How new trails and openings are making this Welsh region an adventure hub

Picture a classic Welsh landscape and chances are you’ll find it in Carmarthenshire. Pinched between Pembrokeshire and the Gower Peninsula, the county’s coastline is strung with winding paths and blonde-sand beaches. Head north east, and its untamed interior — a web of tussocky grasslands and mist-laced mountains — soon collides with the grandeur of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park (Brecon Beacons). All of this makes Carmarthenshire a heavenly setting for outdoor pursuits, while a thriving local food scene ensures adventurers are carried through with full bellies.

What can I do to get active?

The three-mile walk from the village of Llanddeusant to Llyn Y Fan Fach is particularly dramatic. The path to the lake traces tumbling, rocky streams to a sprawling glacial pool — said to be the setting for the Lady of the Lake legend, in which a fairy princess emerges from the water.

Further west, the new Tywi Valley Path — a walking and cycling trail that traces a former railway line — opens its final section on 15 May. The 16-mile route follows the gently weaving River Tywi from the town of Carmarthen, passing deep green pastures and the hilltop ruins of Dryslwyn Castle before reaching the pastel-hued town of Llandeilo.

Crank up the adrenaline levels with a paddle down the slalom course at Llandysul Paddlers Canoe Centre, or River Teifi’s ominously named Cauldron rapids. Otherwise, glide on a standup paddleboard or in a kayak at Swiss Valley Reservoir. Afterwards, head to woodland Sauna Y Coed to ease aching muscles in the wood-fired sauna set in a mobile shepherd’s hut.

Where’s good for a pick-me-up?

South Wales was once home to hundreds of collieries, so it’s no surprise that roastery-espresso bar Coaltown Coffee, in Ammanford, leans into the town’s mining history. Inside the buzzy cafe, look out for the black and white photograph showing the founder’s great-grandfather and his colleagues taking a well-deserved break from the mines. The coffee blends roasted here range from the fruity Anthracite to the chocolaty Candlelight.

You can pick up food for a picnic from Wright’s Food Emporium: a deli and cafe in Llanarthney, near the Tywi Valley Path. Tables are piled with locally made honeys, preserves, beers and house-made tomato catsup. The cafe’s signature dish (truly a force to be reckoned with) is a Cubano sandwich stuffed with pork belly, Hafod cheese and sriracha mayo. Dinnertime is best spent at local favourite Y Polyn, in Capel Dewi. Dotted with wooden tables and shelves lined with cookery books, the family-owned restaurant uses Welsh ingredients to craft European-influenced dishes like venison and pancetta hotpot and lamb with caponata, pine nuts and a red wine sauce.

How about places to stay?

In Llangadog, a peaceful village close to Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, you’ll find Y Castell, a restored 18th-century inn. Each of the six individually decorated rooms is set under exposed beams and slung with hand-dyed wool blankets made in Pembrokeshire. The wood burners in the downstairs pub, which attracts a mix of locals and visitors, set a relaxed scene for meals of home-smoked salmon, cod with pickled fennel, and chocolate mousse. From £120, B&B.

If you’re after a coastal bolthole, check into Inn at the Sticks, in Llansteffan. Expect homely rooms with personality — one has a red-velvet chaise longue, another terracotta walls. The downstairs bar hosts live music from bluesy singer-songwriters, Irish roots bands and more. From £160, B&B.