Cae Llwyd Farm

View prices & book 9.3 27 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
1/42
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.

Campground type

Tent sites 20
Open now
Opens July 25
Please note
  • This park has no on-site shower facilities.
  • Under 18s must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.
  • No bachelor/bachelorette 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 garbage cans onsite: all garbage will need to be taken home with you.

Languages spoken

English

Welsh

Open from Fri, Jul 25 to

Reviews

9.3

Overall rating from 27 Pitchup.com customers

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PeacefulRemote location

89% would recommend this campground to a friend

85% would stay here again

What customers say

A no-frills, off-grid campsite in beautiful, peaceful Snowdonia. Praised for stunning views, friendly hosts, and great homemade pizzas. Enjoy natural surroundings perfect for hiking. Basic facilities (compost toilets, cold showers) are well-kept, fitting the wild camping vibe. Muddy parking access was promptly resolved.

Summary AI-generated from Pitchup.com customer reviews

Reviews page 1 of 3
Arrival date (latest first)

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

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 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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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 out of 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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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

Primitive grass tent campsite

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 out of 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.

Primitive grass tent campsite

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

Features

Pop-up campground

Dogs allowed

Campfires allowed

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 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 Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

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

Rules

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

Themes

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

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) No drinkable water point No hot water No running water Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Convenience store nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Small (11-25 sites)

Nearby leisure

Canoeing/kayaking nearby Climbing nearby Cycle hire nearby Cycling nearby Fishing nearby Golf nearby Horseback 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 +0100 (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

Bus
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 campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

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?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  noon –  6:30 p.m.
    Depart by:  10 a.m.
    Read more
  • How much does it cost to stay at Cae Llwyd Farm? From $23.72 (for 1 night, 2 adults) - prices may change depending on your dates and party.