Rhondda Cynon Taf is a landscape of steep valleys and high ridges, shaped by coal mining and now largely green again. The valleys are close together, and the hills that divide them give surprisingly open walking with wide views.

Pontypridd and the Taff Trail. Pontypridd sits where the Rhondda and Taff rivers meet. The Taff Trail, a 55-mile route from Cardiff to Brecon, passes through the town, and Pontypridd Common and Ynysangharad Park offer easy walking close to the centre. Craig-yr-Hesg, on the edge of town, is a wooded nature reserve with paths up above the valley.

The Rhondda and Cynon valleys. The two Rhondda valleys have waymarked trails along old railways and up on to the surrounding ridges. In the Cynon Valley, Dare Valley Country Park, near Aberdare, has lakeside paths and woodland, and Aberdare Park is a classic Victorian park.

Paths on the ridges can be exposed and wet underfoot, so wear waterproof boots, and take care near old mining sites.