Dyfi National Nature Reserve - Ynyslas Visitor Centre, near Aberystwyth

What's here

Parking (blue badge holders)
Parking (charge)
Picnic area
Toilets
Walking trail
Dog restrictions

The shop is no longer operating.

The visitor centre is unstaffed and there is no first aid provision. Please come prepared for the activity you’re doing and be aware of what to do in an emergency.

Trails, car parks and toilet facilities remain open.

We may close our car parks and other visitor facilities at short notice whilst we undertake recovery operations due to recent storm damage. You should always follow any instructions given by signs or local staff including any trail diversions or closures, and beware of the danger of falling trees or branches.

Welcome

Ynyslas is part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve.

The dunes are home to a rich population of orchids, mosses, liverworts, fungi, insects and spiders.

The estuary has vast areas of internationally important mudflats, sandbanks and saltmarsh that provide feeding and roosting areas for wetland birds.

Please note that swimming and the use of inflatables is not allowed and the car park frequently floods - please read the Visiting Safely information below.

Visiting safely

We want you to return home safely after your visit here.

You are responsible for your own safety as well as the safety of any children and animals with you during your visit.

Please note:

Ynyslas is a red flag beach.
No swimming or use of inflatables is allowed due to the dangerous strong tidal currents.
The car park is on the beach and is frequently flooded during high tides. The daily time periods for when the car park will flood are displayed at the car park entrance. Please do not park on the beach during these periods.
Unexploded bombs or shells. Don’t touch any suspicious objects, report immediately to the coastguard – ring 999.
Do not dig in the dunes.
No fires or BBQs are permitted anywhere on site.
No launching boats.

For advice and tips to help you plan your visit here go to Visiting our places safely.

Walking trails

The walking trails are waymarked from start to finish.

Find out about walking trail grades.

Dune Walk

Grade: Easy
Distance: 1¼ miles/2.1 kilometres
Time: 30 minutes - 1 hour

Stride through the ever-changing dunes and along the seashore, with stunning displays of flowers in spring and summer and colourful fungi in autumn.

Ynyslas Walk

Grade: Easy
Distance: 2¾ miles/4.3 kilometres
Time: 1¼ – 2 hours

Experience a rich variety of habitat including sand dunes, seashore, farmland and then saltmarsh, with stunning views of the estuary.

Education groups

Education groups are welcome to use the Dyfi National Nature reserve at Ynyslas and Cors Fochno for field studies.

The retail and catering services at Ynyslas visitor centre are no longer operating and bookings for groups are no longer taken.

The information below is available for education groups:

Download the site safety information for visiting education groups from the bottom of this page. It contains a link to annual tidal information and areas where access is not permitted to protect ground nesting birds during their breeding season.
To download resources for educators and teachers go to Education and Skills

Dogs

Keep dogs under control and do not let them chase birds along the tide line.

Keep all dogs on leads:

within the grazing enclosures from October through to the end of March (these fenced areas have signs indicating the presence of sheep)
near the roped-off areas (due to ground-nesting birds)

Please pick up after your dog and use the dog bins provided.

For a safe and happy visit with your dog, and to avoid causing problems for others, please follow the Dog Walking Code.

What to see on the National Nature Reserve

Ynyslas is part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve.

This 2,000 hectare reserve also includes the Dyfi estuary and Cors Fochno.

National Nature Reserves are places with some of the very finest examples of wildlife habitats and geological features.

The landscape and wildlife varies depending on which time of year you visit – here’s what to look out for.

Spring

As the weather warms up, there are spring flowers in the dunes and flowering cotton grass on the raised bog.

You may catch a glimpse of one of the many reptiles that live here such as the common lizard, sand lizard, adder and grass snake. The Welsh vernal mining bee is also active during the spring.

There is plenty of birdsong to enjoy, too, from the likes of skylarks, linnets, chiffchaffs and willow warbler. In the evening, nightjars can be heard.

Summer

Summer brings a varied display of flowers to the reserve. Marsh and bee orchids appear in the early summer in the dune slacks (the wet areas of the dunes) followed by pyramidal orchids. There are also colourful saltmarsh flowers, sea pink, sea aster, sea spurrey and, in late summer, marsh helleborine.

Butterflies and day-flying moths fill the air, while dragonflies dart around the raised bog.

You might spot wildlife like osprey and otter on the estuary.

Autumn

The autumn colours are rich and varied on the raised bog which is dressed in a range of russet red colours.

Fungi including waxcaps, earth stars, puffballs and bird’s nest fungi add to the colourful display.

Migrating waders can be seen in the estuary.

Winter

During the winter months, the Dyfi estuary is home to wintering wildfowl while, on the beach, you may see waders, sanderling and golden plover.

Keep your eyes peeled for hunting birds of prey over the bog. Look out for:

red kites
buzzards
hen harriers
merlins
peregrine falcons

You might also catch sight of the Greenland white-fronted goose: this is its only locality throughout Wales and England.

National Nature Reserves in Wales

There are over 70 National Nature Reserves in Wales.

Find out more about National Nature Reserves.

Ceredigion Coast Path

Ynyslas is the start or end point of the Ceredigion Coast Path.

Much of the Ceredigion Coast Path follows the same route as the Wales Coast Path.

These two paths diverge at Borth and the Ceredigion Coast Path continues to the estuary and sand dunes of Ynyslas.

For more information about the Ceredigion Coast Path go to the Discover Ceredigion website.

Accessibility information

small car park for Blue Badge holders beside the main access road, 30 metres south of the beach car park
hard surfaced track and wooden ramp from the Blue Badge holders car park to toilets and visitor centre
accessible 300m section of the Dune Walk from the visitor centre to the main dune slack
accessible toilets

Opening times

Please check the top of this page for any changes to the opening times below.

The nature reserve and walking trails are open all year round.

The car park is open all year round but is dependant upon high tide levels - see parking information below.

The toilets are open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Changes to visitor facilities

See the top of this webpage for details of any planned closures or other changes to visitor facilities here.

For your safety, always follow instructions from staff and signs including those for trail diversions or closures.

We may divert or close trails whilst we undertake maintenance work or other operations and we may need to close other visitor facilities temporarily.

In extreme weather, we may close facilities at short notice due to the risk of injury to visitors and staff.

Organising an event on our land

You may need permission from us to organise an event or to carry out some activities on our land.

Check if you are allowed to use our land.

How to get here

We recommend you follow these directions or use the Google map below which has a pin on this place’s location.

Ynyslas is 10 miles north of Aberystwyth.

Take the A487 from Aberystwyth towards Machynlleth.

In Bow Street turn left onto the B4353, signposted to Borth.

After 2½ miles, turn right at the roundabout and follow road parallel to the sea.

Continue for 2 miles and, on the sharp right-hand bend in the village of Ynyslas, bear left to follow the minor road parallel to the sea.

After 1 mile this road comes to an end at the entrance to the Ynyslas Visitor Centre car park.

The car park is on the beach and it is flooded in high tides.

Please note tide times on car park entrance sign.

The Ordnance Survey (OS) grid reference for the car park is SN 610 941 (Explorer Map OL 23).

The postcode is SY24 5JZ. Please note that this postcode covers a wide area and will not take you directly to the entrance.

View this place on the What3Words website.

Public transport

The nearest mainline railway station is in Borth.

For details of public transport go to the Traveline Cymru website.

Parking

The car park is on the beach and it is flooded during high tides.

High tides happen frequently and the time of the high tide varies.
The sign at the car park entrance indicates if a high tide is due and for how long the car park will be flooded.
If a high tide is due, you must move your car out of the car park before the time on the sign.

Overnight parking is not permitted.