I paddle hard as the wave catches hold of my sea kayak and sweeps me up onto the beach. My friends James and Rich swoosh alongside. We are the only people on the beach. In our red, yellow and blue boats we are striped like the Colombian flag. Indeed the turquoise water, the empty swathe of sand, and the lush cliffs rising behind the beach that ensure the only access is by sea, do remind me of the exotic Caribbean Tayrona National Park in Colombia. But this is Wales. Seriously.

Not for the first time I am struck by how easy it is to find somewhere remote and surprising in Britain, if only you make a little effort to think originally and seek adventure, even a tiny adventure like paddling the Ceredigion coast. Our plan was simple: turn right at the mouth of the River Teifi and explore. We would tow fishing lines behind us, hoping to catch something to cook that evening on a campfire on a deserted beach.It was turning out to be one of the most beautiful travel experiences I have had in a while.

Sea kayaking put a new perspective on familiar sights. On a coastline popular with holiday-makers it allowed us to see things that mere landlubbers could not. We felt like explorers in an untravelled land as we steered into cool, dark sea caves.

Back out in the bright summer sunshine seals broached the calm surface close to our boats, snorting dismissively at us. When they dived I peered around excitedly, eager to spot where they would surface next. Guillemots and oyster catchers flew swiftly overhead. But a dolphin trumped all the other wildlife as it leapt not far from us, accompanied by three grown men’s muffled squeals of delight.

The kayaks cut smoothly through the clear water. The sea air smelled wonderfully fresh. We moved faster than walking speed for about the same amount of effort. Rich and James had already caught sea bass and mackerel on their lines so I was feeling competitive and envious. But I am a novice fisherman. So there was a mixture of relief and amazement when I felt a tugging on my trailing line. I reeled in what can only described as an enormous fish. Well, it was bigger than the others’ had managed, which was all that really mattered.

By afternoon the glassy sea built up to a gentle rolling swell. I enjoyed the feeling of speed on the waves’ downhill slopes. They also built up my confidence in the stability and ease of handling of the kayaks. This was helpful for the end of the day when we rode the breaking waves onto the beach to camp.

A good thing about sea kayaking journeys is that you can carry plenty of kit. So now we donned wetsuits (although it was a sunny day and as beautiful as the tropics, this was still Wales after all!), masks and snorkels and swam out to rocky promontories to try to supplement our supper. The rolling surf was breaking on the rocks and the water was a beautiful milky green colour. We dived down amongst the swirling kelp. There we found mounds of spider crabs, their bodies as big as grapefruits, clinging to each other and the rocks. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says that Spaniards pay more for a spider crab than a lobster of the same weight. Yet here we were able to simply reach down and pick up our dinner through no more effort than a refreshing evening swim.

Back on the beach we lit a fire under the cliffs to cook our haul. People would pay a hefty fee in a restaurant for that meal. But ours was free and the view of the sun sinking over the sea could not be bettered. As night fell we piled a little more wood onto the fire and sat round it sharing our favourite moments from the paddle. Paddling down the Teifi estuary and out into the open sea, the caves that felt as though they had never been discovered, the rugged cliffs we had passed beneath, the curious seals, and the snorkelling bounty…

We talked about the Slow movement that is becoming so popular, of slowing down your life in order to appreciate the important aspects. This trip felt like Slow Adventure. It contained only the best, most important parts of travel and adventure, but without hassle, great expense or RyanAir.

Filled with seafood and fresh air and feeling as relaxed as though I had been away from real life for months rather than just a day or two, I unrolled my sleeping bag on the soft sand. I fell asleep looking up at the stars and listening to the waves rolling onto our private, secret beach. Adventure is out there, everywhere, if only you make the effort to look for it.

—

This trip was made possible by fforest.