Across the estuary from Ynyslas is the pretty seaside town of Aberdyfi. It's less than a mile away as the crow flies but it's a journey of more than 20 miles by road or rail.

The two sides of the estuary used to be connected by a ferry which carried passengers and freight back and forth.

When the railway arrived in the first half of the 19th century, Victorian railway engineers had visions of a bridge spanning the Dyfi estuary. They even constructed a line alongside the Afon Leri at Ynyslas.

The bridge was never built but the Cambrian Coast railway did eventually link the two places by way of Dyfi Junction and the ferry service ended. However, the cost of a ticket from Borth to Aberdyfi (23 miles) was originally cheaper than a ticket from Borth to Machynlleth (12 miles) in order to reflect the distance by the ferry which the train replaced.

There have been unsuccesful attempts to revive the old ferry across the estuary in the 1980s and 1990s, including a hovercraft service.

Today, the estuary is popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers although bathing here is forbidden because of the strong currents. With its wide open and often windy spaces, Ynyslas is also a great place for kite-flying and the skies above are often dotted with colourful delta or diamond-shaped kites.

Here too, you'll also notice a roped-off zone here between March - August. This is one of the areas along the foreshore where the ringed plover - a small wader - breeds. Please keep away from these nesting spots.