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A place to slow down, switch off and enjoy the scenery in a luxurious setting, Dylan Coastal Resort in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, works all its magic on me. As part of the Luxury Lodges collection, founded in 2015 by mother and entrepreneur Sharon Hurley, it was created to provide what most people crave on vacation: quality time with loved ones, away from the stresses of everyday life.
I’m settling in for the weekend at Ferry Hills Lodge, one of 58 luxury cliff-top abodes, and I’m thrilled to be able to see the water from almost every angle.
In the open plan kitchen/dining/living room you can plop down on the sofa, have lunch at the table or make a cup of tea while admiring the view.
See it when you wake up in the master bedroom or double room, or when you’re chilling out in the egg-shaped bath in the ensuite.
Step out onto the balcony and sip it with a cold drink or relax in a private hot tub.
This view will make you daydream, drift away, plan a new life, maybe even write poetry.
It was an inspiration to Laugharne resident writer Dylan Thomas, from whom the resort takes its name.
The Boathouse, where he ferryed across the estuary with a friend in 1934, aged 19 and lived with his family for the last four years of his life, is just a few minutes’ walk along the coast. The Writer, where he worked, is just above it.
When you’re so busy relaxing here, you might not feel like cooking, so book a table at the beautiful Milk Wood Kitchen & Bar – named after Thomas’ famous novel Under Milk Wood.
If it’s a breezy night, or you don’t want to be on your heels, call the concierge and a staff member will pick you up in the BMW all-electric iX3 car on site – luxury lifts are all part of the service here.
With three terraces and huge windows, you can once again gaze at that view while sipping cocktails, enjoying wood-fired pizza straight from the oven, or dishes made with produce sourced from local farms and fishermen.
You may have found your happy place on the banks of the Taf, but for anyone looking for an even deeper state of zen, there’s Milk Wood Spa.
Choose from a list of ways to restore and revitalize – there are seaweed-based ishga spa treatments, manicure and pedicure stations, and an herbal steam room.
However, the infinity pools are simply dazzling. Glass walls, two stories high, allow you to enjoy the same panorama as the lodges, but closer to sea level, it gives the impression that you are swimming in them.
Or enjoy the setting of the hydrotherapy pool, which is open-air, but covered, with a slate finish that reflects the surrounding cliffs.
If you’re feeling brave, jump in the ice shower and then enjoy the afterglow. There are also tennis courts and a superbly equipped Technogym.
Children are allowed in the pool most of the day, early morning adults only. There is also a large playground.
If you like a walk surrounded by epic scenery, take one of the footpaths that lead through the ancient forest here, or walk to Laugharne Castle, the ‘brown as owls’ castle loved by Thomas.
Two gigantic medieval stone towers guard the remains of a Tudor mansion, set in 19th-century ornamental gardens.
From the summer house of the castle, overlooking the estuary, he wrote Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog.
Head inland to tackle the hiking trails around the 520 square miles of the Brecon Beacons. Lose your head in the clouds as you climb Pen Y Fan or Corn Du, the two highest peaks in the south of Britain, or discover Henrhyd Falls, the spectacular waterfall that plunges 90 feet down.
If you want to keep kids entertained, the roller coasters at Oakwood Theme Park are half an hour away, and there’s the animals and funfair at Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo.
Take a trip along the coast and enjoy the sand between your toes at the fantastic family-friendly beaches of Pendine, Saundersfoot and Tenby.
But you don’t have to go anywhere to enjoy this corner of the Welsh coast. Sit back and enjoy the view.
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