June 2022
Water, water, everywhere... One of the wonderful things West Wales is so famous for is our glorious coastline and sandy beaches, perfect for swimming. There are also myriad rivers, lakes and waterfalls, which make this area wonderful for wild swimming.
So, where can you go?
1. The Teifi
Near to us of course is the wonderful River Teifi. There are a number of places you can easily access the water to swim, but perhaps the most convenient is in nearby Cilgerran. The best way to explain where to go is to say, turn left by the shop. As you drive into Cilgerran from here, you will see that there's only one general village shop and the turning is right after it.
The Teifi Gorge is beautiful, with its tall cliffs covered with trees and deep waters so it's a popular place for various water sports. You might be sharing the water with an otter or two, or some paddle boards and canoes. If you look up, you'll be able to see the fantastic ruins of Cilgerran Castle, and if you head downstream you'll come to the Welsh Wildlife Centre & Nature Reserve.
2. Witches Cauldron
Just down the road, around Ceibwr Bay (which you can see from the top of our field), there are great rock shelves and caves, and within them is the Witches Cauldron. Its a hole in the cliffs which harbours a small beach and a green pool. It's possible to reach by climbing down a waterfall, or you can swim in through a tunnel from the sea. You can walk from Penrallt Garden Centre, or the parking spot near to it, or drive and short while further to Ceibwr Bay.
3. Fynone Waterfall
This wonderful place has been mentioned before in our blog on waterfalls. It's easily accessible from here; only a 15 minute drive to the car park, and a woodland walk along a lovely track to get to the waterfall. It's more of a dip than a swim, to be honest, but you can also jump from the waterfall above, taking care to check the depth of the water first!
4. Rosebush Lake
This lake is actually an abandoned quarry, and the slate gives the water a lovely blue colour. You can combine a dip here with a wonderful walk and a stop at Tafarn Sinc - definitely worth the effort!
5. The Blue Lagoon at Abereiddi
This flooded slate quarry is a fabulous place to swim; the slate means that the water is an amazing aqua blue colour. If you enjoy cliff jumping, this is a good spot for it, and it's a popular spot for coasteering for that reason. Do take care to check the tide before jumping! Head along the coast path for Traeth Llyfn which is a fabulous beach, and you can swim through the famous rock arch, Penclegyr.
6. Teifi Pools
A little further away, but a lovely drive and definitely worth the trip, are the Teifi Pools. This is a group of six remote lakes and reservoirs in the Cambrian Mountains, and the source of the River Teifi, which flows into the sea at Aberteifi (Cardigan). There's a nice 2.5 mile loop you can do, too.
Check out these website for other ideas of where to go wild swimming in Wales:
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