Eight tiny campsites hidden in Wales

Some say that big is beautiful but when it comes to campsites we think that smaller is often cooler.

A collection of remote Welsh campsites where less is more

Some say that big is beautiful but when it comes to campsites we think that smaller is often cooler. Sites with just a few pitches and a handful of campers at a time tend to have a bit more personality and a lot more space per camper. With this in mind, we’ve picked out eight tiny campsites tucked away in rural Wales, from Snowdonia to the Brecon Beacons and from Powys to Pembrokeshire…

Point Farm, Pembrokeshire

One of the smallest campsites on the Pembrokeshire Coast, Point Farm Campsite has seven pitches and a single shepherd’s hut. It’s a no caravans affair so pitches are reserved for tents and campervans only. Four are all-weather pitches with electric hook-up and three are basic grass pitches. All are situated on a slope overlooking the Milford Haven Estuary and distant Preseli Hills with the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path running right past and a decent pub 400 metres away. It’s a five-minute walk to the waterfront village of Dale and a 15-minute drive to ferries bound for wildlife-rich, Skomer island home to colonies of puffins and Manx shearwaters.

Find out more

Smugglers Cove Boatyard, Snowdonia

If you’ve never camped on the shore before, get ye to Smugglers Cove Boatyard. The site’s three campfire and dog-friendly pitches are right on the shoreline of the Dyfi Estuary and the perfect place to watch tides come and go. There’s simply nothing like it. And there’s nothing like this tiny site’s one and only glamping hub either; The Boy John. A former fishing boat that’s now permanently moored on shore, it’s kitted out for two to sleep in, or as a communal space for more. There’s a log burner, a two-ring gas hob and fairy lights. It’s quirky, cosy and an appropriate place to stay on a site that’s part of a working boatyard in the very south of Snowdonia National Park.

Find out more

Into the Sticks, Pembrokeshire

Five camping pitches and one tiny home in a 14-acre nature reserve make up Pembrokeshire campsite, Into the Sticks. At the end of a no-through road, with few signs of the modern world, you really do feel that you are going into the sticks when you arrive at this prophetically-named site. Cars are left behind as you make your way to the camping pitches which are dotted amid the long grass or to the off-grid cabin that looks out over it all. It’s a relaxed, laid-back eco-friendly getaway with the River Cleddau, woodland, meadow and plenty of wildlife sharing the site with you. Campfires are allowed, firewood is free and communal facilities include a campers barn where impromptu activities are often organised on rainy days.

Find out more

Tipis at Ponty, Powys

For a tiny campsite, Tipis at Ponty has received a long list of five-star reviews from Cool Camping guests. With just two tipis and three spots to pitch your own tent in a six-acre smallholding, there’s plenty of space for everyone. Campfires are allowed and each pitch and both tipis have a fire basket and rustic seating. Facilities are kept spotlessly clean and the lovely Sunset Shack offers an undercover cooking area, a place to play board games and homemade produce for sale. This adults-only, rural site in Powys is bordered by the River Cain with castles, waterfalls and the stunning Lake Vyrnwyn nearby.

Find out more

Digs in the Wig, Pembrokeshire

Choose from The Hideaway, Woodland Edge, The Glade, The Burrow and Tree Tops on a holiday at woodland campsite, Digs in the Wig. Each of the five named pitches is a secluded little woodland clearing complete with its own eco-loo, kitchen cabin, campfire area and supply of firewood. The individual facilities make this camping a bit glampy, for want of a better word. You can stay in your own tent or campervan and you can bring the dog too. It’s the perfect place for them with woods to explore on site and footpaths leading off it. The Preseli Hills surround the site and the beaches of the Pembrokeshire Coast are just a few miles away.

Find out more

Cuckoo Camping, Brecon Beacons

A big meadow plus expansive views and plenty of space divided by only a few campers (all aged over 25) equals peaceful camping. It’s a simple equation and one that works at Cuckoo Camping in the west of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The location means that by day you can watch the wildlife that’s attracted by the on-site pond and by night you can watch the stars come out as you warm your toes by a crackling campfire. Pure Beacons bliss. You can walk straight out into the hills on footpaths which pass the site and it’s owned by the folk behind the Red Kite Feeding Centre, which is just 15 minutes down the road and well worth a visit.

Find out more

Spring Meadow Farm, Pembrokeshire

For a tiny campsite in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it doesn’t get much better than Spring Meadow Farm. Okay, so it doesn’t have sea views, but that also means it’s a little more sheltered than some of the sites that do – and anyway as it’s located on St David’s Peninsula it has beaches a couple of miles in three directions: fossil-strewn Aberreidy to the north, surf haven Whitesands to the west and cutesy Solva to the south. And St David’s, the UK’s smallest city, is also just a few miles away. This site might be in one of the most popular parts of Pembrokeshire, but with just five pitches and a single yurt here, it never feels busy. Each grassy pitch has plenty of space, a campfire pit and a picnic table.

Find out more

Lone Wolf, Glamorgan

It’s back-to-basics, tents-only camping at the Lone Wolf campsite in Aberdulais, South Wales. You can choose from a pitch (though none are officially marked out) in the top field near the facilities (which include a little kitchen with kettle, microwave and fridge) or go full “lone wolf” and stroll down over the railway track and into the woods. Here you’ll find little clearings by the River Dulais. It’s all about making the most of the natural surroundings so there’s no music allowed and only a few campers at a time. Some even forego the tent altogether and sling up a hammock or bed down under a bivvy. With campfires allowed, this is the place to enjoy all that’s good about wild camping in Wales but with those all-important toilets a short stroll away.

Find out more