Ty Newydd Farm Caravan & Camping Si…

Separated from the Llŷn Peninsula by the rip and swirl of changing tides, Bardsey Island pokes from the sea like an inquisitive grey seal. Pilgrims gather to board boats in the fishing village of Aberdaron, setting out across the sea with wind-red faces spattered by the spray of glistening salt-water. The legendary 'island of 20,000 saints' has been a destination for the spiritual since the earliest Christian times – a place where many travellers hoped to die, blessed at 'the gate to paradise; between the world and heaven'. Back and forth they would go, making up their three trips that are apparently equivalent to one pilgrimage to Rome. Yet despite it’s ethereal beauty and quaint charm, the rugged isolation of Bardsey led most of its permanent inhabitants back to the mainland for a less laborious way of life. Today indeed, if you are looking for somewhere to kick back and forget the busy world of work, the cliff and cove-lined finger of the Llŷn Peninsula is still the place to go. With views across the sea to the holy island beyond and the tranquil surroundings of typical Welsh countryside, Ty-Newydd Farm Caravan and Camping Site is the perfect perch for visitors – an established outpost that blends seamlessly into the landscape.

Down the narrow country lanes, this charming 40-pitch campsite has all the facilities you need for a relaxing break on the coast. Divided into three fields by wooden fences and surrounded by shrubby hedges, the sheltered camping pitches are flat, grassy and well drained; an easy place to pop-up a tent or park your caravan. Over half of the pitches have electric hook-ups, while all boast ample space and a short walk to the sanitary block, recently extended to add baby-changing and disabled facilities, along with extra toilet and shower cubicles. The grey brick building has a mural painted on its front picturing the lush fields and prickly coastal heathland that surround the site itself, blissful open space to fly a kite or kick about a football.

Though there is a small but well-stocked café at the entrance to the site, passing through the gate and heading a mile and a half back along the peninsula takes you to the lime-washed fishing hamlet of Aberdaron. The Ship Hotel has an excellent array of ales and a restaurant serving fresh crab from the harbour, while 14th century Y Gegin Fawr, once the final meeting place for island-bound pilgrims, is now a simple café serving clotted cream teas on the raised terrace. The village is an excellent place to join the coastal footpath, hop aboard an organised fishing trip or enjoy water sports like kayaking, surfing and sailing. Aberdaron is also still the place to join a boat heading to the famous island. Though visitors can still see the ruins of a 13th century abbey, most now come to watch the staggering array of birds and seals that sunbathe on the rocks at low tide. Head to and fro a couple more times and you could even claim you’re a hardy pilgrim – though we can’t guarantee it’ll feel like you’ve been to Rome.