Caravan club sites in Gwynedd

Gwynedd holds the heart of Eryri and the whole of the Llŷn Peninsula, which gives it the widest range of caravan touring in Wales. It also has the steepest roads and the highest rainfall in the country, so the choice of site and route matters more here than elsewhere.

Where the sites are

Four clusters. Llanberis and Caernarfon sit on the north-west side of the mountains and are the obvious base for Yr Wyddfa. Beddgelert, Porthmadog and Criccieth hold a second group with mountains behind and beaches in front. Bala and the Dee Valley form a third, popular with watersports. Dolgellau, Barmouth and the Mawddach estuary make the fourth, with Cadair Idris on the doorstep. The Llŷn beyond Pwllheli — Abersoch, Aberdaron, Nefyn — is busy in August and quiet either side of it.

Getting there

The A55 Expressway along the north coast is dual carriageway from Chester to Holyhead and the fastest approach; come off at Bangor or Caernarfon for the north of the county. From the Midlands, the A5 through Llangollen and Betws-y-Coed is slower but scenic and handles a caravan fine. The A470 from the south is the spine route and is a long, hilly, village-heavy road. Budget generously.

Local notes

Bwlch y Groes between Bala and Dinas Mawddwy is the highest public road in Wales, with gradients around 1 in 4 and no barriers. Do not take a caravan over it; use the A494 and A458 instead.

The A4086 Llanberis Pass is structurally fine but chokes with parked cars at Pen-y-Pass from dawn in summer, leaving barely a lane. Go early or use the A498 through Beddgelert.

Pitches in Eryri sit on wet ground well into May. Ask for hardstanding if your outfit is heavy, and expect grass pitches to be restricted after prolonged rain even in August. Most sites open late March to the end of October.