It’s a wonder that Rhosgor isn’t the top of every newspaper’s Best Secret Beaches list. To be fair, it is more of a rocky cove than a beach – it’s tiny pebbled crescent is hemmed in by seaweed covered rocks that deny it the picture perfect sands the weekend spreads are after. But maybe it really is just too good a secret. That’s certainly what we’re inclined to think.
Either way, when you stroll down the private track from Hirdre Fawr Farm to Rhosgor, there’s no denying the pleasures of discovering this secluded space on the coast. On the headlands grey seals come and go, lounging in the sun or plopping inquisitively in and out of the water, and at the waterfront itself, pools of shimmering water are rippled by crabs, tucking away beneath the rocks as the kids appear, net in hand and sunhat on head.
The campsite itself follows much the same themes. It’s quiet, relaxed and just as seemingly unknown – not the kind of spot you hear about through ‘marketing campaigns’ or ‘a channelled advertising scheme’. No, things here are blissfully simple and come from the owners love for providing a charming place to camp and the consequential word of mouth that sees it flourish.
The open grassland has room for just 40 camping pitches (30 of which have hook-ups) and is a meadowed segment of a wider, 360-acre dairy farm. For a section of coast so dramatically craggy and diverse, it’s a surprise to say the fields are flat but even then, flat is not the word. Campers here could bring along a spirit level and you wouldn’t find a degree to complain about and the ablutionary facilities, though nothing out of the ordinary, are equally well kept, clean and functional.
To the east, though several miles away, the mountains of Snowdonia loom, teasing you back in land for a day-trip exploring the national park, while to the north, the land ends and the sea begins. Choose your view, choose your pitch and settle down for the evening to decide which you’ll take on first; the coastal gems that this remote Welsh peninsula affords or the hiking trails of the mighty national park. If you want a pleasant compromise, of course, we recommend the Wales Coastal Path, running just beyond the campsite. You still get the walking and the exercise, you still get the views and you still get the beaches. Who knows there may also be a handy pub at the end of it!