Exploring Carmarthenshire by train, bus and a new footpath offers a quintessentially Welsh experience of castles, cockles and cawl. The 13-mile Tywi Valley Path, officially opening in time for Easter, links Abergwili near Carmarthen and Ffairfach near Llandeilo, providing walkers and cyclists access to stunning scenery. The journey from Essex took six hours and four trains, but the payoff is immediate: from the train window, huge sandy estuaries unspool, with curlews standing by the water and egret-haunted pools in the wetlands.
From Ferryside station, the ruined 12th-century Llansteffan Castle is visible across the estuary. The Three Rivers hotel and spa is a short walk away. A five-mile coastal hike to Kidwelly passes through mossy woods with primroses and bluebells, then along salt marshes and boggy paths. Kidwelly Castle (£8.50 adults, £5.90 kids) offers wall walks, spiral stairs and tower views over reed beds. Nearby, Y Barbican, a new cafe opened in November 2025, serves freshly made cakes.
Bus 198 runs directly back to the hotel, where the spa features a mural painted by owner Jackie Cavill, mirroring the view of Llansteffan Castle. The next day, a stroll along the low-tide beach reveals wintering ducks and geese. The destination is the National Botanic Garden of Wales (NBGW), where car-free visitors get 50% off entry (full price £19 adults, £10 kids). Bus 279 runs four times a week from Carmarthen to NBGW.
At NBGW, the landscaped grounds are cheerful even in rain, with blossom, birdsong and spring bulbs. The Tropical House has banana palms and flamingo lilies, while the Great Glasshouse, designed by Foster + Partners, houses over 1,000 Mediterranean plant species. After a mustardy rarebit in the cafe, the rain stops, and a walk along the Tywi Valley Path leads to Bishop's Park, where oxbow lakes and evergreens attract siskins and goldcrests.
