Cwmtydu Cove

Cwmtydu is a tiny, steep-sided cove on the Ceredigion Heritage Coast, the kind of hidden inlet you fly precisely because almost nobody else does. A pebble-and-sand beach sits at the mouth of a wooded valley, flanked by folded cliffs and the remains of an old limekiln, with the wider sweep of Cardigan Bay opening beyond. It is an excellent spot for tight, dramatic cliff reveals and for tracking the coast path north towards Lochtyn. A small car park sits right behind the beach, and take-off from the shingle is straightforward and legal on this public foreshore. The Aberporth military danger area lies roughly eleven kilometres to the south-west, so it does not affect low coastal flying here, but check NOTAMs if you plan to go high. Grey seals haul out and pup along this coast in late summer and autumn, so keep well back from the rocks and any hauled-out animals. Cliffs generate strong updraughts and rotor on windy days, so a calm morning with the sun lighting the eastern cliffs is ideal. Watch for the occasional pod of dolphins offshore, a bonus subject on a clear day.