The Ceredigion coastline doesn't get quite the same attention as its neighbour Pembrokeshire which seems unfair given that it has some beautiful beaches and arguably the best ocean wildlife in all of Wales. Places like Llangrannog, Newquay and Aberaeron steal the limelight but there's more to Ceredigion than these.
Sandwiched between Aberporth and Llangrannog is Tresaith, a coastal village built into the steep V-shaped valley of the Afon Saith. Approaching Tresaith from the main Cardigan to Aberystwyth road, I found myself driving down an impossibly steep road through narrow lanes with clumps of foxgloves waving in the breeze either side. Directly ahead was a stunning horizon where blue sky merged with blue sea, the sun sparkling enticingly on the waves.
It's only one road down to the beach and it soon becomes apparent that parking is a bit of a nightmare in the tiny village. On my first visit here it seems a village of two halves. I drive slowly past some very impressive modern-looking houses at the top, with glass windows and balconies facing that beautiful sea view.
Greedily taking in the views, I drive straight past the only parking at the top and head down into the lower half of Tresaith where the houses are less impressive but have enviable views. Following that singe road further down takes you around a corner and then that beach view opens up before you, Aberporth just visible on the headland, less than a mile away as the crow flies. Or maybe that should be as the paddleboard floats.
After a tight turn and eventually finding the car park, I'm eager to explore. As is the case for all Welsh villages, I headed to the only pub, The Ship Inn, to get the lowdown. "They come for the sunsets and the nice views and the dolphins," said shift manager Lynn Adams. Behind the bar, Dylan Castle agreed: "The sunsets are on point," he said.
Admittedly, Tresaith is really very small indeed: there's a little kiosk for ice cream, coffee, donuts and chips, there's the classic beach shop selling a myriad of beach paraphernalia and there's a pub, the Ship Inn. Handily, there are also public toilets, the RNLI lifeguards have a lookout post there and there's a sailing club.
It's a Thursday afternoon, temperatures are well over 20 degrees and Tresaith has a lovely peaceful feel about it, perhaps a sense of calm that can only be reached at the beach on holiday. A few people are spread out on the soft golden sand, including Ray and Marlene Gregory. They are both 66 and recently retired - in fact Marlene retired only last week, she said with a grin and a little cheer.
Sat in their deckchairs facing the sun, the Bristolians tell me they retired to the nearby village of Llechryd and have "never looked back". They visit the beach at least a couple of times a week in the summer: "It's pretty, the tide doesn't go too far out, there's a pub and toilets close by and there's the waterfall too," they said.
The waterfall is a big draw it seems. Not visible from the main part of the beach, you have to walk around the bottom of the cliffs to see it. There's always something quite spectacular about water flowing off the edge of the cliffs and into the sea I think, and Tresaith takes that to a new level. The Afon Saith tumbles down the cliff face, rainbows dancing in the spray and the verdant green of the lush vegetation either side looks like it has some kind of Instagram filter on it.
Mark Mathias is keeping watch from Y Caban, the kiosk right on the beach front, and he tells us that people often arrive asking where to find the waterfall. It's perhaps become something of an Instagram destination, for better or worse. Mark, a Welsh speaker originally from Crymych, said: "Lots of people talk about it."
The village is recovering from a very busy half term, Mark said. Popular with families in the school holidays and perhaps the older generations during the shoulder season, he admitted "parking is a bit bad". There is the car park at the top of the hill however which does require a walk down. But that doesn't stop people trying their luck and parking on the yellow lines.
Although Tresaith has its fair share of holiday homes, especially towards the beach, there are still permanent residents living there. One told us there'd been an "incident" a couple of weeks ago whereby someone had collapsed on the beach and there had been some trouble getting an ambulance down to the beach. It's clearly a problem in peak summer and something the residents have to live with.
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And yet surely the views, especially around sunset, go some way to make up for that inconvenience. It's certainly what people want when they arrive at The Ship Inn which used to be a freehouse but was taken over by Brains and more recently Marstons. The tables in the conservatory are in high demand, said Lynn. The pub has a dolphin watch board where people can record any dolphin sightings. "In the summer it's heaving here," she added.
Chelsea Lewis added: "It does have a nice chilled vibe, we have the music playing. It's idyllic and beautiful- the number of people who come here and mention the views."
Lynn added: "It's lovely when you're working, even on a bad day. You just look out of that window and think it's worth coming to work."
At the top of the village we find Andrew Don enjoying a late lunch in his sun trap garden with wife Liz. The couple retired there four years ago after falling in love with the area. "There are too many holiday homes here but there is a static community too," Andrew said. "We all get on really really well."
The novelty of being able to set off on a coastal walk from their front door still hasn't worn off: "The walking around here is amazing," Andrew added. The retired journalist used to work 15-hour days in London but he'd always planned to leave the city behind before he reached 60.
"I always planned this, to come somewhere coastal or rural," he said. "We stayed on holiday in the area and we just fell in love with it. It's a two minute walk to the beach which is incredible. I get up every morning and I'm down on the beach. We see the most stunning views." On a clear day, he can even see the Snowdonia peaks.
The couple have even set off on a hike to Borth, further up the coastline, with only their rucksacks: "To be able to do that sort of thing without taking your car anywhere is just incredible," Liz added.
Tresaith is one of those places which comes alive in the short summer season, when Mark dishes out ice creams and chicken nuggets and chips all day long and Lynn and her team churn out cold pints and pub grub. In the winter, it's only the pub which remains open. You get the sense the locals enjoy the quieter periods, when they get the beach to themselves and they don't have to contend with wanton parking.
And yet those very same locals know exactly how special a place Tresaith is and they are secretly proud of the place they call home. The ones we spoke to seem pleased to see families enjoying this magical spot during their summer holidays and half term breaks. Indeed, there's almost a secret unspoken code between those who've discovered the charms of Tresaith, right here in west Wales, and the shared experience.
With its golden sands, beachside pub and stunning sunsets, Tresaith proves the best things in life really are quite simple. And not as far away as you think.
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