Wales is made for camping. Its epic coastline and wide open heartland are perfect places to pitch a tent or campervan and its compact size means you can visit so many fascinating places from wherever your base may be.

I have a favourite campsite and have just returned from my second visit. The clifftop views across the sea are unbeatable, the sunsets are magical, the coastal path runs alongside it and one of Wales' prettiest coastal towns is a short walk away. On top of that, there are several beautiful coastal towns and villages, historic sites, as well as world class beaches, just a short drive away.

Penrhyn Farm is a small, family-run campsite located on a working sheep farm just above New Quay in Ceredigion. It has a mix of static caravans and tent or campervan pitches but the standout feature for me is its Stargazer Dome.

This is a large, fixed tent for a couple or family featuring a bathroom with functioning toilet, sink and shower and a kitchen area with a wood burner, hob, fridge and sink. It also has one double bed and one bunk bed and there's even a living area with sofa, table and chairs and a TV. Outside there's a picnic bench to sit on, a fire pit and a hot tub. Starting at £160 a night, it's not cheap but it's certainly unique.

What is the campsite like?

The campsite is set in a couple of large, clifftop fields on the Welsh coast a short distance south-west of New Quay. It's a few short steps (through wildflowers buzzing with thousands of happy bees) to the Wales Coast Path, one of the few footpaths in the world to follow a nation's entire coastline. You can follow the path for 20-30 minutes down to the town of New Quay or explore the coast for many miles in either direction.

Looking from the dome's entrance out over Cardigan Bay (Image: Steffan Rhys) Looking from inside the dome out over Cardigan Bay (Image: Steffan Rhys)

You access the campsite by driving through the working sheep farm. The site is a mix of pitches for tents and vans and the two Stargazer Domes are fixed in place with views across the site and the Irish Sea beyond.

The outdoor area is perfect for eating, socialising and, of course, hot-tubbing (Image: Steffan Rhys) Each dome comes with its own bathroom complete with a shower (Image: Steffan Rhys)

There's loads of space for kids (and dogs) to run around and play games and there are ample, clean washing up facilities. While most pitches are on grass, the domes are on flagstone flooring, with their own picnic bench, hot tub and firepit.

Things to do in the area

One of the joys of camping and glamping is spending time cooking, eating, chatting and playing outdoors wherever in the world you may be. But if you need more than that, the first thing to do is walk the coastal path into the town of New Quay.

The Stargazer Dome has its own indoor and outdoor dining area and hot tub (Image: Steffan Rhys)

It's a short walk of 20-30 minutes, with views across the Irish Sea the whole time. There is a steep descent into the town towards the end of the walk, then you'll be among New Quay's cute cottages, shops and places to eat. The Black Lion pub has a large beer garden with great sea views, The Pepper Pot does a good Sunday roast and The Lime Crab is a brilliant fish and chip shop (the deep-fried scallops are sensational).

You walk through wildflowers buzzing with thousands of bees to the clifftop overlooking the Irish Sea (Image: Steffan Rhys) The blue waters of Cardigan Bay feature lots of boats looking for wildlife, especially dolphins (Image: Steffan Rhys)

New Quay beach isn't a match for Wales' best beaches (which are world class) but it's a perfectly nice place to sit, paddle and watch the kids play. You can hire kayaks and paddleboards and there's a shop right on the beach selling snacks, inflatables and buckets and spades. You can also take a boat trip to look for dolphins in the waters of Cardigan Bay (and you've got a high chance of spotting them).

The sunsets over the Irish Sea are jaw-dropping (Image: Steffan Rhys) The sunsets look even better when viewed from among the wildflowers (Image: Steffan Rhys)

If you want to visit New Quay but don't fancy camping, you can find cottages in the area on holidaycottages.co.uk.

Things to do around the coast

There's so much to do in this part of Wales that you could spend weeks in the area and not see everything. New Quay is roughly equidistant between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, both of which are pretty coastal towns with lots to offer visitors.

The seaside town of New Quay has beaches, boat trips and lots of places to eat (Image: Getty)

The market town of Cardigan has seen its reputation soar in recent years as a destination for independent shops, theatres, galleries and excellent places to eat and drink. Aberystwyth has a castle, promenade, the National Library of Wales, an arts centre, dozens of pubs, one of Wales' oldest universities and the longest funicular electric cliff railway in Britain which carries people from the seafront to a summit overlooking the town.

Cardigan is a market town at the mouth of the River Teifi which has seen its reputation soar in recent years (Image: Steffan Rhys) Aberystwyth is a historic Welsh town with a remarkable railway (Image: Getty)

Closer to New Quay are the smaller coastal communities of Llangrannog and Aberaeron, both of which still feel a bit like secrets when compared to Wales' more famous seaside towns and villages. At Llangrannog, which has one road in and one road out, pubs and cafes overlook the small, sandy beach that's sandwiched in a cove between two cliffs. Aberaeron is home to independent clothes and homeware shops as well as top-notch places to eat like the Harbourmaster hotel and restaurant (which Jeremy Clarkson recently said was better than the Four Seasons in Miami) and the honey ice cream-selling Hive.

Llangrannog is a small, picturesque coastal village and seaside resort seven miles south of New Quay (Image: Getty) Mwnt is a secluded cove — its historic white chapel is visible above the beach (Image: Getty)

Also along the coast you'll find gems like Cwmtydu beach, once a smugglers' paradise, and Mwnt, an incredible destination where another hidden beach is overlooked by a historic 14th century whitewashed chapel.

Inland from New Quay, Moody Meadows is a relatively new destination with a great bistro and large soft play area, or there's the beautiful 18th century estate, Llanerchaeron, now National Trust-owned.

Wales' best campsites

What makes a great campsite is, of course, subjective. My other favourite is Pencelli Castle, a well-kept and family-run campsite in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, with a perfect village pub across the road. The 35 best campsites in Wales were recently named — you can see them all here.