The best glamping sites in Wales

It’s no surprise that some of the best glamping sites in the UK can be found in Wales. While Barafundle Bay is a blissful mile’s walk from the nearest car park, there are some parts of the Welsh coast which are a little more built up – with their fair share of caravan parks and holiday parks. Campers are also catered for in the mountains which have been attracting adventurers for centuries but here are Glampingly we look for something a little different, somewhere in between the basic and the bustling; something a little more boutique. That’s where our curated collection of glamping sites comes in. We’ve chosen places that offer a spirit of adventure with a special touch - places where you can enjoy the pleasure of camping without having to pack the kitchen sink.

Glamping accommodation in Wales

From shepherd’s huts in the mountains to bell tents by the beach, glamping sites in Wales offer a wide spectrum of glamping accommodation. The time of year and the number of people in your group will help decide the accommodation that suits you best – as well as personal taste, of course. If you are heading to Wales in the summer, the canvas cover of a bell tent, yurt or tipi will probably be more than enough to provide your shelter. If, on the other hand, you’re taking your glamping holiday in the depths of winter, spring or summer, you might want to look for somewhere with a bit of insulation and perhaps a log burning stove: a shepherd’s hut or log cabin are particularly good year-round options.

Style-wise, if you want to wow the kids why not head for the heights and pick a tree-house or an out-there option from our quirky range? If you love vintage style, you could book yourself in to a 1960s Airstream or a gypsy caravan and if you prefer something altogether more modern – try a geodesic dome or an up-to-date camping pod. The level of luxury varies from place to place, some focus on their eco credentials and keep things simple with off-grid solar power and compost loos while other glamping sites go all-out for luxury with hot tubs and treatment rooms. The Glampingly “Refine search” feature should help you filter out what you want and what you don’t to make it easier to find your ideal Welsh glamping site.

Choosing the type of accommodation you want is only half the battle though, some might say less than half, with location, location, location being the top priority. If that applies to you, you might want to switch to “map view” when browsing Glampingly sites so you can pinpoint what’s available in the place you want to go glamping. If, on the other hand, you need a little inspiration on which location to choose, read on.

Glamping in the Welsh valleys, mountains and national parks

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has 240 square miles of protected landscape which includes some of the best beaches in the world. It’s a great place for glamping near the beach if you want sand and (hopefully) sunshine without the need to go abroad, but it’s also a great place for adventure. Those golden sands are a beacon for surfers, kite surfers and paddleboarders and where the coast gets craggy there’s the chance to kayak and try coasteering, climbing and abseiling. The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path winds its way all along the coast giving access to all these beautiful beaches and bays, making it a great place for a walk whether you want a leisurely amble or a full-on hike.

Wales’ other two national parks, the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia offer hundreds more miles of walking trails too. Snowdonia, in the north, grabs the headlines as home of Wales’ highest mountain. And, while thousands travel there every year, Snowdon is just one of its peaks and one of its many charms. There are plenty of lesser-known but no-less-challenging peaks to conquer and places to visit with no shortage of tourist attractions – from steam railways to copper mines and seaside towns.

The Brecon Beacons, in mid-Wales, does not touch the coast like the other two Welsh national parks. Stretching west from the border with England, it is a land of heather-clad mountains and limestone caves. Walking, fell-running, mountain biking and horse riding are all great ways to explore the area and glamping in the Brecon Beacons can give you the chance to take part in all these activities.

Where there are ups there are also downs and Wales has plenty of glamping in lush green valleys and in the less dramatic rolling hills of its countryside where farmland is criss-crossed with clear-running streams and wildlife-rich hedgerows.

Things to do when you are glamping in Wales

Go to the beach

Wales’ coastline is 750 miles long and much of it is stunningly beautiful. Even if you don’t opt to go glamping near the beach in Wales, you might like to make it one of the day trips during your holiday as you’re never too far from the coast. Pembrokeshire has many miles of beautiful beaches (which we may have already mentioned!) and there are dozens to choose from. Visit Pembrokeshire has a full list but Barafundle is a renowned beauty spot while Tenby is a traditional seaside resort. In Snowdonia, there’s traditional seaside fun and golden sands with donkey rides, arcades and ice creams at Barmouth and on the south west tip of Wales, you’ll find the Gower Peninsula, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and its beautiful Rhossili Beach.

Get adventurous

Wales is the perfect place to try adventurous activities and extreme sports. Fancy riding one of the longest zip lines in the world? No problem – get yourself to Zip World in Snowdonia where a pair of parallel lines whizz you a mile over an old slate quarry. Want to take your kids on an adventurous activity they will never forget? Try coasteering – a mix of rock climbing, abseiling, swimming and exploring. Pembrokeshire is one of the best places to try it with lots of experts to make sure you hurl yourself off those rocks in a safe fashion! Wales is also a great place for a whole host of other adventurous activities including kayaking, climbing and surfing: the Visit Wales website has lots of great ideas for how to get a slice of all this action.

Climb a mountain

With both Snowdonia National Park and the Brecon Beacons National Park, there’s plenty of opportunity to scale mountains in Wales. Both are perfect hiking country with enough walking trails and routes to keep you on the march for a dozen glamping holidays! If you’re a bit of a peak-bagger, head for the dizzy heights of Pen-y-Fan in the Beacons, South Wales’ highest peak at 886 metres or scale Snowdon, Wales’ highest mountain at 1,035 metres. But if that’s a step too far, there are lesser but no less beautiful mountains and hills to climb – and there’s always the easier option of taking the train to the top…

Take a ride on a Welsh railway

Snowdon’s Mountain Railway has been taking people to the summit of Snowdon since 1896 and so is one of Wales’ best-known and best-loved railway routes – but it’s far from the only one. There are plenty of heritage railways across the country that operates as tourist attractions. Some, like the Snowdon Mountain Railway, have always been visitor attractions while others were built to serve quarries and mines. All provide a fascinating insight in to Welsh history and usually amazing views of stunning countryside – at a relaxing pace! And that’s not to mention that the appeal of the railways to little Thomas fans and big engineering buffs!

Visit a castle

Wales has more castle sites per square mile than any other country in Europe – 600 to be precise, so you’re likely to come close to one of them while you’re glamping in Wales. Some are just ruins now, some are rather better preserved and open as tourist attractions. If you’re in south Wales, you might like to take a peek at Caerphilly Castle. It’s the country’s biggest castle, is surrounded by moats and lakes and was recently used as a backdrop for the TV series Merlin. At the other end of the country, in north Wales, is the 13th-century Conwy Castle. The castle and well-preserved medieval town walls are a major tourist attraction in the area and well worth a visit. And if you’re camping in the Brecon Beacons or the south east of Wales, and want to visit a castle, try the 15th-century Ragland Castle with its Great Tower and Castle Keep.