Basecamp Wales

View prices & book 6.9 117 reviews
The view from Basecamp camping field
Motorhome pitches with/without an electric hook-up
Motorhome pitches
Layout of area and location of important facilities

  • Afan Forest Park site with bike hire and pretty Glamorgan views
  • Afan Bike Park 15 minutes’ drive; National Showcaves Centre 45 minutes
  • Licensed café and restaurant; bike wash and repair shop; playground
Seeking outdoor adventure in the Afan Valley? Basecamp Wales is calling you… tucked away in the 3,900-hectare Afan Forest Park, this campsite offers a winning combination of comfort and a back-to-nature vibe, with spectacular views overlooking the Glamorgan valleys. Cycling enthusiasts are in good company here, as Afan Forest Park is renowned for its biking experiences, with single tracks winding through the woods, exposed trails on the hills, and the thrilling jumps and short runs at Afan Bike Park (15 minutes’ drive). Bikers can relax knowing there’s also a bike-hire service, wash station and repair hub on site for their use. But this scenic forest spot isn’t just about the bikes. The park also has plenty of walking trails, a play area for the youngest guests, and the chance to learn more about local history at the South Wales Miners Museum (five minutes’ walk). And after a day of fun-filled activity or simply relaxing with a good book, you can refuel at Base Café, where good food and drinks are served, enjoy a barbecue or cosy up around your campfire under the stars – and with minimal light pollution in the area, clear nights will bring you dazzling starry skies. Easily accessible from the M4 and Port Talbot (15 minutes’ drive), the site has all essential amenities, from 24/7 showers (tokens are available from staff in the café) and accessible bathrooms to free parking.

Campground type

Tent sites 10
RV sites 6
Open all year
Opens
Please note
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • The park does not accept breeds/crossbreeds listed in the Breed-specific legislation (i.e. Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro).
  • A charge of £1.50 ($1.89) applies for the use of the shower.
  • Continental touring caravans (caravans built with the passenger door on the right-hand side) are not permitted.
  • Reception is unmanned after 4 p.m.. Please inform the park while on your way there should you expect to arrive after this time so that the team can provide information about your unit/site.
  • Extra cars may be brought but must be parked off-site; council-managed pay-and-display parking is available nearby.

Languages spoken

English

Welsh

No availability here for your search criteria

Campsite types & availability

Reviews

  • 32%
    10
  • 2%
    9
  • 17%
    8
  • 7%
    7
  • 10%
    6
  • 4%
    5
  • 6%
    4
  • 4%
    3
  • 7%
    2
  • 5%
    1
Location
8
Value for money
7
Accommodation
7
Facilities / Activities
8
Customer service
8
Child friendliness
7
Cleanliness
8
Wifi
4

71% would recommend this campground to a friend

65% would stay here again

What customers say

Great for biking/hiking with clean facilities & a popular cafe. Beautiful scenery & friendly staff noted. Some found pitches steep, road-close, hardstanding tight (more parking lot than campsite). Shower access limited outside cafe hours.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 12
Arrival date (latest first)

Needs better signage to hook up sites.

Overall

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

Powered gravel RV campsite

Liked Toilet block is large and well lit. Clear signs to site off main road.

Disliked We arrived in the dark, there were no signs for motorhome parking. The lady on the phone was very helpful ( had to ring 3 times)but we still could not find the electric pitches. Finally found them; there are 3 pitches in the actual car park. They just seemed to be a little bigger than a parking space.

Recommend to friends Visit again

No shower was available due to the lack of tokens, staff misleading.

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
5
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
2
Customer service
2
Child friendliness
1
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Powered gravel RV campsite

Liked Good location

Disliked Staff is polite, however providing a wrong information. Upon arrival staff said shower tokens are not available and will be tomorrow morning, this can be understood as we have arrived after 5pm. However next morning same was said, while confronting staff accepted that shower tokens are not available for a while as council is managing them. Thus just be aware no shower is available on site. Also pitch is shared with normal parking and become very busy during peak times.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Amazing location that's seeped in history with great facilities

Overall

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

Primitive gravel RV campsite

Liked Good in the cafe was great
Clean facilities
Friendly staff
Onsite walks, museum, cafe and play area
Road noise wasn't noticeable so not sure why people complain.

Disliked One key for toilets
There was rubbish dumped which needs clearing

Recommend to friends Visit again

Nice location…

Overall

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

Primitive gravel RV campsite

Liked Nice location

Disliked Got fined £50, for a parking ticket despite parking where the email told me to go

Recommend to friends Visit again

From the manager: Please get in touch with us about this - do not pay the fine! We can get it resolved for you!

If you collect the vehicle slip from our reception on arrival and display it in the window then they should not give you a ticket so we can resolve it for you no problem.

Quiet and clean facilities…

Overall

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

Powered gravel RV campsite

Liked Quiet and clean facilities

Disliked The timer on the lights is ridiculously short and needs to be reprogrammed unless you are super human and can use the toilet or shower within 2 minutes. Very frustrating for customers.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Such a shame, we have been before but this has put us off.

Overall

5 out of 10
Location
10
Value for money
7
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
9
Customer service
No rating
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
No rating
Wifi
No rating
David R.

Powered gravel RV campsite

Liked Level pitch, good location and good facilities.

Disliked Motorhome parking are as used as an overflow from the normal car park. No signs to let car drivers know not to park there. Arrived at 1pm to do some cycling. Had to wait for all cars to move so we could eventually park up. 5pm too late to do anything. Just put up some signage please!

Recommend to friends Visit again

Excellent site with clean facilities and friendly staff.

Overall

8 out of 10
Location
8
Value for money
10
Accommodation
No rating
Facilities / Activities
10
Customer service
10
Child friendliness
No rating
Cleanliness
10
Wifi
No rating
Anonymous

Primitive gravel RV campsite

Liked Great location for hiking and cycling. They can accommodate 3 or 4 electric pitches and the ground is quite level. There are 2 other non-electric areas and these definitely require levellers for a comfortable stay. The staff are super friendly and helpful and the restaurant/cafe is fantastic. The toilets/showers were really clean and had plenty of space.

Disliked If you’re staying on the non-electric pitches we found that day visitors use this area as additional car parking meaning you get noise/traffic from quite early in the morning with little consideration to overnighters. Quite a bit of road noise.

Recommend to friends Visit again

Met some amazing people as we…

Overall

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

Primitive gravel RV campsite

Liked Met some amazing people as we got stuck in the mud...Natasha and her family went above and beyond what we expected...Had a chance to wander round the day after and we will be back...Thank you to everybody at Base camp...Also to Phil the farmer and his daughtetrs, everybody who made our stay the best it could be under the circumstances.

Disliked Mud!!!! lol

Recommend to friends Visit again

Overall great facilities very clean and efficient

Overall

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

Powered gravel RV campsite

Liked Great centre facilities very clean and warm would go again

Disliked We were close to the road so you had to be very careful with the dog, not ideal if you had small children, would have not been as comfortable if I was on my own as a mature female

Recommend to friends Visit again

Great site!

Overall

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

Primitive gravel RV campsite

Liked Lovely site, clean toilets, Bike park next door and plenty of walking trails. Definitely recommend and would stay here again! Good signal!

Recommend to friends Visit again


Features

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Picnic table Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Scouts welcome Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed Dogs allowed all year

Camping 2.0

Jumbo tent sites

Themes

Budget/backpacker Forest Hikers’ paradise Peaceful Remote location Spectacular scenery Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Small (11-25 sites)

Accessibility

Accessible parking at site Bathrooms: Large spacious shower Bathrooms: Large spacious toilet Bathrooms: Step-free access Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible shower Bathrooms: Wheelchair accessible toilet Bathrooms: Wide doorways (over 32 inches) Smooth, hard roads e.g. tarmac

Nearby leisure

Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Indoor pool nearby Mountain biking nearby Restaurant nearby

Touring and motorhomes

Gray water hook-up for caravans Motorhome service point

Location

Basecamp Wales

Afan Forest Park

Cynonville

Port Talbot

Glamorgan

Wales

SA13 3HG

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London GMT (GMT+00:00)

GPS

51.64164°N
3.70462°W

Route directions

What3words for reception: novels.glee.stew.

Nearest transport

Bus
4.6 mi Railway Station
4.7 mi Bus Station
9.4 mi Sarn Odeon
Rail
3.1 mi Maesteg Rail Station
3.5 mi Maesteg (Ewenny Road) Rail Station
4.1 mi Garth (Bridgend) Rail Station
Ferry
9.8 mi Swansea Queens Dock Ferry Terminal
24.9 mi Cardiff Castle Waterbus Stop
25 mi Barry Waterfront Ferry Terminal
Airport
15.9 mi Swansea Airport
23 mi Cardiff International Airport

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

Afan Forest Park (accessed from the site) has a diverse range of bike trails suitable for all skill levels, from a beginner-friendly short loop to a challenging black trail that can take several hours to complete. If you’re after even more thrills, you can launch yourself off an old colliery tower on a speeding zipwire at Zip World Top (half an hour’s drive). Hiking enthusiasts have plenty to explore in Afan Forest Park, with scenic trails winding through the forest landscape. For more adventurous treks, venture into the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park (40 minutes) to tackle the hike up to Four Falls waterfall. The Gower Peninsula (45 minutes) serves up spectacular coastal walks, and if it’s a beach day you’re after, the sandy coastline at Aberavon is 20 minutes by car. For rainy days or a change of pace, the South Wales Miners Museum (five minutes’ walk) gives a fascinating glimpse into the area’s rich industrial heritage. Other handy indoor options include the exotic habitats at Plantasia Tropical Zoo (half an hour’s drive), or you can delve deep into underground wonders at the National Showcaves Centre for Wales (45 minutes).

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020201920182017
Aberafan 5.9 mi Estuary N/AGoodGoodGood
Rest Bay Porthcawl 10.6 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Swansea Bay 11.2 mi Estuary GoodGoodN/AGood
Sandy Bay Porthcawl 11.3 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent
Trecco Bay Porthcawl 11.4 mi Sea ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

Aberdulais Falls 4.1 mi

National Waterfront Museum 10.2 mi

Penderyn Distillery Visitor Centre 11.6 mi

National Showcaves of Wales 13 mi

Carreg Cennen Castle 17.9 mi

National Trust

Aberdulais Falls 4.1 mi

Aberdeunant 20.9 mi

Rhossili Visitor Centre and Shop 25.7 mi

Watersmeet 29.2 mi

Dolaucothi Gold Mines 29.8 mi

Cycle routes

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

Other

Abercregan - Glyncorrwg - Abercregan 2 mi

Abercregan - Coed Morgannwg Way - Pontrhydyfen 2 mi

Treherbert to Aberdare 7.5 mi

Kenfig Pool - Kenfig Burrows - Sker Beach 8.8 mi

Pontneddfechan - Scwd Einion Gam Waterfall 9.3 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 Glamorgan?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Basecamp Wales have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Basecamp Wales dog friendly? Yes View all features
  • What attractions are near Basecamp Wales? Afan Forest Park (accessed from the site) has a diverse range of bike trails suitable for all skill levels, from a beginner-friendly short loop to a challenging black trail that can take … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Basecamp Wales?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  Anytime
    Depart by:  noon
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Basecamp Wales? From $15.85 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.