Forest bathing in Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire is a big, green, mostly farmed county, and its woods come in three kinds. Brechfa Forest, north east of Carmarthen in the Cothi valley, is a large Natural Resources Wales plantation with car parks at Abergorlech and Byrgwm. Dinefwr at Llandeilo is a National Trust estate with ancient oak parkland and Castle Woods, a Wildlife Trust reserve below the castle, and further west Pembrey Country Park near Burry Port has Corsican pine planted on the dunes, which is about as flat and sheltered as woodland gets.

A session in any of these is slow and simple: two or three hours in a small group, stopping often, with a guide suggesting things to notice and time to sit. The pines at Pembrey hold their scent and shelter through winter; Dinefwr's oaks are best in spring and autumn. Dates, prices and meeting points are on each guide's profile.

Dinefwr is the easiest introduction, with a National Trust car park, a tea room at Newton House and firm paths through the parkland to the woods. Pembrey Country Park has a huge car park, level forest tracks and is a short walk from Pembrey and Burry Port railway station.