Cae Llwyd Farm

From £19.50 For 1 night, 2 adults 9.4 69 reviews
Visitor image of the site and the river (added by manager 11 Oct 2022)
Situated next to a river (added by visitor 27 aug 2021)
View of both camping fields (added by manager 16 jul 2021)
Night time so beautiful (added by vicki_s197977 08 aug 2022)

  • Off-grid wild site by the Machno river in Snowdonia National Park
  • A five-minute drive to Penmachno MTB Trail; 15 minutes to Betws-y-Coed
  • Pizza stall on site serving food every day
With peaceful meadow camping by the Machno river, Cae Llwyd Farm is on the edge of Penmachno village, five miles from Betws-y-Coed. This secluded spot is a great springboard for outdoorsy holidays for sporty types and adventurous families looking to explore Snowdonia and a quiet, peaceful site well-suited to stargazing. It's also a 15-minute drive from Betws-y-Coed, where there are bus links to Yr Wyddfa (the Welsh name for Snowdon). It’s heaven on wheels for cyclists, with several mountain biking trails close by – including the renowned Penmachno MTB Trail (five minutes’ drive). Attention all hikers and climbers – a stay here puts you in pole position for several Snowdonia peaks over 3,000 feet; kayakers, meanwhile, can navigate down pretty rivers, including the nearby Ledr. As this is an off-grid site with no electricity, amenities are simple (it's not luxury, but the composting toilet and shower huts have been hand-built using reclaimed and recycled materials that blend in with their surroundings). This is a site that's been set up to help guests appreciate the wild beauty of Snowdonia – and there is a massive bonus in that this site is on a working farm, with local produce usually available (depending on the time of year). Talking of food, barbecues are allowed in the camping field, and there’s a convenience store in Penmachno (10 minutes’ walk) where you can pick up basics for the grill. There’s also a pub here, and you might just get tempted in for a restorative pint after all your Snowdonia adventures. Alternatively, stick around on site to pick up pizza from the food stall there.

Site type

Tent pitches 20
Rent a tent 1
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • No cars/motorbikes by the pitch/unit. All cars must be parked in the designated area.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 25 or over.
  • Protective masks must be worn at all times in common areas.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality torch with them as parts of the site are unlit.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • There are no bins onsite: all rubbish will need to be taken home with you.
  • If reception is closed on arrival: please contact the number provided on your booking confirmation.
  • Fires, barbecues and/or firepits will not be permitted in dry, windy and/or hot weather conditions.

Languages spoken

English

Welsh

Reviews

93%

would recommend this site to a friend

90%

would stay here again

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Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Good

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 2
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 8
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 2
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: The pizza and views. Staff where friendly.

Disliked: The loo with a view

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with great staff and very good pizzas!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Sam B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Everything ! Lovely place, great location. Pizzas were insanely good. Staff were lovely and helpful. 10/10

Disliked: N/a

Recommend to friends Visit again

Basic campsite in a stunning location ideal for exploring Snowdonia

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 6
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Rachel B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Stunning location within easy reach of Snowdonia's attractions, quiet at night, opportunity to buy freshly cooked pizza. Other campers all really friendly.

Disliked: Cold showers that I totally missed in the campsite description so totally my fault but to be fair, it could have been included in the main description of the site, not just in the bullet points of facilities down the bottom. Lots of mud but that's the fun of a back to basics campsite! Bring wellies haha.

Recommend to friends Visit again

I loved the basicity of this campsite within the natural environment of…

Overall 8/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Jason T. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: I loved the basicity of this campsite within the natural environment of North Wales! The owners/staff are very welcoming and helpful. The site is truly with the natural environment and generally peaceful. The toiles being compostable is noble and welcomed though not for some. The cold shower was so refreshing, I loved it on a warm day!! Overall me and my son loved this site and will come again. Thank you so much for accommodating us! Jason and Sonny

Recommend to friends Visit again

My new home from home 🫶🏼

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 10
Rea M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Just spent 5 nights at this beautiful ‘pop up’ site in Penmachno. What a time I’ve had, stunning views, fabulous semi-wild campsite that is a WORKING FARM. Compost toilets and cold showers, minimal impact on the infrastructure of the beautiful quiet village it is in. Yes, the entrance to the field where heavy, fully packed vehicles are entering got muddy due to the rain in Wales. Unfortunately, the MET office aren’t always correct in their weather warnings but the two fabulous owners of the entire farm were always at hand ,and only a text/call away, to help if needed. This was also being worked on daily (usually when most sleepy campers were fast asleep) and was resolved with rubber matting - the farm are only allowed 28 days of camping and have to literally make the campsite disappear overnight so they are limited to what they are able to use. Pizza’s made every night by the wicked farmers, with farm to fork in mind. Bottled water available, fire pits and fire bundles available. For the price, you couldn’t ask for more. Everything is mentioned on their page and I fully got what I expected and beyond to be honest. Camping at it’s best. Please please pick up your rubbish after you and dispose of it correctly. Solo female travellers and felt perfectly safe here. I’ll be back every year, might even pop my tent up in their garden 😉

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site for a night after an afternoon at ZipWorld. Really fun…

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Beth B. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Great site for a night after an afternoon at ZipWorld. Really fun 'loo with a view' composting toilets, off-the-ground campfires for hire, pizzas at night and bacon sandwiches in the morning. Nice people, quiet overnight (except for the Welsh summer rain!). Take drinking water with you.

Disliked: As it had rained a lot the car park field was very muddy, but nothing really to worry about!

Recommend to friends Visit again

A truly wonderful experience, we are booking again!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation No rating
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 10
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Clive H. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: What a lovely, peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life! Surrounded by amazing walks in completely unspoilt countryside. May I add the weather was terrible but that did not detract from our overall experience. This is not a campsite for those expecting the glitz and glam of 'modern' camping, but the low price one pays reflects that perfectly. If one prefers to be in a wild site away from it all this is the site for you. The owners (who are both hardworking farmers) Dan and Lauren were amazing hosts. They are both passionate and attentive to the needs of their customers and demonstrated their considerable care for the environment and their local community. Homemade pizzas and garlic bread served in their barn every evening was a real treat. The National Park understandably place heavy restrictions on access and permanent fixtures for all campsites in Snowdonia. With that in mind the facilities and campsite were ideal and exactly how they were described by the owners (we knew what to expect and were pleasantly surprised)! The access track to the parking field was muddy but what does one expect when exposed to torrential rain and high winds caused by an Atlantic storm! Part of the whole wonderful experience I say. THANK YOU DAN & LAUREN we will be booking again for next year. Good luck with your community festival and we hope everything goes well for you both.

Disliked: Loved EVERYTHING about this site!

Recommend to friends Visit again

An incredible off-grid experience for families!

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness 8
Cleanliness 10
Wifi 2
Gabbie M. The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Gorgeous campsite. A real “off-grid” feeling. The entire site felt so secluded but safe and happy at the same time, which was excellent with children. The lack of wifi and phone signal was actually refreshing and helped us reconnect! We loved the compositing toilets and pizza ovens. The toilets were continuously checked and appeared clean on every use, with restocked sawdust etc. You also cannot beat the scenery; we all felt very recharged from the nature. The lady running things was also lovely and very helpful at all times. It was also in a great location and we were able to explore everywhere that we intended to. The campsite itself also offered ample areas to explore nature and walk around. Again, we felt this was brilliant for children. Had the weather been slightly better, we would have used this to our advantage for an evening adventure in pjs after dinner. Despite very poor weather and cutting our trip short, we loved this campsite so much and will definitely return to use the facilities and location offered, to their full potential!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Lovely little back to basics campsite…

Overall 6/10
Location 8
Value for money 8
Accommodation 8
Facilities / Activities 6
Customer service 4
Child friendliness 6
Cleanliness 8
Wifi 2
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Lovely little back to basics campsite

Disliked: We never once saw the site owner. We arrived, pitched up, and we're left to it. Our trip was cut short by Storm Betty, as were most of the other campers. There was no phone signal, so we were clueless that the storm was coming. No sight of the owners to check on the campers or offer any kind of help

Recommend to friends Visit again

lovely.whatyoupayfor.bookingdescriptionaccurate.Toilets are very clean

Overall 10/10
Location 10
Value for money 10
Accommodation 10
Facilities / Activities 10
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 10
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked: Absolutely loved the location and view from the campsite. It was the most beautiful view I have ever camped with!

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on site

Bar or club house

Cycle hire

Evening entertainment

Fishing

Fitness centre

Games room

Indoor swimming pool

Kids' club

On-site restaurant/cafe

Outdoor swimming pool

Play area

TV room

Take away

Tennis

Watersports

Amenities on site

Bath available

Car parking by pitch/unit

Composting toilet

Disabled facilities

Dog park

Drying room

Food shop

Free wifi

Ice pack freezing

Internet access

Launderette

Parent & baby washroom

Pick-up from public transport

Portable toilet

Pub toilets

Public telephone

Shower available

Toilet block

Washing-up area

Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly

Motorcycle friendly

Single-sex groups welcome

Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue provided

Barbecues allowed

Campfires allowed

Commercial vehicles allowed

Dogs allowed

Dogs allowed all year

Themes

Remote location

Spectacular scenery

Wild camping

Utilities

Charging facilities

Chemical disposal

Electric car charging point(s)

Gas cylinders available

No drinkable water point

No hot water

Recycling available

Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby

Dog walk nearby

Public transport nearby

Shop nearby

Type

Farm

Pop-up campsite

Small (11-25 pitches)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby

Climbing nearby

Cycle hire nearby

Cycling nearby

Fishing nearby

Golf nearby

Horse riding nearby

Indoor pool nearby

Leisure/theme park nearby

Mountain biking nearby

Outdoor pool nearby

Restaurant nearby

Surf school nearby

Tennis nearby

Watersports nearby

Location

Cae Llwyd Farm

Yspyty Road

Penmachno

Conwy

Wales

LL24 0YR

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

53.03406°N
-3.80758°W

Route directions

Turning off the main road by the Machno, an old pub, follow the small lane directly ahead – not following the road up the hill. When driving down the lane, look out for signs for the car park on the left, then the campsite on the right. Please do not drive onto the campsite. Please note that the signal is intermittent on the campsite. If you need to call for directions and can’t get through, send a text and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.

Nearest transport

Coach
15.4 mi Market Square
15.4 mi Tesco
15.4 mi Sportsman
Rail
3.1 mi Pont-y-Pant Rail Station
3.5 mi Dolwyddelan Rail Station
4 mi Betws-y-Coed Rail Station
Ferry
24.1 mi Barmouth Ferry Landing
24.2 mi Porth Penrhyn Ferry Landing

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Being based in Eryri National Park has plenty of perks, such as tremendous hikes and other outdoor pursuits being just a short drive away. To the south, make your way to the National White Water Centre (35 minutes’ drive) and Bala, which has a fierce reputation for all things outdoorsy. Aiming to top the biggest peak in Wales? Trails to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), as well as Crib Goch and Glyder Fawr, are around half an hour’s drive from the site. Keep driving in that direction and you will soon happen upon Llanberis, a lakeside destination at the foot of Yr Wyddfa. Get stuck into a crafts shop or watersports on the lake, or pick up some new knowledge in the National Slate Museum. The Snowdon Mountain Railway (40 minutes) departs from Llanberis for a scenic, hiking-free trip up the mountain. To the west is the Welsh coast and the characterful village Portmeirion (40 minutes), which has a distinctly Mediterranean vibe. Perhaps squeeze nearby Harlech Castle (45 minutes), a famed Welsh fortress, into the same outing while you're in the area.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Penmaenmawr 17.3 mi Sea Good Excellent Excellent Excellent
Llanfairfechan 17.3 mi Sea Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Craig Du Beach Central 17.8 mi Sea Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Harlech 17.9 mi Sea Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Colwyn Bay Porth Eirias 18.6 mi Sea Excellent Excellent N/A N/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Bodnant Garden 13.8 mi

National Slate Museum 14.1 mi

Snowdon Mountain Railway 14.1 mi

Portmeirion Gardens 14.7 mi

Ffestiniog Railway 15.3 mi

National Trust

Ty^ Mawr Wybrnant 1.9 mi

Bodnant Garden 13.8 mi

Aberconwy House 17 mi

Plas Newydd Country House and Gardens 20.8 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Dolwyddelan Railway Station - Betws-y-coed 3.4 mi

Dolwyddelan and the Castle 3.6 mi

Dolwyddelan and the Lledr Gorge 3.6 mi

Dolwyddelan and Sarn Helen 3.6 mi

Dolwyddelan and Y Ro Wen 3.6 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Want to know more about camping in Conwy?

  • Does Cae Llwyd Farm have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Cae Llwyd Farm dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Cae Llwyd Farm? Being based in Eryri National Park has plenty of perks, such as tremendous hikes and other outdoor pursuits being just a short drive away. To the south, make your way to the … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Cae Llwyd Farm?
    Camping and touring
    Arrive:  12 p.m. –  6 p.m.
    Depart by:  Anytime
    On-site accommodation
    Arrive:  1 p.m. –  5 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Cae Llwyd Farm? From £19.50 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.