If you’re catching the ferry to Ireland, Tregroes Caravan, Camping and Glamping Park has you covered. From the elevated position of the grassy camping meadow, you can see the ferries as they arch their way into Fishguard Bay, one mile away. You can drive from campsite to port in under five minutes. Or drive from the campsite to anywhere, for that matter; the beach, the chippy, the dinghy-dotted old harbour or the renowned Pembrokeshire Coast Path that wiggles its way along the cliff-tops to Strumble Head.
Set over six acres, family-run Tregroes welcomes campers of all stripes, with electricity for caravans and campervans and a spread of grassy tent pitches with views down the Goodwick Valley. More recently, amicable owners Colin and Sam have also added a clutch of glamping options – yurts and a pod, each with their own private kitchen cabin. The result is a campsite with a real live-and-let-live atmosphere. Campfire smoke wafts through the evening air and kids kick a ball about by the goal posts. When the sunset comes, it casts an orange glow across the valley, the sun disappearing over the high ground that blocks Strumble Head Lighthouse (six miles away) from view.
The campsite has ample facilities for the 30-odd pitches available and the small shop, from which free WiFi is beamed, is well stocked with everything from charcoal and marshmallows to local artwork, model tractors and Tregroes waffles. For anything else, the various delicatessens of Fishguard will have what you need, with Mannings Grocers stocking the most local of local produce. Buses run regularly through Fishguard’s main square in summer, meaning you can ditch the car and go for long one-way walks along the coastal path with ease. Heading west to Strumble Head is rightfully popular, with seals frequenting the bays, while sea kayaking groups often choose to bob in a westerly direction, taking in the tiny, rocky coves on the way to Pwllgwaelod Beach.
Back at base, another Stena Line ferry can be spotted invading the bay, signalling the arrival of the 18:10 from Rosslare and a couple more campers hoping to pitch their tent for the night. It’s the peacetime version of an invasion at least. For it was here, in 1797, that Britain saw its last ever invasion, when the French landed just west of Fishguard in a two-day skirmish that ended by treaty in the market square. The strip-beamed Royal Oak pub, where it was signed, has a plaque in commemoration and there’s a Bayeux–style tapestry in the town hall. There’s no sign of the campsite stitched into the latter but maybe camping wasn’t a big thing back then.
