Campsites with campfires near Cardiff
Wales’ main city destination mixes culture with great scenery to tempt outdoors lovers.
Popular camping styles for Cardiff
Available this weekend
12 top campsites near Cardiff with campfires
Campsites with campfires near Cardiff guide
Overview
Wales’ capital has fashioned itself into a thriving international city in recent decades. Its compelling Victorian heritage and architecture, raised by the riches of what was once the world’s biggest coal industry, is showcased in lavish buildings like Cardiff Castle, and sits alongside compelling museums and truly excellent places to eat and drink. But the surrounding scenery is a massive part of Cardiff’s appeal too. The revamped Cardiff Bay waterfront and gorgeous green riverside space of Bute Park bestow great outdoor playgrounds upon the city itself, while the beaches and history-rich towns of the Vale of Glamorgan and the woodsy trail-laced hills around Caerphilly beckon campers just beyond.
Where to go
Bute Park
Right in central Cardiff, Bute Park, flanked by Cardiff Castle, is the beginning of Cardiff’s green corridor out of the city and is a lovely, leafy place to base yourself to enjoy both city sights and nearby countryside. You’ll find caravan and camping parks nearby, close to the River Taff and the long-distance Taff Trail and Cambrian Way.
Vale of Glamorgan
Just west across Cardiff Bay is the Vale of Glamorgan, kicking off with Penarth, a laid-back beach town accessible from the city via Cardiff Bay Barrage. Here the countryside replaces the suburbs surprisingly quickly, giving way to sandy coastline and rolling inland hills full of ancient history. Historic Llantwit Major has tranquil camping nearby, some of which puts you in touch of lovely beaches like Dunraven Bay.
Caerphilly & Around
Delightful wooded hills soar up to the north of Cardiff, separating the city from the Caerphilly region. Caerphilly is best-known for sporting one of Wales’ hugest and handsomest castles, but the rural landscapes around hide some fine camping spots. Secluded Under the Oak Glamping, with its mix of safari tents and railway carriages to sleep out in, has an enviable location in tree-dotted meadows just outside Caerphilly.
When to go
Cardiff is a buzzing, year-round destination and fittingly, campsites like the one in Pontcanna Fields are also open year-round. This is Wales, however, famous for its wet weather and the mud that it brings: April through October gives you a far-better chance of pitching under fair skies and over less soggy ground. July and August are filled with vibrant Cardiff festivals celebrating food, theatre and music—though big events also mean campsites are more crowded.
