Wales Caravan Parks

More About Caravan Parks in Wales

Caravan parks in Wales on the north coast mean a different holiday altogether. Rhyl and Prestatyn have miles of flat sand and a promenade you can cycle the length of. The Clwydian hills are a short drive inland.

In between, the middle coast is quieter. Barmouth and Harlech look west across Cardigan Bay, and the old railway bridge at Barmouth — nine hundred yards of it, most of that timber — carries the trains across the estuary and has its own walkway alongside for anyone on foot. Anglesey has small bays all round its edge, and Abersoch, over on the Llŷn peninsula, has the sheltered beach everybody takes the children to.

The coast these beaches sit on has been protected for a long time. The Pembrokeshire Coast was made a national park in 1952, and it is still the only one in Britain chosen mainly for its coastline rather than its hills.

In 2012 Wales joined every stretch of its coastal footpath into one continuous route, eight hundred and seventy miles of it. No country had ever done that before.

The Preselis and the coast path

The Preseli Hills behind Wales caravan parks on that coast are where the stones at the centre of Stonehenge came from. Somebody cut them out of these hills and got them to Salisbury Plain, a hundred and fifty miles away, and nobody has ever explained how.

The path runs past nearly every beach on this coast. From Tenby you can walk the cliffs to Manorbier in a morning, and at Amroth it carries on east into Carmarthenshire.

You can be on top of the Preselis in half an hour from the road, with most of Pembrokeshire laid out below you. Hardly anyone goes up, even in August.

From caravan parks in Wales in Pembrokeshire the islands are worth a day. Boats run out from St Justinian’s near St Davids to Ramsey, and from Martin’s Haven to Skomer, where the puffins nest in burrows a few feet from the path.

What Wales caravan parks offer

Parks range from a small field with a dozen statics to a resort-sized site with a pool, a clubhouse and evening entertainment. The bigger ones suit a family that wants things laid on for them; the smaller ones suit people who came for the beach and the quiet rather than the extras. Most are seasonal, open from around Easter through to the end of October, so check the dates if you're booking either end of the year.

Taking the dog

A good number of caravan parks in Wales and private-let caravans welcome dogs, often with a dedicated dog-walking field set away from the main pitches. Some charge a small fee per dog per stay, so it's worth checking the individual listing or asking the park direct before you book, especially in high summer when some parks tighten the rules.

Caravan hire by region: Pembrokeshire · Snowdonia · North Wales Coast · Anglesey · Llŷn Peninsula · Ceredigion