Cae Llwyd Farm

View prices & book 9.3 30 reviews
Visitor image of the site and the river
Visitor image of the site and the river
Situated next to a river
View of both camping fields
Communal outdoor space
Meet the lambs
The 2021 season
Pitch view
Loo with a view
1/65
Situated next to a river
View of both camping fields
Communal outdoor space

  • 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 has been hand-built using reclaimed and recycled materials that blend in with their surroundings). There are no showers, so ask the team about where to track down public showers. 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
Open now
Opens 25 July
Please note
  • This site has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No hen/stag parties permitted via Pitchup.com.
  • At least one of the party members must be aged 25 or over.
  • Please note that the toilet/shower facilities are unisex.
  • There are no bins onsite: all rubbish will need to be taken home with you.

Languages spoken

English

Welsh

Open from Fri, 25 Jul to

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating from 30 Pitchup.com customers

  • 66%
    10
  • 3%
    9
  • 26%
    8
  • 0%
    7
  • 3%
    6
  • 0%
    5
  • 0%
    4
  • 0%
    3
  • 0%
    2
  • 0%
    1
Location
 10
Value for money
 9
Accommodation
 9
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 9
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 5
PeacefulRemote location

90% would recommend this site to a friend

87% would stay here again

What customers say

This is a back-to-basics, off-grid campsite in a beautiful, peaceful Snowdonia location, praised for its stunning views, friendly and helpful hosts, and excellent homemade pizzas. Visitors appreciate the natural, unspoilt surroundings, ideal for walking and exploring. While facilities are basic, with compost toilets and cold showers, they are generally well-maintained and align with the site's low-cost, wild camping ethos. Minor issues included muddy access to the car park, which was promptly addressed.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 3
Arrival date (latest first)

Good

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 2
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 2
Wifi
 2
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked The pizza and views. Staff where friendly.

Disliked The loo with a view

Recommend to friends Visit again

A beautiful quiet spot with everything you need- wide space, water, parking,…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 7
Value for money
 7
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 8
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 No rating
Alex K.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked A beautiful quiet spot with everything you need- wide space, water, parking, loos.

We had the most wonderful time watching the stars by our campfire with our pups.

They were also incredibly flexible and helpful with our check-in having arrived very late at night.

Would highly recommend.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Can’t wait to come back.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 7
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 7
Danny H.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked What a heartwarming fantastic rural place to pitch. The family friendly run business was really welcoming They even made home-made pizza which made our sons very happy. We will definitely be visiting again. Thank you to Dan and his family.

Disliked Very frustrated to learn that the campsite is only open for 28 days we would’ve liked to have visited more often very confused why the National Trust will not extend the opening times for this wonderful little gem in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Recommend to friends Visit again

Loved this campsite, would highly recommend

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 9
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
Alison H.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Beautiful views, lots of space, quiet, amazing night skies and great location. Pizzas are delicious and eating it by the campfire was a highlight.

Disliked Lugging everything from car park to pitch wasn’t fun but worth it for having a quiet car free campsite. Wheelbarrows would help a lot with this.

Compost toilets were fine and kept clean but as they’re quite high some step stools for children would be appreciated.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing, peaceful place with minimal facilities. Host was very friendly and helpful……

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 9
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 3
Customer service
 9
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 9
Wifi
 1
Anonymous

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Amazing, peaceful place with minimal facilities. Host was very friendly and helpful… you can buy wood for a campfire, and he sells freshly made pizza most nights

If you want to (almost completely) wild camp this is perfect

Disliked None

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice campsite…

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
 8
Value for money
 6
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 4
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 1
REBECCA P.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Nice campsite

Disliked No drinking water available - not sure if this was normal

Recommend to friends Visit again

Friendly, good location flexible re booking an extra night.

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 No rating
Facilities / Activities
 5
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 No rating
Cleanliness
 7
Wifi
 1
Geoff T.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked The area , couple on site very welcoming and friendly.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Everything Except the entrance to the car park. A little tricky on…

Overall

9 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 No rating
les b.

Non-electric grass tent pitch

Liked Everything
Except the entrance to the car park.
A little tricky on a fully loaded bike.
Having short legs didn’t help 🤪

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with great staff and very good pizzas!

Overall

10 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 10
Facilities / Activities
 10
Customer service
 10
Child friendliness
 10
Cleanliness
 10
Wifi
 10
Sam B.

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 out of 10
Location
 10
Value for money
 10
Accommodation
 6
Facilities / Activities
 6
Customer service
 6
Child friendliness
 6
Cleanliness
 8
Wifi
 2
Rachel B.

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

Features

Pop-up campsite

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

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 Composting toilet 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

Budget/backpacker Forest Lake and/or mountain Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Walkers' paradise Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Chemical disposal Electric car charging point(s) Gas cylinders available No drinkable water point No hot water No running 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 BST (GMT+01:00)

GPS

53.03426°N
3.80638°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
15.5 mi Tesco
15.5 mi Sportsman
Rail
3.2 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
24.3 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 2020201920182017
Penmaenmawr 17.3 mi Sea GoodExcellentExcellentExcellent
Llanfairfechan 17.4 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Craig Du Beach Central 17.9 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Harlech 18 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Colwyn Bay Porth Eirias 18.6 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentN/AN/A

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Bodnant Garden 13.8 mi

National Slate Museum 14.2 mi

Snowdon Mountain Railway 14.2 mi

Portmeirion Gardens 14.7 mi

Ffestiniog Railway 15.4 mi

National Trust

Ty^ Mawr Wybrnant 2 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.

Nearest sites

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable sites.

Want to know more about camping in Conwy?

Frequently asked questions

  • 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. –  6:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Cae Llwyd Farm? From £17.50 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.