CAMC Members only – 5 van site only
Date of Visit: August 2026
Overall View
This is a relatively new CL, situated a few minutes south of the famous Harlech Castle, town and beach, just off the A496, sp Llandanwg. Please see our Site Arrival video HERE
It is set high up above Llandanwg beach and affords you panoramic views as you sit in your caravan or motorhome.
Facilities
This is a no facilities site, however that can be a little misleading as all 5 pitches are fully serviced with clean water, grey water disposal and 16amp, currently unmetered, electric hookup. As the information on the Club web-site is clear to point out, you need to ensure you have your own onboard facilities in this regard.
There is a CDP point by the entrance as well as the usual recycling bins.
There is a keypad locked gate which greatly aids the feeling of security and the high stone walls on the road side and to the rear lead to a comfortable and private feel to the site.
Fresh farm eggs are available by the gate with an honesty box. An information board is available at the entrance with emergency contact details of the owners.
TV and radio reception was good. There was no WiFi but the four mobile networks all promised at least 4G both inside and out, with EE and O2 upping the ante to 5G. In the reality our devices – running on EE and Vodafone did struggle a little once inside our unit.
Review of Site Pitch
All pitches are laid to grass and well drained – it is clear from the photos on the notice board that much work went into the development of the field and drainage of the pitch is not a problem. The site is level where the vans park, with the rest tapering away gently which again aids the panoramic views.
The site will accept larger caravans and motorhomes with a good access at the entrance.
There is one little, minor issue, a case of being prepared. The grey water disposal grid is a little higher than the ground around it and we had to elevate the pipes in order to get a good run off. Once this was sorted, there were no other issues whatsoever.
Around and about
There are plenty of transport links close by the site, buses at the top of the road, going between Porthmadog and beyond to the North and Barmouth and beyond to the South. https://lloydscoaches.com/
In terms of trains, there are two options. There is a request stop down in the village of Llandanwg – about a 10 minute downhill walk from the site. However, there is no public parking nearby. The other option is a 5 minute or so drive back into Harlech, where there is limited parking, including accessible parking. From either station, you can go to Pwhelli in the North and Barmouth to the South. From there it is possible to continue your journey, via Dovey Junction to Aberystwyth or onto Shrewsbury and ultimately Birmingham International Station using the TfW trains.
A pleasant day out, using the train, is to go from Harlech to Barmouth. The latter’s station being bang in the middle of the town. It is a lovely 40 minute or so run, through some lovely scenery, both inland and on the coast. Be aware though, in the summer, these trains can be busy so best to buy your tickets online beforehand. You can, however, pay on the train.
Barmouth is very much a seaside type of resort, with the beach at the front, a promenade and the usual seaside amusement park, including a Waltzer and a Twister for those more adventurous of the readers. You are literally spoilt for choice for food offerings from the traditional fish and chips to the most exotic restaurants and takeaways. There is a Co-Op and Iceland by the station and a very well stocked DIY shop in between. The high street offers a good range of different types of shops including a micro-brewery, some clothing shops and antique and book retailers. https://www.barmouth-wales.co.uk/
If you drive down the rest of the hill into Llandanwg, from the site, you come to a dead end and a car park. This has a cafe, accessible parking, toilets and access to the beach. There is also a small, historic church, known locally as the Sand Church.
https://www.visitsnowdonia.info/llandanwg-beach
Penrhyndeudraeth is a 20 minute drive from the site and is a medium sized village. There are a couple of cafes, pubs and takeaways plus a small supermarket. Please note in high summer, this is a very busy junction and there can be queues. Free parking is behind the main street and there are toilets available. https://snowdoniatourism.co.uk/penrhyndeudraeth/
A little further afield is the main town for the area – Porthmadog. This is a very historic town, closely allied to the slate mining and where the majority of slate for roofing the world, as it was called, was sent to sea. As you stand on Pont Britannia, you can only imagine what it must have been like in its heyday as an industrial port with railways coming from the mountains to the rear of the town. Nowadays, it is but a quiet tourist town with all the amenities you could need including a Tesco Supermarket which also sells fuel. There are a good number of independent and branded petrol stations around. It is a case of using a fuel price app to check which is the cheapest/nearest on the day. https://www.visitsnowdonia.info/porthmadog
There is also an Aldi and Lidl, just on the Pwhelli road. A Go Outdoors and a caravan accessories and sales shop just past there too. The shop has a good range of caravan accessories and equipment.
One of it is major tourist attractions nowadays is the Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog Railways – the meeting point of the two railways is now at the Harbour Bridge (Cobb) and has a large station, Spooners Cafe/Bar, toilet facilities and a shop. Parking on site is very limited and is often full of coaches as it is a main dropping off or collection area for coach tours. Depending on which line you take, you will ultimately arrive in either Caernarfon or Blaenau Ffestiniog. The latter joins up with National Railways to Llandudno Junction and onto the Holyhead to Crewe and onwards via the North Wales mainline.
Black Rock Sands – this is a famous beach, its claim to fame being that you are allowed to drive your car on to it. Beware the incoming tide, it has caught many a person out! There is an entrance fee to take your car or vehicle on, (blue badge holders are charged 50% of the fee). There are no facilities as such, there are a couple of caravan sites right behind the beach and there are some cafe facilities open to non-staying guests. A block of toilets is also available. It is normally quite windy, so windbreaks can be helpful, especially using the car as one side! There are superb views on a clear day, such as when we visited. Criccieth castle can be clearly seen to your right and the mountains towards Harlech to your left. There are race days held on the beach, usually October time. Please see the web-site for further details. One half, to your left, is dog friendly year round, to your right of the entrance is dog free, April to September.
Harlech is mainly known for the imposing Castle, which can be seen from some distance away. It also has a small village around the bottom of the castle, (still at the top of the hill), and claims to have the steepest road hill in the world. People from New Zealand’s south island and the town of Dunedin, may well beg to differ on that score! One thing is for certain, do not try and drive either up or down the two hills in anything other than your car – even then it is quite the drive and nerves notwithstanding. There are several tourist shops close to the entrance of the castle, (worth noting that it is dog friendly on the ground level of the castle across the glass bridge), wheelchairs are accommodated too. There is a good quality gift shop and information centre through which you enter the castle, (fee payable, carer goes free where appropriate). There is a cafe, dogs not allowed inside but can sit outside with plenty of chairs and tables available. https://www.cafficastell.co.uk/ Dogs are allowed in the castle itself on the ground floor and many people were taking this up.
There is a high class delicatessen on the high street, sadly currently up for sale but hopefully will continue. Beers, wines, cheeses and groceries are available. There are a number of cafes and the odd antiques/gallery. Parking is very limited but with patience, it is possible to find somewhere. A Spar is the only supermarket style of shop on the high street plus a chemist.
At the bottom of the hill, on the Beach Road, close by Harlech Railway station is a Premier Shop. This is the largest food shopping facility with a good range of products plus a great deal of beach toys, spades, buckets etc.
A longer day out, but well worth the drive is to visit the Tal-y-Lyn Railway at Tywyn Wharf. It takes just over an hour to drive – the road predominantly follows the coast and you have the option of crossing the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge – only open during the day, please check. It only saves you, maybe 5 minutes driving but is certainly worth one run, for the novelty value alone. At the time of writing, cars were £1.50 per crossing. There is a strict weight limit, as the bridge is of wooden construction.
We took a packed lunch and found a beautiful layby, (there are a good number) and parked up and ate our lunch overlooking the bay in glorious warm sunshine – views for miles. Binoculars are well worth taking.
During the busy seasons, it is strongly advised that you book ahead. There are a large number of special events, certainly through summer months. We visited on the weekend at the beginning of August when they were had a Beer Festival and one of the many Fish and Chip Flyers, (inclusive ticketing available). You go on the train for a complete return journey, then you are served your fish and chip dinner in their cafe at Tywyn Wharf Station, (the national railway network runs by this station). We really enjoyed this trip. Train has a specific carriage for wheelchairs and pushchairs – this is only one year old and is very elegant indeed. With wheelchairs, advisable to book ahead to ensure the ramp is to hand. It is possible to get off at the other stations and the web-site has comprehensive list of places of interest on the route. A guidebook which can be purchased adds to the enjoyment. The fish and chips were lovely, hot and fresh, some feat by the catering staff as there were a great number of people attending the event.
Summary
A beautifully located CL, fabulous views, excellent facilities both on and off the site. A site we definitely recommend and would return to.
