Things to do to enjoy your visit to Aberystwyth, wales

I have always wanted to visit Wales because when I think of the place, I think of fairy tales, and that was exactly what my visit felt like, and i cant wait to go back.

I was with my best friend in Walsall, and Wales being not too far from Birmingham, I got on my trusted Trainline app and booked a one-way train ticket from Birmingham New Street station to Wales. 

The part of Wales that I visited is Aberystwyth. It's a beautiful coastal town. This photo convinced me that I had to visit. The train ride took about three hours and rained the entire time, being in the UK! But the scenic route was worth the train ride because it was gorgeous! Even though I type it and say it fluently now, Aberystwyth didn't always roll off my tongue so easily in the beginning.

Wales is the 22nd country I’ve visited.

Wales is one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; the others are England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

I stayed at a little vacation home right on the beach; I couldn't have stayed in a more perfect place. I live in Chicago, and Chicago is called the Windy City, but Chicago has nothing on Aberystwyth. The wind was unlike anything I've ever felt. It was insane. At some point, I didn't even think my feet were touching the ground; it was just the wind moving me from place to place.

Right next to my vacation stay was this fab restaurant called Brava. The food was beautiful, the cocktails were fabulous, and the waitress was terrific! It was a great place to start my experience in Wales.

I will say that although I thought I was prepared for UK weather by bringing my raincoat, it did no justice. I ended up having to walk into an outdoor gear store and buy myself a jacket. It was so windy, gray, dull, and cold, but I mean, I was excited to be in Wales, so I didn't let that stop me. 

Things to experience in Aberystwyth, Wales

1. Breakfast at the Little Devils Cafe. 

It was everything the reviews said it would be—it was terrific. I had the most perfect chai latte with a British breakfast of French toast and ham. They do eat a lot of ham and bacon in the UK, don't they? Google reviews list Sophie’s as the top breakfast spot. IGNORE IT. I was disappointed, but Little Devils was so good I went there twice!

2. I explored the city on foot—I walked everywhere! That's how walkable it was. I easily got my 10K steps in every day.

3. Looking to get the view that convinced me to go to Aberystwyth in the first place? Head to the Rheilffordd y Graig (Aberystwyth Cliff railway). The walk up there was a bit of a hike, and it was extremely windy, but it was worth it for the stunning view of Aberystwyth. 

*Fact about Aber (as fondly called by the locals): If you watched The Crown on Netflix, it's the town (in reality) where former Prince Charles, now King Charles (no one cares about him, though), went to learn how to speak Welsh for his investiture. 

4. Visit the National Library of Wales. 

I love libraries, so I lost myself in the library for about three or four hours. I saw all the books and met one of the staff. ( That's the thing I love most about traveling the world—you just get to meet people.) 

We got lost in conversation for about two hours, talking about the crimes of the British. He taught me some Welsh, and it was honestly so incredible listening to him be so proud to be Welsh,

One thing I did notice is that many places in Aberystwyth closed early. Many dinner places closed at about 8-9 PM, which I was a tad unprepared for. But it makes sense because the city is a university town, and the city is quieter if students are out of school.

5. I loooooove the the train, so I hopped on to take the Vale of Rheidol steam train to see another famous phenomenon that took me to Aberystwyth, The Devil's Bridge. 

It's the only place in the world where three bridges are built on top of each other. The train ride was about 90 minutes, and the nature that I witnessed, bro, is so beautiful. Like, just look at these photos!! I don't know; it felt like being a little closer to God and just seeing the magnificence of the earth. It was beautiful. It had rained the night before (I feel like it rained every day in Wales), so I got to see this magical waterfall, Mynach Falls, in all its beauty. 

The waterfall drained into a rock formation called the Punch Bowl because of its shape, and she was a beauty! The earth is just so beautiful (this was me every 5 minutes during my visit).

6. The Aberystwyth Castle!! You can't go to Wales without seeing at least one castle. While these were ruins, it was still a top experience for me. At some point, I was overwhelmed in a good way by the city's beauty, so I walked down from the castle ruins to the gravel beach, and I just sat there, watching the water ebb and flow with the tides. It felt so good. Oh no, this was a perfect day for me. I'm so serious.

To commemorate my memorable trip, I also splurged on a 24K Welsh gold necklace—and I deserved it! I have not taken it off once.

I’ve made it easy for ya’ll by hyperlinking all the important spots. If you want some more juicy deets on my Wales trip, click here. Until I book another flight somewhere… who knows where, follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more travel stories, tips, itineraries, and gist.

xxx

- Summer