Carmarthenshire’s Curious Autumn Break Collection
As visitors look for more meaningful and slower experiences, as well as an increasing interest in hobby based short breaks we bring together a new collection of Carmarthenshire’s Curious Breaks for a perfect autumn.
Each suggestion helps you discover Carmarthenshire through experiences that give you more than a change of scenery, they give you something to enjoy, explore, learn or lose yourself in.
The Curious Baker
Learn how to bake a traditional Welsh loaf with Llansteffan-based Jamie the Baker at his baking studio in the coastal village of Llansteffan. Stay 200m away at the foodie heaven that is The Inn at the Sticks and combine breadmaking with bracing autumn walks along the All Wales Coastal Path. Cosy up by the fire with delicious sharing plates using Welsh produce at this gourmet pub with rooms.
Double rooms start from £140 based on two people sharing and includes a Welsh breakfast. Courses start from £59 pp.
The Curious Walker
Base yourself at The Bear in Llandovery for a walking weekend at the gateway to the Brecon Beacons. At the centre of the town this 600 year old pub serves crowd pleasing home cooked meals and with rooms above the pub (double rooms from £95 per night) as well as larger apartment suites around the corner.
Lace up your boots and get out on the trails to enjoy incredible autumn colours, or join a map reading course with Hawk Adventures - guided by expert instructors this is guaranteed to sharpen your navigation skills using just a map and compass. Brainpower is a rewarding experience! Day courses on offer from £85 pp.
The Curious Farmer
Book onto the ultimate agri-culture break staying on David’s Organic Farm, learning to drive a tractor and enjoying farm to fork experiences over the short break. Spend an hour behind the wheel with an expert guide, exploring tracks and discovering the thrill of life on the land. Then pull on your wellies for an autumn stomp through the farm’s 50 acres of ancient woodland and 2.5 miles of the River Taf. Book into one of their five cottages.
The Curious Wine Lover
Base yourself at Holiday Nests, a peaceful alpaca farm with a stone barn for two and new treehouses launching in October. Drive north and visit Hebron Vineyard and Winery for a tour, tapas and tasting with the owners Jemma and Paul who make wine using regenerative viticulture methods. Ten minutes in the opposite direction there’s Jabajak Vineyard Restaurant for a meal out or a cellar door tasting.
Weekend breaks for two nights at the Stone Barn cost £570, based on two people sharing. Tapas tasting sessions at Hebron cost £40 pp.
The Curious Black Gold Explorer
Coffee is making a bold claim as the new ‘black gold’ in the Carmarthenshire mining town of Ammanford. When the last colliery closed in 2003, the town lost a way of life. Coaltown set out to reignite the pride to focus on coffee – and now machines hum once more, not in the mines, but at their Roastery.
Today visitors can spend morning perfecting home barista skills with a workshop (£95 pp) at the roastery before exploring the brand new walking loop - Route No.1, a 6-mile walk exploring the legacy of Betws’ coal mining heritage passing former British Coal sites. Stay at Pontyclerc Farmhouse B&B just outside Ammanford where double rooms start from £125 based on two people sharing for bed and breakfast.
The Curious Woolsmith
Choose from a series of woolly workshops, taster sessions and conversations this autumn at The National Museum of Wool. Learn about natural dyeing with everyday plants, try your hand at peg loom weaving or make an autumnal wool pumpkin. Some sessions are free, others incur a small cost and can be booked here.
Located in the historic former Cambrian Mill, entry to the museum is free and there’s a café too. Just down the road in Newcastle Emlyn check out The Welsh Wool Shop’s new yarn experience right next door with Unwind coffee shop, knitting lounge and wool shop. Alternatively for a full day of wet-felting join Jane at Fabulous Feltings for a fun day of crafting. A fun day of crafting with all the material provided, with a delicious dinner included, will cost £95 pp.
Stay at one of Dolgoch Mill Holiday Cottages three properties each sleeping between four and six and within walking distance from the museum. Each cottage boasts comfortable furnishings and names inspired by the wool industry such as Spinners and Weavers and Waterwheel. Breaks start from £419 for a week based on four people sharing.
The Curious Twitcher
Come to Carmarthenshire and enjoy a woodland walk through a reserve with Alder and Oak and past fast-flowing rivers that feed into the Towy at Gwenffrwd-Dinas just north of Llandovery. Managed by the RSPB this is home to all sorts of birdlife including Red Kites, Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts, Common Sandpipers, Dippers and Grey Wagtails. Then, for a dose of coastal twitching head to the boardwalks and hides at WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre as autumn is the perfect time to spot migrating waterfowl and wintering birds. Plus, this autumn there are Wildlife Photography Workshops with expert Paul Way.
Stay at Ty Mawr, a historic 17th century country house on the edge of Brechfa Forest where double rooms start from £125 per night for bed and breakfast.
The Curious Cyclist
Y Seren is a stylish new boutique country hotel set within five acres of woodland and meadow just outside Carmarthen and within a few miles of the start of the new Tywi Valley Path. With easy access to this 13 mile traffic free pathway this is an easy win for an autumn break. The route linking Carmarthen and Llandeilo cuts through the Tywi Valley following the old railway line with views of forest and hilltop castles and towers.
Refuel along the way at Wrights Food or in Llandeilo at Pitchfork and Provision where the fayre is hearty and proudly local. Double rooms at Y Seren are available from £125 per night for bed and breakfast.
The Curious Foodie
Y Castell in the village of Llangadog has just been awarded 2 AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence. Run by a passionate couple, this newly renovated smart coaching inn with rooms is sure to satisfy all foodies. The menu includes hearty pub classics, light snacks or can tick that gourmet dining experience with all the best autumn ingredients coming from the rich lands surrounding the Tywi Valley. Ticking the car free weekender option the pub is within minutes of Llangadog train station which is on the Heart of Wales line.
You may be lucky enough to take advantage of a course at Coed Talylan, a wonderful initiative dedicated to nurturing sustainability, regeneration and community. Their fascinating workshops include mushroom cultivation and fermentation — perfect complements to a foodie weekend — alongside carpentry, natural building, wood carving, treehouse building and carpentry for women. They’re also home to the 30-acre Refungium, a fungal nature reserve dedicated to restoring woodland into a healthy, diverse habitat, making autumn an especially magical time to visit.
Double rooms at Y Castell start from £120 based on two people sharing for bed and breakfast. Courses at Coed Talylan start from £120 pp.
The Curious Naturalist
Check into Cambrian Cottages at the gateway to the Cambrian Mountains. These cottages have won awards for focus on sustainability and are in a lovingly restored Victorian barn in a Dark Skies area just 12 miles north of Carmarthen. Stargazers will soon settle in and explore the night skies from a private patio overlooking the valley together with fire pits for chilly evenings. All the cottages are dog friendly and have access to glorious walks.
Explore deeper with Cath from Natur Ni, who offers guests on-site foraging and cooking experiences. She has amassed generations’ worth of nature-based knowledge. The diverse habitats and rich biodiversity at ‘Berllan' allow discovery of meadow, hedgerow, riverbank and ancient woodland edibles, all within easy walking distance of your cottage!
Three-night breaks start from £280 for two and private foraging experiences start from £85 pp based on a group of four.
