A Welsh campervan adventure along the banks of the River Teifi

A watery route with plenty of fishing is among author Martin Dorey’s favourite UK wilderness road trips

Wales and I have history. It began on camping holidays in Pembrokeshire as a kid, then, as I discovered surfing, took me to sleeping in vans between waves on the Llŷn peninsula. The van made it easy to follow the surf and stay warm and dry at the same time: a safe space on wheels.

More recently I set off on another Welsh trip as part of my research for a new guidebook about offbeat campervan adventures in England and Wales. Rather than the sea, a river would be the focus this time – the Teifi, which I planned to follow from outdoorsy, hip Cardigan to the Teifi Pools, a series of high lakes in the Cambrian Mountains, at 455 metres above sea level, with fishing and canoeing stops along the way. It’s only about 70 miles from sea to source but it takes you from a tiny beach, through a stunning gorge that’s recovering from Wales’s industrial past and into one of the UK’s last wildernesses. My fishing partner Andy and I did it over three days but could have easily hung about for much longer.