Tanforhesgan Farm Camping & Caravan Park in Gwynedd

One of Gwynedd's best kept secrets is the Tanforhesgan Farm, Williams family run campsite at Ynys, near Harlech. We visited due to a friends' recommendation intending to stay for the weekend but stayed for the week! I think the most striking thing is the quiet. It took three days of getting used to the silence (apart from the sheep with their lambs!) before we could just barely make out the sounds of the main road and nearby recycling centre. There's a nice woodland walk nearby, you could believe you were in a prehistoric forest with dinosaurs hiding in the undergrowth. There's a steep hill at the side of the site that's well worth the climb, to see Portmeirion, Porthmadog, Borth y Gest, Black Rock sands (just!), Criccieth and the rest of the LLeyn Peninsula, all with the Snowdonia range backdrop.
There are two paddocks for camping, one very flat, the other slightly uneven (tent and guy spikes went in easy and gripped firmly), with 18 electrical hook-ups between the two and they both drained very quickly after heavy rain. The only down side of the flat surroundings can be the wind, which can swirl and change direction without warning, so awning tie-downs and guy rope double-pegging are recommended.
With enough room for forty but with a licence only for twenty (no hardstanding), you can appreciate the already spacious pitches, then, Mrs Williams expressed her principal of sticking to 16 pitches at any one time to preserve the large space and privacy! This also has the effect of easy access to the three showers (20p a time), 4 WC's (2 Ladies only) pot washing area, utility room with washing machine, dryer (both reasonably priced with an evening curfew to prevent disturbing other guests), steam iron and hairdryer. All area's are kept immaculately clean and there's a collection of bins for rubbish segregation and recycling. There's a drinking water point on each paddock and one combined chemical toilet/grey water disposal point near the main building. There's also a pair of six berth static vans, if you prefer more camping comfort for £270 per week £280 peak season!
It's a child and pet friendly site, with space for ball games and even a limited number of children's bikes and toys for guest use. There's plenty of dog walking areas, but just be aware that sheep are grazing nearby so you may have to keep your dog on the lead.
The site is ideally situated midway between Porthmadog and Barmouth and just 2 miles from Harlech, with it's famed castle, popular golf course and stunning sand dunes. There's an excellent swimming pool and climbing wall at the leisure centre, with a nice cafe that's open for breakfast and lunch and has a very big menu. There's no beach access from the site so you may choose to access the beach via the Harlech beach pay-and-display car park, but be prepared for quite a hike through the dunes.
We like to take a ride to Black Rock sands near Porthmadog, or Barmouth beach but if you prefer somewhere less commercial, there's the beach accessed at Talybont (just as you enter Talybont from the Harlech direction watch for the brown beach access sign on the right). There's a pay and display car park, but if your early, there's limited free roadside parking space, then, a short boardwalk between the dunes, down some shingle to a glorious sandy beach. A word of caution though, this beach has a naturist section, so please pay attention to the beach map as you enter, then enjoy your day.

So, if you're looking for somewhere to unwind (with better value than some nearby sites with fewer facilities), this little piece of heaven is for you, but as they say on the Secret Escapes ads, 'let's keep this strictly between us'!

What a wonderfull place,if its peace you want this is the place.Lovely family run site very freindly recomend it to anyone