated, often comical and always quirky. There’s a university and a national library, but there might also be a muddy tractor with a straw-filled trailer parked outside the pub. After many visits, in all weathers, I have come to love that independent spirit and eccentricity. (Those Hinterland fans might be getting a little closer to the atmosphere they expect on a wet November Wednesday.)
In the days of sail, when ships from all points in the east would stop here halfway through Cardigan Bay, they would take on passengers and drop a few tons of stone ballast overboard. A few years later, beachcombers began picking up semi-precious stones that had been carried in the ballast. Although the supply has decreased, it is still possible to find treasures in the gravel.
Aberystwyth’s other gems are easier to find. Take Ultracomida, a Spanish deli on Pier Street. Step inside and, like Tardis, it becomes a fantastic cave to ask, jamthe ones And aceitunas leading to a wine bar stocked with all the artisanal and family-run wine bottles that Iberia – and Wales – can produce. London would be jealous of such a place. Nearby, similarly, the craft beer bar and shop Bottle and Barrel hides behind an inconspicuous doorway. There’s also Little Devil’s Cafe for a delicious breakfast and, on the other hand, my favorite second-hand bookshop, Llyfrau Ystwyth.
Aberystwyth has a lovely promenade, which winds around two bays, with a ruined castle on the headland in between
Welshness is essential to the Aberystwyth experience, and opposite the spectacular glass front of the White Horse pub on Terrace Road, the Ceredigion Museum is a fine place to absorb that essence. This former Edwardian theater is a cornucopia of local life and history. Opened in 1905, it had state-of-the-art gas lamps, which students used to fry kippers during recess. David Lloyd George once spoke from the stage, where performances still take place.
When it became a cinema in 1933, it was just as quirky: the projectionist walked to the White Horse after starting the film and only returned to change film rolls when the audience started stamping his feet. Today, the gilded balconies are home to a parade of Welsh hats, peasant chairs, hand-knitted knickers, portraits of fiery preachers and an entire, eerie 1950s dentist’s office. It’s a lot of fun and full of stories and holiday memories.
Every self-respecting seaside resort needs a promenade, and Aberystwyth has a lovely one, winding around two bays, with a ruined castle on the headland between them. Directly behind this monument, an impressive tombstone collection tells stories of death by consumption (many 19th century visitors came here for the restorative sea air), shipwrecks and tautonymic tradition (Owen Owens, Lewis Lewis, etc.). In true Aber style, the gravestones now stand around a spot that local children have transformed into a football pitch, making it Britain’s creepiest sports ground.
Heading north, the coastal path winds up Constitution Hill, where the cable car can take the strain. It is a beautiful 3.5 kilometer walk along the path to the shingle spire at Sarn Gynfelyn, which juts out into the sea at low tide. According to legend, this was the road to the lost flooded kingdom of Cantre’r Gwaelod. Another five kilometers takes you to Borth, where at low tide you can see the remains of a sunken forest that disappeared thousands of years ago and is only now being revealed by storms. The dunes at Ynyslas, a few kilometers north, are a treasure trove for botanists, with several species of rare orchids. There is a train station at Borth and you can drive back to Aberystwyth, or if you long for a wide sandy beach, continue to Aberdyfi (or Aberdovey) and change at Machynlleth or Dovey Junction, where ospreys breed.
One of Aberystwyth’s greatest treasures hides in plain sight, high on the hill, behind an imposing stone facade. It is definitely worth walking to the National Library of Wales. It has permanent exhibitions of early Welsh literature, plus 4,000 framed paintings and what it once claimed was part of the Holy Grail. The elegant reading room is accessible with a reader’s ticket, but it is worth taking a look from the doorway.
Related: When is the coast at its best? In the darkest days of winter | Alys Fowler
Aberystwyth’s coastal heritage is inextricably linked to the arrival of the railway in the 1860s, just as the age of sail faded and the harbor fell into disrepair. About 1900, a group of entrepreneurs decided to build a 12-mile (19 km) narrow-gauge line to the Devil’s Bridge Falls in the Cambrian Mountains, completing the line just as the lead mines were closing. With admirable adaptability they switched to a tourist service, and it has remained that way.
Bought in 1989 by railway enthusiast Peter Rampton, the Vale of Rheidol Railway is a beautiful production: the first-class carriage has a ceiling worthy of a doge’s dome, but the real stars are the original steam locomotives and the fantastic views as you pass through them climbs old forest above the Rheidol river. At the top there is a cafe and a beautiful waterfall walk over the Devil’s Bridge.
Back in the city, my favorite destination is on the south side of the ball. On the beach of Tan-y-Bwlch I sit on the long stone pier and look at the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. With any luck, as the sun sets into the Irish Sea, the Cardigan Bay dolphins will make an appearance.
The trip was arranged by Mid Wales Tourism. Nanteos mansion, on a leafy avenuehas doublefrom € 150,-