CAMPSITES | Our Favourite Campsite In The UK – Cae Du Farm Coastal Campsite, Tywyn in Wales

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The view from my tent at Cae Du Farm campsiteThe view from our tent

The Lowdown

Cae Du Campsite, Rhoslefain, Tywyn, Gwynedd LL36 9ND Tel: 01654 711234
www.caedufarmholidays.co.uk

  • Tents, Campervans and Caravans
  • £15 per tent
  • Campfires encouraged
  • BBQ’s allowed
  • Dog friendly
  • All pitches have a sea view

Our Visit

June 14th – 15th and again on June 20th – 22nd 2014

Cae Du Or Not Cae Du?

There are two, unrelated campsites called Cae Du in Wales. Many reviews on Google and other websites are for the other site, which is not coastal and does not allow campfires – don’t get them confused, the address above is correct, ignore what Google tells you.

What We Loved

Cae Du Farm campsite is a wonderfully wild campsite slap bang on the west coast of Wales, just north of the town of Tywyn and south of Barmounth. No matter where you pitch, a stunning sea view is guaranteed. The sound of lazily lapping waves hitting the rocky shore is occasionally broken by the sound of chattering gulls, and the coastal train rumbling by every couple of hours is a novelty, rather than a disturbance.

The view from our pitch at Cae DuThe view out over the sea from our pitch

Haven Holidays

The first time we came here was last weekend. We thanked the owner as we left and told him how much we’d loved our short stay. “We’ll be seeing you next Friday then!” he said. The following Friday, at 7pm, we drove back onto site – just 5 days since our previous visit. To say that we love it here would be a bit of an understatement and after such a brief visit the previous weekend, I desperately wanted to return to spend the Solstice here, which we happily did.

Front door canopy of the bell tentLooking out from our tent, pitched up at Cae Du in the summer of 2017

The campsite ticks pretty much every camping box that we have. Wild camping with no set pitches? Check. Sea view? Check (i’ve never camped closer to the sea anywhere in the UK). Campfires, BBQs and music allowed? Check.

Cae Du Farm coastal Campsite Tywn WalesThe beach accessible from the campsite at high tide

The entertainment here is provided by nature and the rocky beach is accessible from the campsite. Wear robust water shoes rather than flip flops; you’ll need them for scrambling over the rocks as you head from one rock pool to the next. Birds swoop, glide and dive overhead and the fishing is good – we don’t fish, but saw delighted fellow campers who had managed to catch their breakfast.

Cae Du Farm is the place to switch off, get back to nature and simply relax. We saw countless species of bird, lots of butterfly’s, crabs, snails and most incredible of all, dolphins which you can see here. Although Tywyn is only a 10 minute drive away, the site does feel quite isolated, so make sure you have everything you need before arriving.

The coastal train provides a pleasant rumbling distraction rather than being an annoyance.

Whilst the coastal train does run right beside the site, don’t be put off. The train is small and infrequent (every 2 hours) and despite it being so close, it’s a pleasant rumbling distraction rather than an annoyance. There is no access to the track from the site, as a large stone wall stands between it and the campsite, so no need to worry about safety issues for small people or dogs.

Cae Du Farm coastal Campsite Tywn WalesThe view from our tent on another visit

Be warned. When you first arrive, tents look somewhat precariously perched on the edge of the cliff and if you have small people, you will need to watch them. There are low stone walls right on the edge of the cliff, but I personally wouldn’t allow any little ones to play near there – there is however plenty of space in the centre of the site for little ones to run around and safely play in without needing constant supervision. On our second visit, there were a lot of families with children. The campsite is exposed and can get very windy indeed, which means it can also feel chilly, even with a roaring camp fire, so do make sure you have warm layers.

The highlight of our weekend, had to be spotting Bottlenose dolphins

The facilities are more than adequate, and most importantly are clean, with 4 ladies toilets and 2 showers and the same of course for men. There is a barn with seating, providing some refuge from bad weather – I imagine camping here would be quite an ordeal in bad weather conditions, so do check the forecast before you head here. There is also a large camp kitchen with fridges, washing machine and washing up facilities which came in handy.

Cae Du Farm coastal Campsite Tywn WalesA stunning Cae Du Farm Campsite sunset

The highlight of both of our weekends spent here, had to be spotting Bottlenose Dolphins swimming up the bay, heading north towards Barmouth. I managed to get some pictures, and am still delighted as i’d never seen wild dolphins in the UK before. The sea is a stunning green blue and the sky appears endless, I don’t think it would be possible to take a single bad photo here, so do make sure you bring your tripod and telephoto lens, as seeing dolphins is a truly magical experience.

The area itself is fabulous, with loads of things to see and do

There are beautiful sandy beaches within a 15 minute drive, steam trains, pretty market towns, the bustling seaside town of Barmouth, pretty harbours and lots of attractions. In the campers kitchen you’ll find a huge array of leaflets and maps full of information about local attractions, so you’ll never be short of something to do.

Inside the star canopy bell tentThe view from our tent on our fifth visit to Cae Du farm, July 2017

The verdict

Dolphins, a stunning Summer Solstice sunset, waking up to spectacular sea views, and true wild camping feel. You bet we’ll be back again!

Any Downers?

Whilst the laid back nature of the site means there are practically no rules, other campers can take advantage of this. Our first trip here was utterly perfect, if short, with plenty of space, privacy and no noise from other campers who all kept music respectfully low. On our second visit to the site however, we returned from a trip on the coastal train to find a camper van and tent parked up literally at the end of our guy ropes.

Even such an idyllic location can be marred by an inconsiderate camper

The new arrivals then put their car radio on to listen to a sports event. Far from peaceful, and far from an effective way of ingratiating yourself to your new neighbours! Thankfully their behaviour did improve but they remained much too close for comfort and left us vowing to make our next camping purchase a wind break, for added privacy should similar happen again.

Updated to add: we’ve since been back twice, and had nothing but lovely considerate campers around us both times.

We love this!

Cae Du Farm Campsite Pictures

View as you drive on to site

As you make your way through the farmhouse gate down a narrow bumpy track, you drive through a tunnel that supports the coastal train track, and arrive to a breathtaking view. Choose from the left field up a steep track, or head along the track pictured above for the field on the right and hold on to your nerve, it initially feels like you are about to drive off the edge of the cliff as you turn the corner!

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Camping facilities

Pretty stone built camp facilities which included a campers kitchen, covered barn, showers and toilets.

Cae Du Campsite Review

Stunning coastal campsite

Fire wood being delivered

We loved the daily delivery of wood that the farmer who owns the site provided. For £5 you get a bundle of firewood delivered straight to your tent, with enough wood to keep a good fire burning for a fair few hours. Every few metres along the cliff edge and towards the rear of the site closer to the train track, there are ready made firepits made out of boulders gathered from the beach.

Gulls

rock pools

Beach at Cae Du

Butterfly

Cae Du Beach

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Where to next?

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