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We've just come back from Nantcol, having had beautiful weather. The site is perfect for kids in warm weather; the river is shallow enough for paddlers, and deep enough for small inflatable boats. Our boys spent all day in the river, playing with other kids.
We pitched in a good position, albeit a bit of a trek from the first-class toilet block. The firepits were a nice touch, and the wood available from the shop was very dry and easy to light.
The location is quite exquisite. The waterfalls are a short (if steep) walk away, but beautiful to see. Some stunning views of the surrounding countryside are just a few more minutes' walk away too.
As others have said, rock pegs are a must.
The one criticism I would make is that, given the site's distance from a shop of any description (and none within reasonable walking distance for anyone with small children), the site shop's offerings are a bit threadbare. Surely it would be worth their while to provide a proper camp shop, rather than just an ice-cream kiosk. That said, the ice-cream is rather good.
Overall, an excellent site with friendly management and spotlessly clean facilities. I'd come well stocked with food though, or it's a trek into harlech or barmouth.
We visited this campsite with our tent in July and although fairly busy at the weekend a lot of campers went home on the Monday. The cost was £16 per night for the two of us.
The toilets and showers are first class, they did get a bit messy at one point but was soon cleaned. I think the mess was caused by some children more than anything.
The surrounding area is stunning and this is an ideal place to go exploring.
The pub as you get into the village does an excellent meal and is quite reasonable.
One of the bonuses for this site is they do allow a campfire and will sell you the logs for it.
Unfortunately we mostly had rain and parts of the site did get a bit muddy, but overall the site drained well.
There are no negatives about this campsite, the approach road is tight, but driven with care, it's easy. The only small issue I had was that the grass was a bit long, but considering the weather I could understand.
This is a first class site in a fantastic location. I have to admit about being worried about the approach road to the site, as previous reviews have commented about a steep, narrow road with few passing places, but we didn't experience any problems.
The facilities are excellent, clean at all times and we never had to queue although this probably had more to do with lots of campers cancelling due to poor weather. The showers are some of the best we have come across and we didn't mind paying for them, they were worth it.
The waterfall walk and the riverside walk are great, with fantastic views once you reach the top, our dog has never had so much exercise.
The sign at the entrance to the site does state that no groups are allowed but in small letters underneath it says 'without prior notice' and there were quite a few groups of young people camping in tents but all behaved impeccably.
I would return to this site and would have no hesitation in recommending it to fellow caravanners/campers.
Well done to all who work so hard to make this site a fantastic place to stay.
The entrance road is a bit tight for a big motorhome but we managed it fine, it was wet when we stayed so some pitches we're a bit waterlogged/muddy but owners were great at shifting people around to accommodate
Nice toilets, lovely down beside the river
Midges nightmare, but lotion up and you'll be grand!
Will be back, infact we're back in a few weeks!
Campfires allowed, shop could be better (missed opportunity)
Just returned from spending a week at Nantcol over the jubilee weekend.
The site is set in beautiful surroundings and perfectly placed to explore both mountains and beaches.
The camping field was nice & flat. It wasn't too busy when we arrived so we had a good choice of where to pitch. The ground is firm with quite a few buried rocks which proved tricky to get pegs in. Thankfully we had rock pegs. Delta pegs went in easily too.
Our two year old thoroughly enjoyed splashing in the stream and exploring the the nature trail.
The weather was mixed at the start of the week degrading to rain at the end. Be warned it is midgy misery when the fine weather does return. Being able to light a campfire helps but they are canny creatures and always find a way to get a bite in. Might be worth the site investing in those midgy traps that some areas of Scotland use.
The toilets were clean and never seemed to have to queue for the ladies but hubby said there was always a queue for the mens in the morning. Hooks on the back of toilet doors to hang your wash bag & towel on if you need the loo before heading to the showers. Showers were 50p for 5 mins and were clean & hot. Small stool for keeping dry clothes off wet floor in the shower. Always had to queue for a shower as only 3 in the ladies. Washrooms were excellent. Made it so easy to get my 2 year old washed and changed for bed. 3 basins with electric sockets at each.
Pot washing area was excellent. Plenty of room and I think 5 sinks in total. Some queuing here at busy periods but not for long.
The reception office sold cold drinks, sweets (including bags of marshmallows) and ice cream. They will also freeze your freezer blocks & charge your mobiles for free.
Every evening they rode round on a quad selling bags of logs for £4.
The Queen Victoria pub in Llanbedr served delicious food and was family friendly. Our 2 year old had a ball on their playground.
The site did get busy but it didn't feel over crowded and although there was some queuing it wasn't so bad.
Will go again but maybe at the extremes of the season to avoid the midges.
Glanllyn is situated on the shore of Lake Bala in Wales. 16 acres of natural parkland and spectacular views of nearby hills and mountains make it an idyllic spot to pitch a caravan, motorhome, tent or campervan with level grass or hardstanding pitches. For water sports enthusiasts there is a private shingle beach with easy launching area for windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding. Camp shop, wifi, laundrette, excellent heated toilet & shower facilities. The market town of Bala is 3 miles away with plenty of small shops, pubs & retaurants, cinema and a leisure centre. Find out more here
We visited this site over the early may bankholiday, for 3 nights.
We are a family of 4, with 2 children agd 6 and 4.
What an idyllic site this is! We had a fantastic weekend here.
The approach road is a little hairy with a caravan, as it is a single track, with a sheer drop down one side, just pray you don't meet oncoming traffic, as there are no passing points either!
I wouldn't let that put you off taking a caravan, as there is very little traffic (only from the camsite), and most people are in tents, not caravans, and the owners are very helpful!
We checked in and were shown to our pitch, which was allocated as we had electric hook up. Campers without hookup can pretty much pitch were they like! The owners were very friendly.
The toilets/showers are new and immaculate. I didn't use the showers as we have one in the caravan, so didn't make sense to pay 50p for one but others who were with us said they were excellent.
We made a campfire, they sell logs/marshmallows on the site (though little else, so bring your supplies with you!), it was great fun. The children enjoyed foraging for firewood in the woods behind the site, and looking for big stones to make the fire (there are plenty about the site)
The waterfalls are lovely, make sure you take wellies as we had great fun wading through the water.
We ventured off site into Barmouth, a traditional seaside town. Lovely clean beach with donkey rides. There is a fairground here too, and a nice little town to wander around.
A brilliant campsite and we will definitely be returning.
We came here after friends recommendation with 2 adults and 3 children (aged 15, 14, 6).
First impressions whilst driving up the steep narrow track was the beauty of the location. It looked absolutely wonderful. When booking in, the owner was friendly and very approachable.
I am led to believe that the new shower/toilet block was only opened a couple of months ago. It was spotless! The shower (50p card from shop) was piping hot and you get 5 minutes. There were 3 basins in the separate washroom, and the decor wouldn't have looked out of place in a hotel.
The site was pretty busy, and the kids were straight down to the river! The youngest spent all day making new friends and swinging into the river on a rope swing. The river where the kids all play is very safe. It is only thigh deep at the most for your average 6 year old, and is overlooked by the grass bank which is perfect for a spot of sunbathing. Make sure they have sturdy waterproof shoes on though, as some of the rocks underneath are quite sharp.
There is a convenience store in the village which sells all your essentials, and it is only a 10 minute drive either way to Barmouth or Harlech for the beaches, or markets. (UK sausage champion is on the way to Barmouth! Perfect for the evening BBQ)
In the evening, after the BBQ, we built a campfire and toasted marshmallows. KIds absolutely loved it and will be back probably next month!
Oh, remember to bring some bug repellant. There was absolutely no wind one night, and my legs were bitten to shreds!
We camped here (2 adults and our 18 month old) 12th - 19th May and had pretty much the whole campsite to ourselves, apart from at the weekend - it was great.
Aled and his wife were so lovely, chatty and helpful. We couldn't have been made to feel any more welcome.
Toilet blocks and shower facilities and washrooms all spotless!
Gorgeous scenery and beeches and campsite has no traffic noise. We loved it.
Got engaged whilst we were here, yet another reason to remember it forever and are sure we'll come back again one day.
My partner chose this campsite as it is one of the few that allows campfires. We knew that the campsite was located next to a waterfall (hence the name). What we didn't know was how stunning the site would be!
After a long drive (my first time driving on very narrow roads!) we were greeted by the very friendly and helpful Aled who showed us around and informed us that we could pitch our tent anywhere we liked! Bonus! We chose a lovely spot in the small field next to the river (handy for chilling bottles of cider).
The site is ideally located for exploring North Wales and Snowdonia and the local village has a brilliant little butchers and shop. The family that own it are very helpful and friendly and went out of their way to help us when we wanted to extend our stay over the weekend of the Royal Wedding.
The boys go around the campsite of an evening on their quadbike selling bags of firewood for £4. The showers are clean and have plenty of hot water (50p for 5 mins) although I believe that a new shower block has just been constructed.
We had a wonderful holiday and will definitely be staying at Nantcol Waterfalls again when we next go to North Wales.
We stayed on this beautiful site for a few nights. Fabulous location - out in the wilds but stuning scenery. Lovely walks along the river / stream and views of the waterfalls. Just opened an additional shower / toilet block that the site needs as did get busy over the Bank Holiday. The owner allows open fires and even comes round in the early evening with cut fire wood for £4 per bag. Showers are on a card basis at 50 pence each available for the little reception area which the owner appears to open mornings & evenings.
Hook ups available along with easy access to water taps. Easy to get to Shell Island, Harlech etc. Little village with two small convienece shops and a very good local butcher - ideal for the bar b q. No hard standings but firm ground and easy on & off access. If you like the basic beautiful camp site setting this one is for you !
Glanllyn is situated on the shore of Lake Bala in Wales. 16 acres of natural parkland and spectacular views of nearby hills and mountains make it an idyllic spot to pitch a caravan, motorhome, tent or campervan with level grass or hardstanding pitches. For water sports enthusiasts there is a private shingle beach with easy launching area for windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding. Camp shop, wifi, laundrette, excellent heated toilet & shower facilities. The market town of Bala is 3 miles away with plenty of small shops, pubs & retaurants, cinema and a leisure centre. Find out more here
Our second visit to Nantcol was as enjoyable as our first in 2010. The site is spacious and never feels cramped. We especially enjoy a glass of wine around a campfire.
The facilities are fine as long as fellow campers observe the niceties. The owner is well aware of the concerns some have raised and apparently the builders are in from 1st Nov 11 with a view to having new extended facilities up and running for next season. Current showers will become the launderette.
Nightly fee is good and a hot shower is currently 50p for 5 mins. Pitch where you like unless you have EHu - but even those pitches are of a good size.
Locally Llanbedr has some small shops for the essentials but Porthmadog is an easy drive for larger purchases. We enjoyed visiting the Llechwedd slate caverns at Blaenau Ffestiniog and Betwys-y-coed is lovely. Small tip here, toilets by the station cost 20p, but if you go over the small bridge opposite the welsh wool shop toilets are free.
The only downside we found with this site is that pub/restaurant etc are not within an easy walk, but that won't stop us returning next year!
I have been going to Nantcol since the current owners (Aled Jones) father was running the site back in 1987. Back then the site was nothing but a field and a few walking routes.
Move on to present times, and I'm now father to a little 4 year old girl who loves the site as much as I do. Not only that - I feel safe in the knowledge that I'm surrounded by likeminded campers, and collectively we all ensure that the kids have a great time, and remain safe whilst they do so.
The owners are friendly, accommodating and committed to providing a wonderful, relaxing camping experience.
The addition of the toilet block was a major step forward - although I bet very few visitors appreciate the effort Aled put into hiding a 2000 fresh water tank INSIDE the hillside! True to his environmental beliefs the tank is completely buried in the hillside, and it is impossible to notice any scarring of the landscape.
Much has been made of the fact this this is a family site - which it is, but to be honest I have made so many friends (Singles, couples, families and groups of friends) that I feel it is somewhat unfair to label the site as families only. The one thing the site doesn't cater for is large groups of youngsters - although if they take the time to contact Aled directly and talk to him about what they want from their time camping he is normally willing to accommodate them as long as they obey the (minimal) site rules.
The stream (part of the River Artro) is a delight for the kids, whilst 100m up the stream is a cascade of waterfalls, culminating in a large, deep and cold pool that is perfect for older swimmers to take a dip and dive into. Its a wonderful natural feature that compliments the site perfectly.
There are a lot of walks up above the waterfall, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to get lost as the land is bounded by the river, so any walk you attempt invariably becomes a circular walk.
Away from the campsite is another well known, gentle walk called The Roman Steps (nice review of the walk here: http://solitary-walker. Blogspot. Co. Uk/2008/06/roman-steps. Html )
The Queen Victoria pub in Llanbedr village is a really pleasant place for either a meal or to slake your thirst - food is always reasonable and always well prepared. The place can get extremely busy during fine weather though.
In summary - I've been going to Nantcol for 25 years, and the efforts that Aled Jones has put into developing the site over latter years are reflected in the consistently good reviews he gets from everyone.
I just hope I'll still be fit enough to be going in another 25 years. Well done Aled. :-)
I arranged for a group of friends to meet up at this site. Although we had the wettest, windiest weekend of the year, we all enjoyed our stay - All 19 of us.
I stayed for 5 nights and was sorry to leave. I agree that more showers and loos needed, but a new block is to be added by March 2012.
The pitches in the hook up area were looking particularly tired and muddy, but it was the end of the busy season.
Would I go back? Like a shot, no worries. Probably do the same thing next year. So much to do and see in this beautiful area.
We stayed at this site for 1 night whilst touring in the area. The site was busy, being school holidays. This is a perfect campsite if you have small children, especially if you manage to get a pitch right next to the lovely shallow river, I know when my children were little they would have happily played there for hours.
Also being able to have a campfire is lovely, logs and kindling for sale but take or buy firelighters as it was slow to get the logs going.
There are lovely walks from the site, you can follow the river up to the waterfalls and walk through the woodland which we and our dog enjoyed.
The toilets and showers were reasonably clean, the water pressure in the showers could be better and in the morning there was a long queue to use them, only 3 unisex showers and it is a busy site.
The only other negative for us, who were holidaying without our teenage children, was that the site is very child friendly and therefore whilst we were trying to relax in the evening and enjoy the tranquillity and listen to sound of the river, we had children shouting and running round our van.
Therefore I think this site is perfect for families but if you really want to enjoy the wonderful location probably best to visit at quieter times. This area of Wales is beautiful, the combination of mountains and coastline is very special.
Amazing site. This was our first visit to Nantcol and I'm sure we will be back!
We found it to be a clean and very tidy site, with a lovely bunch of people running it!
Although the site was often full during our stay, it never felt crowded. Yes we did sometimes have to wait for a shower or to wash up, but the wait was never long and new amenities are planned for next year (2012).
Our children loved playing in the river and on the many rope swings, actually quite a few of the parents enjoyed the rope swings too! We also enjoyed many camp-fires and its lovely to look around the campsite at night and see various families sitting chatting around their fires!
The area is spectacular and it's well worth getting your walking boots on and going for a wander!
Looking forward to returning.
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Common Questions
Is Nantcol Waterfalls child friendly? YES, it accepts children View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Nantcol Waterfalls? There is a shop within 1 mile View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
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Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
Glamping Units 
Holiday Homes for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
No Rallies 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
No Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
Freezer / Fridge 
No Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop <1 mile 
Bar <1 mile 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway <1 mile 
No Playground 
No TV Room 
No Games Room 
No Evening Ents 
Fishing On Site 
Wild Swimming On Site 
Indoor Pool <5 miles 
No Outdoor Pool 
No Horse Riding 
Cycle Hire <1 mile 
Golf <5 miles 
No Tennis 
Beach <5 miles 
Watersports <10 miles 
Boat Launch / Mooring <5 miles 
No Sea Views 
Working Farm 
Campfires Allowed 
Riverside Pitches 
Public Transport <5 miles
No Dog Walk 
We've just come back from Nantcol, having had beautiful weather. The site is perfect for kids in warm weather; the river is shallow enough for paddlers, and deep enough for small inflatable boats. Our boys spent all day in the river, playing with other kids. 
