5 Adventures you can have in 1 Weekend in Ceredigion.
This weekend was full of firsts for our family. We had our first ever Glamping holiday, we visited an area of Wales we'd never visited before, and we managed to have 5 awesome adventures in just 48 hours. The area of Ceredigion has so much to see and do, the options are endless, but here are the 5 things we squeezed into one weekend...
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Enjoying the view from the Den.
The glamping itself was the first of those adventures. I'm not sure if accommodation usually counts as an adventure but in the case of Glamping at One Cat Farm, it definitely does. We stayed in a lovely wooden den, with a grass roof and our own personal hammock and fire pit. A little bit of paradise in a beautiful landscape. Green fields, hills, and trees as far as the eye can see. With just 4 huts spread out across the farm you feel like you've got the place to yourself, and the rest of the world is a distant memory.
The Fire pit and the Hammock.
As a loyal camper my whole life I wasn't sure how I would feel about betraying my beloved tent with a Glamping den. However; I'm sorry tent, but I no longer care about your feelings. I've fallen in love with someone else. We had all of the beauty of camping; being outdoors, gorgeous countryside, getting away from it all, but with zero stress. Packing the car was a joy, we just had to pack some clothes and food. They have everything else there, and I mean everything! Cookware, crockery, even toiletries. Then on arrival it's straight into the hammock whilst the kids run wild exploring, and you can let the relaxation begin. No tent to put up, no beds to inflate, no kids to supervise whilst doing all of the afore mentioned. So wonderful!
Walking back to the Hut.
At One Cat Farm they have turned an old pig shed into a lovely kitchen area for their guests. There's space to store your food and a large fridge for everyone to share. A little shop with an honesty box sells some essentials and some delicious treats. There are stoves, there is crockery, and a big table if you want to dine indoors, a sofa and some games and puzzles too. I imagine it would be a lovely place to hang out if the weather wasn't great. We were lucky enough to visit on a very sunny weekend and made the most of eating outdoors at all times and loved doing some cooking on our personal fire pit. S'mores in the evenings being a highlight. The toilet facilities are also really good, and might actually be the nicest I've ever encountered in all my years of camping holidays.
S'mores time.
But my absolute favourite part of the Glamping experience was the beds. We spent the days outside adventuring, finished the day in the gorgeous farm, and the kids ran wild in their pyjamas till late in to the evening, but we got to end the day in an actual comfy and cozy place to sleep. No camp mats deflating in the middle of the night, no sudden temperature plummet waking you up scrambling to find more blankets. Cozy beds and super warm duvets. Perfection.
Our little Home for the weekend.
The owners are lovely too. Our 3 children became fast friends with their daughters in the space of about 2 minutes in the beautiful way only children can. Our 3, who are usually happy to be heading home after some time away, shed tears on leaving one cat farm. It is a perfect location for all of the other adventures you can have in Ceredigion.
Magical light at One Cat Farm.
You can also check out One Cat Farm on the Canopy and Stars website. They have a big list of all of the amazing things you can get up to on Glamping holidays as part of their Year of Wild. You can even earn badges for doing some of these fun activities. We managed to earn a couple on our weekend away, and now I'm hooked and want to collect them all!
One Cat Farm is situated just outside the seaside town of Aberaeron. It's as picturesque as seaside towns come. Beautiful, pastel coloured houses line little streets, perfect for wandering around and taking in the gorgeous sea views and the lovely harbour. We found lots of quaint little shops and an old fashioned sweet shop that reduced our oldest to tears! How could she possibly be expected to choose between ice cream and sweets? (It's hard being 8, ok?) The shopkeeper stepped in and saved the day, suggesting we put a few sweets on top of the ice cream. Tears stopped and I found a new hero.
Aberaeron
Love a happy ending? Then you will love the Dyfi Osprey project. Situated just outside Machynlleth, it took us just under an hour to get there from One Cat Farm. However, the drive there is part of the adventure. If you're a millionaire then I'd suggest you hire a chauffeur as you will not want to miss the views. If you're still waiting on the millions to materialise then I'd suggest the next best thing; get your partner to drive. I chose this option (a real rarity for me as I'm not a happy passenger) and I did not regret it. Breathtaking coastline on one side and breathtaking mountains on the other. What's not to love?
The view on the drive to Machynlleth
As for the Osprey centre and that happy ending... turns out Ospreys were hunted to extinction in Wales a century ago. But in May 2004 a pair were discovered breeding in Wales, the first time this had ever been officially recorded. An amazing comeback, and for a number of years now they have found a safe haven to return to each year in the Dyfi Osprey project and continue to breed.
At the Osprey Centre.
They have 4 screens set up with live feeds to the Ospreys nest so you can get amazingly sharp, clear footage of the birds. A very beautiful walk through long grass and marshland with stunning views of mountains in the distance brings you to an impressive tower you can watch the Ospreys from. Renamed "the coolest treehouse ever" by my children. They have lots of binoculars and telescopes set up so you can watch the birds. They take turns to sit on the nest and hunt. They are spectacular birds to behold, and it is well worth a visit. So lovely to see these birds back in Wales and thriving.
Enjoying the view as we walk to the tower to see the Ospreys.
A stones throw from One Cat Farm there is a beautiful National Trust place called Llanerchaeron. We only visited the woods, which are free and are so beautiful. The best part however is that someone has made lots of little clay Fairy doors and placed them hidden at the base of the trees around a trail in the woods. I don't think our 3 children have ever been so happy to go on a walk anywhere, ever. They were so excited to keep going and find the next door. A must if you are visiting Ceredigion with children. A little bit of magic they will really love.
You can't go to Ceredigion and not visit at least one of the many beaches. It is a breathtaking stretch of coastline. What can I say? Wales does beaches really well. Llangranog is no exception. A gorgeous little seaside village with a breathtaking bay. Huge rocky cliffs with lots of little (and some not so little) caves, perfectly surround the bay. Llangranog provided endless entertainment for our 3 eager little climbers.
These are just 5 of the things you can do when you visit Ceredigion. I don't even feel that we scratched the surface of this amazing part of Wales. I for one cannot wait to go back and have even more, completely new adventures. If you're contemplating your next weekend getaway or even a big long holiday then look no further. Ceredigion will not disappoint. Get yourself to One Cat Farm and experience a little bit of that "Heaven on earth" experience Wales does so very well.
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Our Holiday in Ceredigion was gifted to us but the opinions expressed here are all my own.