Pencwmcanol Woods are situated near the Ceredigion Coastal Path and a short drive away from Aberystwyth in Mid Wales. Aberystwyth has a lively cosmopolitan town centre with extensive shopping facilities and many good pubs, bars and restaurants. On the hills behind the town sit the modern buildings of the National Library of Wales, the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, and various other university departments.
A restored Victorian funicular railway operates on Constitution Hill above the town. Aberystwyth is also a terminus of the Vale of Rheidol Railway; a narrow-gauge, single-track line that runs 12 miles inland through spectacular scenery.
The town boasts some very attractive 19th-c architecture, particularly along South Marine Terrace and Queen's Square, plus several pristine 18th-19th-c buildings in Laura Place. However, pride of place goes the town's ruined 13th-c Norman castle, built on a promontory beside the estuary.
At Llanrhystud, the rivers Carrog, Wyre and Wyre Fach meet before flowing into the sea. The oldest part of the village is situated near St Rhystud's Church, which is a Grade II listed building. The area surrounding the church has been designated as a conservation area. Llanrhystud acts as a focus for a large rural area and possesses a relatively wide range of facilities and has a good bus service along the coast road.
The beach has a half mile long sandy beach at low tide. It is reached via a single track road just south of the petrol station in Llanrhystud. Free parking is available at the end of the beach. With its panoramic view of Cardigan Bay, Llanrhystud beach is well suited for windsurfing, swimming and general leisure activities.
The Ceredigion/Wales Coastal Path runs along the top of the bank. To the south the shore becomes rockier, and backed by low cliffs of boulder clay with five historic lime kilns adjacent to the coastal path. .