Canvas, Tents, Yurts, Pods or Cabins

What typer or Glamper, (or camper), are you?

Planning to camp in Wales? There are plenty of options.

If you’re looking for a camping site in the UK, you really should consider a camping or glamping break in Wales. Whether you want to climb your first mountain, explore remote sandy beaches or step back into history, Cymru (Wales) has plenty to offer and all of it closer together than you might think. And there is no shortage of options. Canvas Safari Tents, Yurts, Pods, Shepherds Huts and Wooden Cabins are all easy to find options. So, how do you choose?

What type of camper are you?

Before you find your perfect campsite in Wales it’s a good idea to decide what kind of camping holiday you’re after. From lightweight wild camping to luxurious glamping, Wales has plenty of options as well as the stunning scenery and sense of space that will really make your camping break. In this article we take a look at different types of camping and what Wales has to offer beginner and experienced campers alike.

Wild camping in Wales

Wild camping pros:
No other people
Wilder landscapes
Time with nature

Wild camping cons:
No-frills at all
No toilets or taps
Some navigation skills required
You may get moved on

Wild camping is perhaps better referred to as backpack camping. It involves packing everything you need into a rucksack or onto your bike and heading off under your own steam into some of Wales’ more lonely places. While we don’t have the same right to roam here in Wales that they do in Scotland, wild camping that’s done with a leave-no-trace approach is often accepted in more remote areas.

As long as you choose a spot that’s a long way from civilisation and avoid popular National Park or tourist areas such as Pen y Fan and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) you should be fine but you will technically be trespassing so be prepared to move on in the unlikely event you’re asked to. Best wild camping practice is to pitch late, pack up early, make no noise and take all your rubbish (and we mean everything) home with you.

Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park prefer campers to stay on official campsites but offer some helpful advice for anyone who would like to camp in Wales.

Nearly wild camping in Wales

Nearly wild pros:
Fewer or no other people
Quiet landscapes
Time with nature

Nearly wild cons:
Very basic facilities
Often not next to the car
Farm camping can mean flies

If you’re worried about having permission to camp, don’t trust your map reading skills or want to be slightly nearer to other people, wild camping might not be for you. However, you might be interested to hear that Wales has plenty of nearly wild camping sites. These are often quiet corners of fields or woodlands that landowners have given over to campers who don’t need any home comforts. You’ll pay a small charge for the privilege of space, a tap and an outside composting loo but you’ll still get that back-to-nature feeling that true wild camping delivers.

The Nearly Wild Camping Club is a non-profit co-operative that aims to link up people who love quiet camping with landowners who want to provide that experience. They currently list over 20 wilder campsites in Wales.

Finding a campsite in Wales

Campsite camping pros:
Warm loos and showers
Other people to talk to
Often nearer to attractions

Campsite camping cons:
More people can mean more noise
You may feel squashed in
More expensive than wilder camping

To find your perfect camping holiday in Wales you need to understand what exactly it is you and your family enjoy. If you love meeting new people and having someone for the kids to play with, opt for a bigger site, if you enjoy a bit of space but don’t mind the odd ‘good morning’, choose something smaller. One thing we would recommend is avoiding bigger booking organisations. You should always get in touch with your campsite directly. That way you get the chance to ask all the important questions and get a feel for whether or not the host is going to be the right one for you.

Glamping in Wales

Glamping pros:
Stay warm in colder weather
A tent-like experience without the hassle
Inside toilets
All the fun of camping

Glamping cons:
More expensive than camping
You might have to walk to your loo
You’ll need to book early for the best glamping sites in Wales

It’s much easier to find glamping in Wales than it used to be and this more luxurious style of camping has become very popular. We’re not surprised, the possibility of swapping the hassle of a wet tent and hard floor for the comfort of a proper bed and a wood burning stove often appeals to even the hardiest of campers. Whether you find yourself in a glamping pod, a yurt or a wooden cabin for your holiday, you’ll still be able to enjoy all your usual campsite activities like campfire cooking, field games and family adventures but you’ll also be able to extend your camping season into the winter months, get some well-earned rest and even take along members of the family who might not have previously given camping a go.

There are plenty of glamping options out there but for warmth, style and the feeling that you’re still in a tent, you really can’t beat a yurt. It’s hard to believe a yurt can keep you so warm in the winter but that’s exactly what they were designed to do. Used as portable shelters in Central Asia, they would be carried from place to place by pack animals and provided shelter in the dry grassland and extreme weathers of the Steppe. Yurts are still used by Mongolian communities today. Wooden cabins are becoming increasingly popular as a glamping option for their more robust nature and the increased space they offer.

Yurts and Cabins: Glamping at Strawberry Skys

Here at Strawberry Skys, we feel we’ve hit the perfect balance between traditional camping and more relaxing glamping. Our four yurts and cabins are beautifully spaced out in the middle of our lovely 10 acres and you can choose whether to enjoy a quiet family time around your own campfire or get to know your neighbours at our communal kitchen and barbecue area. Each yurt, or cabin, has its own designated heated bathroom; our showers are hot and our composting loos are so lovely it’s only the sawdust that gives them away. Inside the yurts you’ll find plenty of space for the family and you’ll soon discover that glamping life offers the ultimate inside-outside experience most of us are looking for.

Get in touch today to find out more about how yurt glamping could be your perfect camping holiday in Wales.