Marine Terrace

Lonely Planet review

A stroll along Marine Terrace, the walkway overlooking North Beach, is the most genteel pursuit on offer and one that harks back to the town's erstwhile halcyon days as a Victorian resort. When you reach the bottom of the 1.5-mile prom, it's customary to kick the white bar, although the locals can't seem to explain the rationale behind this ritual.

North Beach is lined by faintly shabby Georgian hotels, albeit with a couple of notable exceptions. The top-heavy Royal Pier lumbers out to sea under the weight of its cheerfully tacky amusements arcade. North Beach is also the main swimming beach as South Beach has few facilities, although both beaches have lifeguards and an EU blue-flag rating.

Many locals prefer the stony but emptier Tanybwlch Beach, just south of the harbour where the Rivers Rheidol and Ystwyth meet. It's a great spot for a bracing stroll and some terrific ozone-fuelled views.

The enigmatic, sparse ruins of the castle sit looking out to sea from the corner of the prom, which pivots and leads along South Beach - a more desolate, but still attractive seafront.