Carmarthenshire is full of timeless landscapes, quirky character and breathtaking scenery. But as well as sweeping countryside vistas, epic coastlines and charming towns, there’s a thriving food & drink scene just waiting to be explored.
If you’re passionate about delicious food and drink with a traceable provenance, Carmarthenshire should be at the top of your list.
Here’s how to enjoy 48 hours in this quiet corner of south-west Wales.
Some of these activities were arranged and gifted by the team at Discover Carmarthenshire. This blog post was updated in June 2024.
FRIDAY
En route: Lunch at Wrights Food Emporium
This restaurant / bar / cafe / deli hybrid is feted for serving excellent food and wine with bags of laid-back charm. The must-try order is the legendary Wrights Cubano; stuffed with pork belly, gammon ham, mayonnaise, sriracha, gherkins and grated Welsh cheddar, this is a sandwich so beloved it has even been immortalised as a print (which hangs on the wall in many of my friends’ houses).
If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich the size of your face, the Haddock & Leek Chowder is nothing short of a big Welsh cuddle in a bowl.
After lunch, be sure to spend a while stocking up on essentials for the weekend in Wrights deli; bread, olives, Welsh cheeses, delicious bottles of natural wine and Skyborry cider.
Check in: Cambrian Escapes
For the duration of our foodie weekend, we stayed at the idyllic Glan-yr-afon cottage, part of Cambrian Escapes. This 70 acre estate is nestled in the spectacular foothills of the Cambrian Mountains and has become one of my favourite places to stay in West Wales (I’m now a regular!).
You can read my full review of Glan-yr-afon cottage by clicking here.
Activity : National Botanical Garden of Wales
After checking into your accommodation, you should now be getting used to the fresh Carmarthenshire air. Ease yourself into a leisurely weekend with a visit to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
Here you can explore the world’s largest single-span glasshouse. Take a wander around the potager garden, bee gardens and vegetable plots.
Throughout the year, the gardens host a range of foodie events, whether you’re into growing, cooking or foraging.
You can also meet the flock of Welsh Blacks and Balwen sheep, as well as an array of birds (including a Golden Eagle) in the brilliant new British Bird of Prey Centre. Flight demonstrations run three times a day.
My favourite part of the visit to the gardens was learning about their research into wild flowers and bees. I learned that most of the ‘bee friendly’ wild flower seed mixes for sale don’t have any scientific evidence to back up these claims. This summer, researchers are hoping to identify the seeds and flowers which they’ll prove have the biggest benefit. It’s fascinating stuff!
Friday Dinner: The Castle Hotel
After an afternoon at the National Botanic Garden, stop off for a relaxing evening meal at the Castle Hotel in Llandovery. It’s just over three miles away from Glan-yr-afon cottage, making it a convenient pit-stop for a home-cooked meal.
Run by the same team who once launched Wales’ first gastro pub, The Castle is a warm and friendly place to unwind. Think traditional bar, roaring log fires and plenty of comfy sofas.
The menu is full of hearty classics like roast lamb, fillet of Welsh beef, and fish and chips, but there are a few modern surprises, too. My tempura mushrooms were pleasingly crisp, but the star of the show was the confit Welsh lamb. I said I “wasn’t very hungry” – but demolished the lot!
A cute place to rest and recoup after a day of exploring.
SATURDAY
Activity: Dinefwr Park and Castle
Right outside of Llandeilo’s town centre is Dinefwr Park and Castle. Here you can walk up to the old Dinefwr Castle ruins, and discover Newton House. This is a National Trust mansion in the grounds of the castle, with plenty of ‘hands on’ displays showing what life was like back in the early 1900s.
Here is my favourite photo of my two, very-much-not-together friends, looking like an engagement photoshoot. That’s the beautiful Newton House (and its deer) in the background.
For hundreds of years, the fallow deer here have grazed on the fallen leaves of veteran oaks; the ancient woodland pasture hasn’t been altered by man for centuries. The venison from the estate recently won the prestigious National Trust Fine Farm Produce award, and is on sale at the courtyard shop.
Afternoon: Explore Carmarthen
Spend a couple of hours wandering around Carmarthen. Take a stroll around the old quarter on King Street, with its mix of independent shops and art galleries.
Head to The Warren for lunch. This award-winning restaurant, bar, coffee shop and live music venue was born out of award-winning chef owner Deri Reed‘s passion for great food.
He had a lifelong dream to open a restaurant in his hometown. In 2016, following a crowdfunding campaign which successfully raised £20k, his dream came true.
The Warren serves simple, honest & wholesome food with an emphasis on supporting local & ethical suppliers. It’s a warm, inviting place to rest your legs and the coffee (from the nearby Coaltown Roastery in Ammanford) is excellent.
You could also pop to Carmarthen Indoor Market for cheeses, Welsh cakes and Carmarthen Ham – a delicacy with PGI status that is said to have been stolen by the Romans, and reproduced as Parma Ham – who knew!?
Dinner: Y Polyn
A regular in the Good Food Guide, loved by Jay Rayner, and recently featured by The Times as one of 23 best places to eat in Wales, this small family-owned restaurant is tucked away in the Towy Valley promises “no foams, gels and technical wizardry on the plate. What you will find is beautiful produce cooked simply and with respect.”
A must-visit in this part of the world.
SUNDAY
Breakfast needs nothing more than a slice of toast, a cuppa, and an early morning soak in the hot tub at Glan-yr-afon cottage. No better way to start the day!
A Picnic at Cwm Rhaedr
Hop in the car to nearby beauty spot, Cwm Rhaeadr. Cwm Rhaeadr (which means “valley of the waterfall” in Welsh) is a beautiful, remote woodland situated in the upper Tywi Valley just north of Llandovery. You can choose to take a two mile, way-marked walk to the waterfalls, or a shorter trail to two peaceful ponds.
Don’t worry if you’re visiting in the winter months; this area is green all year round. The increased rainfall in winter also means that the falls – if you choose to visit them – are even more dramatic.
We missed the waterfalls on this occasion – in favour of having more time for a picnic with some of the goodies we picked up from Wrights on Friday.
We laid our feast out on the handy tables near the car park, beneath the Douglas Fir trees. This spot offers incredible views over the surrounding countryside. It’s the perfect backdrop to a refreshing glass of cider.
Even if you don’t end up spending an entire weekend in Carmarthenshire, a picnic in this beautiful part of the country is well worth the drive. After all, it’s only an hour away from Cardiff. Don’t forget to pack your camera!
I love seeing posts about Carmarthen! It’s so close to home for me and is definitely considered a ‘local gem’ by my family and I. The National Botanical Garden is something I NEED to pay a visit to sometime soon – it’s beautiful!
El x
Author
Aw thanks for reading 🙂 I can’t wait to head back to the Botanical Garden when the summer wild flowers are out! <3