Walks you can reach from Pontlottyn by train

Flat Wales Coast Path circuit around Cardiff Bay out to the barrage, with views back to Cardiff, Flatholm Island and across to Devon on a clear day.

Waterway: four fifths beside rivers and canals.

Wales Millennium Centre: Landmark bronze-clad arts centre on the Cardiff Bay waterfront.

Pierhead Building: Grade I listed red-brick Victorian dock office on the bay.

Senedd: Welsh Government parliament building on the Cardiff Bay waterfront.

Norwegian Church: White-painted timber church built for Norwegian sailors, now an arts centre.

Captain Scott Monument: Memorial to Captain Scott's 1910 Antarctic expedition, which set sail from Cardiff.

Cardiff Bay Barrage: Tidal barrage closing off Cardiff Bay, with a wide promenade across it.

Time: 3h (1h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: Mermaid Quay

Warnings: Lower waterside path is not fully accessible due to its surface.

Walk details: Transport for Wales (tips, photos and turn-by-turn directions).

Recommended

Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Railwalks.

Hill and moorland paths with woodland and with substantial climbs; boggy in places.

Hilly: two fifths on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Time: 7h30 (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)

Warnings: Can be very muddy or boggy.

Walk details: Railwalks.

An excellent walk overall. A scenic valleys walk, mostly along a fully paved Sustrans cycle path, with a steady uphill from Bargoed through Cwm Darran Park and around Ogilvie Lake. A steep road climb with no pavement above Pontlottyn and a short boggy quagmire of clumpy marsh grass near Fochriw. Mostly a fully paved Sustrans route. Worth the extra walk around Ogilvie Lake.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: The visitor centre at Parc Cwm Darran is a good place to break for cake and coffee.

Warnings: A short, steep road climb above Pontlottyn has no pavement; the field path into Fochriw can be a boggy mudbath (easy to give up and walk down the streets instead).

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Great views. Open moorland with woodland; boggy in places.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Can be very muddy or boggy.

Walk details: Railwalks.

Fantastic views. Hill and moorland paths with woodland, fields and with substantial climbs.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Railwalks.

Amazing views from the Machen; stunning views up the Rhymney Valley. A mostly off-road hill route with easy paths, open mountain and common land, little tarmac or traffic. There is a sustained climb from Risca up the slopes of Mynydd Machen and then a gentle descent; some field and forest sections can be hard to navigate. Follows part of the Machen Forge Trail, which adds some historical interest.

Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: A couple of small supermarkets where the route passes through Machen.

Warnings: Some footpaths leaving Risca and through the forest near Machen are unclear and easily missed; not ideal for navigating by paper map alone.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Railwalks.

Awesome views across the Severn estuary and Gwent Levels. A long, mostly off-road coastal walk along the Wales Coast Path, with sweeping views across the Severn Estuary and Gwent Levels and plus a few stretches along busy roads going in and out of the two cities. Very exposed to the elements throughout. Mostly follows the Wales Coast Path. Wildlife includes kestrels, curlews and grass snakes; 7,000-year-old footprints have been found on the estuary shore. The Lighthouse Inn at St Brides Wentlooge is currently closed.

Coastal: two thirds along the coast.

Time: 8h (6h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: There are no places to get food or water on the route, so bring everything you need.

Warnings: A fifth urban. The route is very exposed, so wind, rain or heat will be strongly felt. There are no refreshment or water stops the whole way, so carry everything you need. A few stretches along busy roads at the city ends.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Reverse direction: Railwalks.

Great views. Mountain paths and with strenuous climbs and descents.

Hilly: two fifths on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Railwalks.

Great views; long views. Part of the Cambrian Way.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Railwalks.

Stunning views across the valleys and down to Penarth, Steepholm and the Bristol Channel. A varied valley route following the Taff Trail along the flat, then a long, lung-testing climb through Cilfynydd and up the mountain via fields and the Eglwysilan mountain road and with a moorland crossing over Mynydd Meio. The moorland section is boggy and not clearly marked; the rest is mostly good going on quiet lanes and tracks. Follows the Taff Trail between Abercynon and Cilfynydd.

Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: Refreshment options are scarce along the route; the Rose & Crown at Eglwysilan appears permanently closed.

1 end-of-walk reward: the Angel

Warnings: The footpath across Mynydd Meio is unclear, boggy and not well marked, with a stream and bracken that may force detours; not recommended in poor visibility. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.