Cardiff Caravan and Camping Park
Cardiff
The only touring park inside the city, in parkland a mile and a half from the castle
About Cardiff Caravan and Camping Park
Run by the city council and set in Pontcanna Fields, this is as central as camping in a British capital gets. The park occupies a corner of the flat riverside parkland that runs north from Sophia Gardens, screened by mature trees, with the Taff Trail passing the gate. From the entrance it is a walk of about twenty-five minutes along the river into the centre, past the cricket ground and through Bute Park, which means you can arrive by tent and still make a rugby international, a concert or a night out without ever getting into a car.
The site takes tents, touring caravans and motorhomes and stays open all year, which is rare in this part of Wales. Pitches are level and grassy with hardstanding available, and there is a heated shower and toilet block, accessible facilities and a laundry. Wi-fi reaches the area around reception. It is a functional municipal site rather than a resort — there is no shop, pool or play area — but the standard of the washblock is good and the setting does the work. Pedal Power, the cycle hire charity, operates from the same field, which is useful if you have arrived without wheels.
Dogs are welcome on leads and there is limitless space to walk them, with Llandaff Fields and the riverbank both immediately adjacent. Being inside the city, it books out completely for Six Nations weekends and major stadium events, so reserve well ahead if your dates coincide. Note that it is a well-used urban park: expect joggers, cyclists and dog walkers from early morning, and a background hum from the city rather than rural silence.