CAMPSITES | Shell Island, Llanbedr, Wales Campsite Review
Another perfect blue sky day at Shell Island
The Lowdown
Shell Island
Llanbedr
Gwynedd
North Wales
LL45 2PJ
£7.25 per adult
£3.00 per child
£2 per dog
Shell Island does get cut off from the mainland, so be sure to check tide times
Shell Island is the UKs biggest campsite, and with a whopping 300 acres of space, you can pitch anywhere you like, from wide open fields or sand dunes to secluded little nooks overlooking the sea.
The main shop on Shell Island
The camp and leisure shop
The gift shop
When you enter Shell Island you’ll pull up at reception close to all of the central amenities. Following our journey which generally takes around 3 hours, we usually take the opportunity to stretch our legs, grab an ice lolly from the shop and run up the hill for a look around to gauge how busy the site is.
Through the barriers, then off up the hill to choose a pitch
We’ve been going there for so long now that we tend to head straight for one of our two favourite areas, chosen depending on the size of the group we’re camping with. Invariably we end up overlooking the sea or nestled in the sand dunes, but we’ve never yet chosen a spot we’ve regretted camping in.
The main toilet block with shower block at the rear
All the ameneties are centrally located, so depending on where you choose to pitch, you may have quite a long walk to the shop, showers or the loo, so do take this into consideration when you choose where to pitch.
One of the many wide open camping fields on Shell Island
Our Verdict
We’ve been camping at Shell Island now for 15 years, and in all that time, it has barely changed. From the faded facades of the on-site shops to the chilled-out vibe, but for us, it’s all about the location. With stunning huge stretches of sandy beach through to the many rock-pools along the tidal causeway, it’s the location that keeps us coming back for more every summer.
Shell Island is the perfect location for group camping trips and we highly recommend dolphin spotting as they can often be seen swimming along Cardigan Bay. The mudflats and marshes that surround Shell Island provide superb habitats for wildlife, so take binoculars, a great zoom lens and wildlife identification books with you to really make the most of your stay.
One of the many camping areas on Shell Island
In my opinion the facilities are shabby, but the loos are usually clean enough. I’ve never used the showers there, we have our own solar shower that I prefer to use but the verdict from friends is usually that they’re OK.
Our favourite place to camp on Shell Island
Highlights
- Stunning views of Cardigan Bay
- Incredible sunsets
- Lovely area of Wales to explore
- Good value pitch fees
- Campfires are allowed
A recent group camping trip
Rockpools at Shell Island
investigating rock pools at low tide
Insider Tips
- If you have small children, but don’t want the noise of the more heavily populated areas which are closer to the central facilities, make sure you take a camping loo with you to avoid night time treks to the toilet block.
- There are 3 beaches in total, but we recommend the wide sandy south beach, which runs for a full 6 miles all the way down to Barmouth.
- Avoid the wide open fields which often get crowded and can be noisy and choose instead a shady grove at the far end of the sand dunes, or choose one of the smaller camping areas right in front of the sea.
- Don’t panic if you forget something, there are 3 main shops on Shell Island selling camping gear, basic groceries and souvineers where kids will love spending their pocket money.
- Grab yourself a bucket, net and some bait and spend a few hours crabbing. Whether you’ve got kids or not it’s extremely enjoyable.
- The sea off Shell Island is beautiful and perfect for little ones to paddle in or for long leisurely swims.
- We recommend a day out in nearby Barmouth, or a visit to Harlech castle.
- When you first arrive, take a slow drive or walk around the site to find the area best suited for you to set up camp in.
- In the summer holidays, it is worth booking in advance as at peak times, Shell Island can get very busy.
Find out more about Shell Island.
Gorgeous sunsets come as standard at Shell Island
Over to you!
Have you been to Shell Island? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments below.
DISCLOSURE | This camping trip was booked and paid for independently. We were not paid to write this review.
Where to next?
- Hayfield Camping and Caravanning Club Site, High Peak Review
- Andrewshayes Camping and Caravan Park, Devon – Review
- Llyn Gwynant Campsite in Snowdonia, North Wales Review
- Chapel House Farm Campsite, Borrowdale, Cumbria – Review
From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.
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I love Shell Island and camped there quite a bit last year – the field opposite the toilets- facing the sea is our favourite because we get to see the dolphins swimming in the morning and evening. From what I’ve heard they were taken over by new management and places like the kitchen and dining room were given a make over. It’s pretty decent and clean faculties but as a wild camper, things are always more luxurious looking! 😉
Where we pitch our tent, we can jump down into the sand off the small cliff, we usually walk the entire length of the clean sandy beach and then head on back through the sand dunes.
I do love it and they’ve just announced they’re open early March so I think Ill be heading on down there.
Wow – 15 years?! I only just discovered it a year ago…. 🙂
Lovely to hear that you enjoy it there too! Where you pitch up sounds wonderful, I’ll have to see if I can hunt it out, though oast time we went we did pitch somewhere new, right in front of the sea which was a walk down the a small cliff edge…I wonder if it was the same spot?
Ooh March? We might be brave a take an earlier than usual camping trip too 🙂