Best campsites in the South West and beyond

Make it a trip to remember with our guide to the top pitches in Wales, London and the South West, including five-star, luxury campsites, perfect for all the family.

Trenance Holiday Park

Newquay

Trenance Holiday Park is a family-friendly site within walking distance of three of Newquay’s loveliest beaches – Tolcarne, Towan and Great Western – all of them ideal for beginner bodyboarders and surfers. Or you could have a go at coasteering, zip wiring or jet skiing instead.

If that lot doesn’t tire out the kids, Trenance Leisure Park is right next door to the campsite and boasts swimming pools, tennis courts, mini-golf, horse riding and a boating lake.

Larkhill Tipis and Yurts

Carmarthenshire

This award-winning campsite is hidden away on the edge of a Welsh woodland and is entirely powered by renewable energy. A wind generator, solar panels and a water wheel provide the power for the showers – and there’s a compost toilet too.

For your taste of off-the-grid goodness you can choose from five different types of tent-like accommodation – a Mongolian ger, a Scandinavian lavvu, a yurt from Kazakhstan, an Iranian Alachigh or a Native American tipi. All have comfortable beds, a wood-burning stove, an outdoor campfire area, an endless sky full of stars at night, and a gentle birdsong alarm call in the morning.

You probably won’t want to venture very far from Larkhill but, if you do, the National Wool Museum of Wales (free entry) at Dre-fach Felindre is a three-mile stroll away.

Lucksall Park

Hereford

This immaculate campsite deserves its five-star rating for its 21 acres of manicured, emerald-green pitches, an on-site restaurant and even piped music in the toilet block. As lovely as these luxuries are, the best thing about Lucksall is its stunning location. Situated right on the banks of the River Wye, it’s the ideal place for exploring the wonderful Wye Valley from the water itself.

A popular option is to rent a Canadian canoe from Hereford Canoe Hire and paddle downstream, along a scenic and gentle stretch of river, to the village of Hoarwithy.

After visiting the remarkable Italianate church of St Catherine’s and enjoying a spot of locally sourced lunch at the New Harp Inn, the folks back at Lucksall will come to collect you.

Salisbury Camping & Caravanning Club Site

Salisbury

This camping park is handy for visiting Salisbury Cathedral, where you can marvel at the tallest spire in Britain, the world’s oldest working clock, and an original copy of the Magna Carta.

Still hungry for history? Then take a bus tour to Stonehenge, just 10 miles away. Theatre buffs can enjoy productions at Salisbury Playhouse, while the weekly Wiltshire Farmers Market in the city centre has a tempting range of local foodie treats.

Ponsandane Farm

Penzance

Imagine waking up to a sky the colour of Cornishware crockery, all intensely blue with swirls of creamy clouds. Camping is a relaxed affair at Ponsandane – you don’t need to book, so simply pitch up and, well, pitch up.

Nature lovers should head for Albert Pier and Marine Discovery, a wildlife-watching company with a difference. They’ll take you around St Michael’s Mount and along the Cornish coast on their catamaran to spot seals, dolphins, porpoises, basking sharks and even minke whales. And if you feel inspired by all this marine megafauna, why not go for a splash afterwards at Jubilee Pool, the town’s cherished 1930s Art Deco sea-filled lido?

Then, once you’re back at base, you can warm up around an open fire.