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Top-rated campgrounds
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and big mountains nearby.
Dog-friendly glamping near Aberystwyth guide
Where to go
Cardigan Bay
Wales’ biggest bay, spanning from North Pembrokeshire to Gwynedd along the Ceredigion coast, was where Wales camping really took off—and Aberystwyth is perfectly positioned for a closer look at the Ceredigion region’s share of the shoreline. Along this beguiling seaboard, mainly made up of peaceful beaches and lonesome coves, there are a greater density of campgrounds and caravan parks than anywhere else in the country. You’ll find big affairs with myriad facilities and farm sites with a few tent spaces.
Cambrian Mountains
Rugged hills rise up east of Aberystwyth and, although never surpassing 2,475 feet, these are mighty wild places. So wild, in fact, that the region is known as the “Desert of Wales”—and not because of the weather! Britain’s remotest land south of the Scottish Highlands is easily accessed from Aberystwyth, with the bunch of campsites around the Devil’s Bridge beauty spot a good place to begin your explorations.
Snowdonia National Park
Kicking off just 20 miles north of Aberystwyth is Snowdonia, a smorgasbord of jagged mountain peaks, expansive forests, emerald-green valleys, and sandy coastline that comprise one of the UK’s most popular national parks. Aberystwyth makes a good base for a foray into Snowdonia’s southern flanks, but within the park boundaries are no shortage of pitch-up places, such as those on the southern and northern slopes of Cadair Idris, Southern Snowdonia’s highest summit.
When to go
Aberystwyth is a student town, and even in winter’s depths you’ll find something going on, but late spring (before summer’s big groups of holidaymakers arrive) is a beautiful time to come both for seaside and hillwalking. August, meanwhile, oversees the big festivals, when the town is at its liveliest. Aberystwyth itself catches the brunt of any incoming weather systems—it’s a place for campers to take care when the winds get up.