Smugglers Cove Boatyard

While other vessels at Smuggler’s Cove Boatyard come and go as easily as the tide, The Boy John and Hannah are permanently landed high and dry. This pair of boats, one a former fishing trawler the other a 32-foot yacht, offer places to stay that are as quirky as it gets. But it’s not only the accommodation that recommends a stay here; the ever-changing views across the Dyfi Estuary do that too. And those are shared with three secret camping pitches tucked 100 metres along a tree-backed footpath on the water's edge.

For years it was only boatmen who enjoyed this estuary location at the southern edge of Snowdonia National Park but now campers are as welcome as the sailors. Staying here, whether in a tent or rustic landed boat, is a truly unique experience. Beyond portholes and tent flaps is a scene that changes as much within the hour as most sites do across the season. Make a morning brew over the campfire as high tide laps just beyond your toes then watch as boats and water retreat. By lunchtime it's become a private beach, the water now a narrow channel that slithers through the sands while long-legged birds wade along its edges and ospreys soar overhead.

In fact, there’s a nature reserve, RSPB Ynys-hir on the opposite shore, so it’s no wonder the birdlife is abundant. If you’ve come with a kayak or canoe, you can paddle out into the water to try and get closer to the wildlife but, to reach the reserve, you'll need to take to dry land. It's a drive of 25 minutes, past Machynlleth, the nearest town. Alternatively, explore in the other direction to find nearby Aberdyfi or, inland, for Snowdonia's mighty peaks.

The lie of the land means that settlements, rail and road all hug the coast and you’re well aware of that here. Smuggler’s Cove Boatyard is just off an A-road and, as you walk from the car park, you pass beneath the Cambrian Railway. Throughout the day, the whoosh of a train every hour or two and the sound of passing traffic blend in with the tap, tap tapping of boatbuilders and the gentle dinging of rigging on masts. Serene as the view across the estuary is, this is not a silent spot and it’s not a purpose-built glamping site. The Boy John does not have a perfect paint job, The Hannah’s cooking equipment is just what you’d get at sea. But it's all this that makes Smuggler's Cove Boatyard an authentically interesting place to stay – with views that are hard to beat.