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You may find this relevant information helpful when researching the area prior to your visit
Hay-on-Wye has sloping lanes, Norman and Jacobean ruins, a market-town buzz and the world's largest collection of second-hand bookstores. Publicity stunts such as its 1977 declaration of independence from Britain and its vigorous self-promotion make this border market town like no other. There are more than 30 bookshops, some specialising in subjects so esoteric they can't be categorised, as well as auctions and out-of-print book search services. Not the place to go if your backpack's already gouging highways across your shoulder blades.
Lovers of poetry, romance and a good tipple won't need to be pushed in the direction of Laugharne, the most important stop on the Dylan Thomas trail. You can visit the boathouse where the befuddled bard lived and wrote, the pub where he drank (Brown's Hotel) and the churchyard where his pickled liver was buried. The house is preserved as a shrine, with photographs, manuscripts and recordings. Laugharne itself is a pleasant Georgian township, with the remains of a 12th-century castle nearby.
This area was the first part of Britain to be officially designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty - for good reason. A favourite haunt of Dylan Thomas, the predominantly National Trust-owned peninsula has superb sandy beaches, beautiful cliff scenery, smugglers' coves and some great walks. Points of interest include Worm's Head and the village of Rhossili.
Most famous for the 167-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path, the park runs along a coastline riddled with rugged cliffs, superb sandy beaches, rocky coves and tiny fishing villages - there's some gorgeous scenery and spectacular coastal walks. Inland, the historic Preseli Hills hide ancient trade routes, hill forts, standing stones and burial chambers. Offshore, the islands of Skomer, Skokholm and Grassholm are inhabited by colonies of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, gannets and grey seals. The area is an activity-lover's paradise, with a choice of hiking, pony trekking, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking and fishing opportunities.
Wales vigorously promotes itself as the place to come for an activity-based holiday. Perhaps the most obvious activity is the country's popular network of walks. The most challenging are around the rocky Snowdonia or the moody Brecon Beacons national parks. Wales has seven long-distance walks, the most famous being the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and Offa's Dyke Path. Slightly less busy are the 274-mile (441km) Cambrian Way and the 120-mile (193km) Glyndwr's Way. Pony trekking opportunities are found throughout Wales, in particular around the Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacon national parks. Cyclers will experience quiet roads and the odd strenuous hill by cycling through the Cambrian and Black mountains or the Brecon Beacons; the Pembrokeshire coast has flatter terrain.
Wales' south-west coast has a number of passable surfing spots, including Porthcawl, Oxwich Bay, Rhossili, Manorbier, Freshwater West and Whitesands. Canoeing and white-water rafting are good in Snowdonia, and Llangollen on the River Dee has a reputation as a canoeing centre. Canal cruising along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal is a breeze, partly because there are only six locks along its 33-mile (53km) length. Spelunkers can head for the Brecon Beacons, where there are several limestone cave systems.
Wales has been described as one of the oldest countries in the world, with evidence of human habitation stretching back nearly 200,000 years. The European Celts, who arrived just after 600 BC, brought the popular Welsh attributes of eloquence, warmth and imagination. The subsequent Roman presence has been mythologised as a period of benevolent rule, perhaps due to the comparative chaos of the ensuing period, when raiding Irish pirates and Scots (the Brythons) arrived. Elements of Christianity arrived in the 5th century from Ireland, and was most famously proselytised by a monk called Dewi (later Normanised into David, patron saint of Wales). This nascent Christianity was grafted onto the contumaciously held Celtic belief system, with its sacred wells, holy men and hermit saints.