Bryn Ifan Camping

The nine off-grid pitches at Bryn Ifan are mowed into the long grass of a wildflower meadow in a pleasing pattern that’s reminiscent of a crop circle. From each of them, there are views of mountains and rolling countryside all the way to the sea. This is the Llŷn Peninsula, so there’s plenty of each of those and all within easy reach. The beach is 15 minutes' drive away, the highest mountains in Wales are half an hour by car, and the countryside stretches in all directions. In fact, that countryside is all there is in the near vicinity, so you can also expect dark and starry skies while you sit round the campfire at night.

The site’s outstanding views reveal themselves as you make your way from the farmyard car park to your pitch with gear loaded into wheelbarrows. This is a car-free, tents-only camping field which makes it particularly peaceful and perfect for family camping. Kids are easily entertained by the freedom of running around the wildflower-lined pathways and clambering about on tractor tyres.

With rustic but lovely toilets and showers, this small site advertises back to basics camping. We won’t argue with that description but the on-site Campers’ Barn adds a few facilities that make it a back-to-basics site you can stay at for more than a few days. A communal fridge/freezer, undercover washing-up, and indoor eating space make sure of that. And the function sits alongside the fun of table tennis, table football, and air hockey which keep everyone entertained if shelter or shade are needed.

But one of the best assets of all are this site’s lovely owners, Callie and Gwynn. They are hands on and on hand to sell you logs or set you off on local adventures. The one you won’t want to miss is the pleasant hike up Bwlch Mawr, the twin-peaked hill that’s ever present in your views and which has been recently acquired by the North Wales Wildlife Trust. And then of course, there’s the beach. You wouldn’t be on the Llŷn Peninsula if you weren’t interested in that. The closest to here is Dinas Dinlle but nowhere on the peninsula is too far to visit from this site with views of mountains and sea.