It’s time to rethink the meaning of peak season. It doesn’t have to mean crowds of visitors. What if peak season meant maximum colour? Or ultimate enjoyment? Or maybe it means the best time to enjoy the natural world. And as the warmer weather now stretches into September and October, refreshments al fresco is also on the autumn menu...
So, we think autumn is peak season in Carmarthenshire – the time of year when nature puts on a magnificent show.
At Cenarth Falls, to the accompaniment of the sound of cascading River Teifi, salmon fight to leap upstream. They are pre-programmed by nature to return to their spawning grounds. Autumn is also when starlings perform aerial acrobatics in the evening sky. Take a ringside seat at the Llanelli Wetland Centre and enjoy the performance.
If you prefer getting active to watching, there’s no better time to walk or cycle around the Carmarthenshire coastline and countryside. The Brechfa Forest is a mecca for mountain bikers but also the perfect spot for an autumn stroll. The Wales Coast Path runs the length of the Carmarthenshire coast, and in Autumn it’s at its best. As the days grow shorter and the shadows longer, you’re more likely to share it with a local fox, squirrel or dormouse than another visitor.
Autumn is peak colour in our ancient woodlands such as the Green Castle Woods near Carmarthen. Here, auburn is the colour of autumn. Whilst at the National Botanic Garden of Wales the Japanese maples and acers glow crimson and carmine. In later autumn visitors enjoy the bright glow of log fires. The perfect setting for seasonal and local autumn fayre such as root vegetables and apples from nearby orchards.