Holiday houses in West Wales and Cardigan Bay

Self-catering cottages in Cardigan Bay and West Wales

Cardigan Bay, the great big sweeping curve of west Wales, is the home of one of only two colonies of Bottlenose dolphins in the UK. These intelligent creatures can often be seen swimming close inshore and there are several companies that operate boating tours from either Aberaeron or Aberystwyth. In addition to the dolphins there is a host of other marine life on offer in Cardigan Bay, notably grey seals and birdlife. There are lots of self-catering cottages in Cardigan Bay to rent for a relaxing holiday in this part of Wales. If you want a weekend break with friends, but want your own domestic space - then look at renting grouped / neighbouring cottages, many have large congregation areas where you can share games rooms and a large room for eating together. the cost of renting a large holiday house when divided by the number of guests is often a lot cheaper than you might think. The range of rental prices is big depending on location, standard and facilities (such as swimming pools, hot tubs and tennis courts), but bargains can be found last-minute and special offers out of season or as a result of a cancellation - these will be shown to you during the booking process.

Large holiday houses for rent in Cardigan Bay

Houses by the sea with glorious coastal views

Large family holiday rental in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 6 bedrooms, sleeps 12, Pet friendly, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Sea View, Baby and Toddler Friendly, Cot Available.

View River's Mouth - 17809

Holiday home in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 5 bedrooms, sleeps 10, Pet friendly, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Sea View, Baby and Toddler Friendly, Cot Available.

View Sandbank - 18585

Luxury accommodation in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 5 bedrooms, sleeps 10, Pet friendly, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Sea View, Baby and Toddler Friendly, Cot Available.

View Hafdir

Hire a large house in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 7 bedrooms, sleeps 15, No pets, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Cot Available, Swimming Pool.

View Y Dorlan

The county capital of Aberystwyth is a lively university town and holiday resort, and also the terminus of one of the best narrow-gauge steam railways in the country. The Vale of Rheidol Steam Railway chugs at a sedate 12 mph up the valley to the Devil's Bridge and its collection of spectacular waterfalls, which tumble nearly 300ft down into a lovely wooded gorge. The Devil's Bridge is not so much one bridge but a stack of three, with the oldest, and lowest, having been built before 1190, supposedly by the Knights Templar, and there is not so much a sniff of the Holy Grail attached to it. There is another old railway in the town, this time an electric cliff one that pulls you up 450ft to the top of Constitution Hill, and from there you can look out across the bay or north to Snowdonia, or, if you prefer, you can step into the Camera Obscura and peer down at the town below. The sweep of the promenade, with its Georgian fronted houses, offers ample choices of accommodation with numerous guesthouses and bed and breakfasts, whilst inland, nestling in the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains, you will find delightful self catering cottages and farm houses near Aberystwyth.

North of Aberystwyth is the town of Machynlleth, which houses the Centre for Alternative Technology, a very worthy establishment in these days of global warming and a mine of information on how to save energy and the environment. The town is also referred to as the ancient capital of Wales, as it was here that Owain Glyndwr is said to have established the country's first parliament. This association with Glyndwr extends to the town being at the western end of the Glyndwr Way, a 132 mile-long path that takes you across the country to the English border where it meets up with Offa's Dyke, and follows in the footsteps of the Welsh hero through some wild and remote country. If you want to rent a self-catering holiday cottage near CAT then there is plenty of choice of idyllic Welsh cottages to rent near Machynlleth.

The town of Cardigan is an old, and lively, Welsh market town and happily combines the old with the new in its ancient heart. One of the more interesting attractions in the town is a Russian cannon, captured at the battle of Balaclava after the Charge of the Light Brigade and donated by the mutton-chopped Earl who was at its head. The castle, in the centre of Cardigan, is undergoing a major programme of restoration, with the intention of being a prominent tourist attraction in a few years time. There is lots of holiday accommodation in Cardigan and plenty of cottages and house to rent near the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Cardigan is at the northern end of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which begins at Poppit Sands, and so is a popular base for walkers with plenty of self-catering accommodation and guesthouses for the thousands who undertake the walk every year.

Inland, and nestling under the Cambrian Mountains, which form the backbone of the country, is the town of Lampeter. This is an attractive market town that is also the home of the oldest University in Wales, and as such has a surprisingly cosmopolitan population with students coming from around the world to study in this charmingly rural atmosphere. With the backdrop of the mountains, Lampeter is a centre for walkers and climbers, and has many charming places to stay in and around the town. If you want to rent a cottage near Lampeter or are looking for lovely Welsh country self-catering near Lampeter then you will be spoilt for choice. There are lovely holiday houses and idyllic country cottages to rent in Cardiganshire, Wales - all perfect for a relaxing Welsh holiday in Ceredigion.

Self-catering places to stay in Cardigan Bay

Holiday home in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 5 bedrooms, sleeps 10, Pet friendly, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Sea View, Baby and Toddler Friendly, Cot Available.

View Sandbank - 18585

Accommodation for a large group in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 4 bedrooms, sleeps 8, Pet friendly, Ground Floor Facilities, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Sea View, Baby and Toddler Friendly, Cot Available.

View Gwynt Y Mor - 19361

Luxury accommodation in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 5 bedrooms, sleeps 10, Pet friendly, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Sea View, Baby and Toddler Friendly, Cot Available.

View Hafdir

Large family holiday rental in Cardigan/Ceredigion near Cardigan with 3 bedrooms, sleeps 6, Pet friendly, Barbecue, Golf nearby, Pub within 1 mile, Cot Available.

View The Granary- Osc

Family attractions and thing to do in Cardigan Bay

There are some very unique family attractions that particularly stand out in the Cardigan area. The Felinwynt Rainforest Centre presents the amazing atmosphere of a mini rainforest, complete with an Amazonian soundtrack, and is home to exotic plants, tropical butterflies, leafcutter ants, pools with fish and even waterfalls. The Internal Fire Museum is another unusual museum with its collection of early oil engines and gas turbines. The emphasis is on the fascinating growth of diesel power from the 1920s to the 1960s. Engines run seven days a week during summer months. It's very much a journey through history, with the sights, sounds and smells of how it used to be.

The 40 plus miles of Cardigan Bay Heritage Coastline offers not only outstanding beauty, but an environmental quality that is the envy of many sea areas not just in the UK, but throughout the world. Here the visitor will find incredible award-wining beaches and plenty of sandy coves to visit. Whether you want a quiet picnic by the sea, or to engage in one of the many water sports available, you will find the perfect beach or cove.

Just west of New Quay is Cwmtydu, a former smugglers' cove. Although sandy at low tide, it is predominantly shingle, but attracts sailing, surfing, canoeing and windsurfing. It is also unusual in that the four-legged member of the family is welcome throughout the year. You can also do a spot of seal and dolphin spotting.

Named after the River Saith that spectacularly cascades over the cliffs onto the sand - and for which it is alone worth a visit for - Tresaith Beach, 2 miles north of Aberporth, is a small sandy beach with beautiful golden sands offering the perfect visit for families. The waters are safe and there is a lifeguard in attendance during the bathing season.

Mwnt Beach, owned by the National Trust, is unusual for having Green Coast status, where the water quality is acknowledged along with a recognised lack of inappropriate commercial development spoiling the natural beauty and upsetting or destroying the wildlife. Unusually, it also has a 15th Century church and wonderful cliff top walks. However, the downside for visiting this haven is the fairly long steep slope to the beach that includes steps, so if you have a ton of beach equipment with you, this may not be the beach for you.