Skip the M4 next time you're travelling between Swansea and Newport. Swing north into Rhondda Cynon Taf — RCT to locals — and you'll find four valleys that have quietly swapped coal for country walks, craft beer and single malt.
This county borough sits in the heart of the South Wales Valleys, just north of Cardiff. For much of the twentieth century it ran on coal mining, but the old industrial towns have reinvented themselves as a base for outdoor adventure. The southern edge, near Pontyclun, is easy suburban country; head north and you're climbing into the foothills of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Pen-y-Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, is only about 15 minutes' drive from the county's northern side.
You don't need to summit anything to earn a pint, though. Closer to hand is Gnoll country near Llanwonno — upland forest with loop walks that pass waterfalls and finish at cosy pubs. Slightly further north, Dare Valley Country Park has transformed a former colliery site into a landscape of ferns and aspen where you might spot peregrine falcons or kingfishers.
For the main event, push into the national park's so-called Waterfall Country, which borders RCT's northwestern edge. One popular walk strings together four falls, headlined by Sgwd yr Eira, where the trail actually passes behind the falling water. Bring grippy shoes — that section gets slick.
When the boots come off, RCT's drinking scene does the honors. Penderyn Distillery, on the mountains' northern edge, was the first whisky distillery to open in Wales in over a century, and its award-winning single malts now draw visitors for tours that end with tastings — you get to sample two drams of your choice. Beer fans have options too: Grey Trees Independent Craft Brewery in the former mining town of Aberdare pours pale ales and stouts straight from the source, while the Glamorgan Brewing Company in Llantrisant, further south, brews IPAs, golden ales and ambers with a Welsh twist.
Logistics are easy. Cardiff Airport, Wales's only international hub, is about an hour away, and direct trains run from Cardiff Central to Ystrad, right in the middle of the county. That makes RCT a genuinely workable day trip from the capital — or a relaxed overnight stop on a slow route between Swansea and Newport.
Who's it for? Walkers who want big-hill scenery without the crowds of Eryri (Snowdonia), drinkers who like their tipples with a story, and anyone driving across South Wales who fancies trading an hour of motorway for a day of waterfalls, forest trails and a dram at the end of it.
