Advertisement
Reviews of Shell Island Camp Site
|
|
|
|
Shell Island Camp Site
Shell Island
Llanbedr
Gwynedd (Browse area)
LL45 2PJ
Tel: 01341 241453
Visit their website Check Digital TV coverage See Weather Forecast
   
|
Pitches: 800
Open: 08/04/2024 to 11/09/2024
08/04/2025 to 11/09/2025
Rating: 
|
 Tent Pitches |
 No Caravans |
 Motorhome Pitches |
 Small Campervans |
 No Glamping Units |
 No Statics for Hire |
 No Statics for Sale |
 No Seasonal Pitches |
 No Electric Hookups |
 No Hardstandings |
 No Fully Serviced Pitches |
 Show Full Facilities |
| Who's it for |
 Families Welcome |
 Not Members Only |
 No Rallies |
 Not Naturist Site |
 Dogs Welcome |
 No Dogs Allowed |
 Groups Welcome |
|
| Facilities |
 Toilet Facilities |
 Hot Showers |
 No Washing Up Area |
 No Bathroom |
 No Baby Changing |
 Laundry On Site |
 Drinking Water |
 Disabled Friendly |
 Chemical Disposal |
 No Battery Charging |
 Gas Exchange |
 Recycling Facilities |
 No Kitchen Facilities |
 No Freezer / Fridge |
 No Motorhome Point |
 Wifi Access |
 Shop On Site |
 Bar On Site |
 Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site |
| Activities |
 Kids Playground |
 TV Room |
 No Games Room |
 Evening Entertainment |
 Fishing On Site |
 Wild Swimming On Site |
 No Indoor Pool |
 No Outdoor Pool |
 Horse Riding <5 miles |
 No Cycle Hire |
 No Golf |
 No Tennis |
 Beach On Site |
 Watersports On Site |
 No Boat Launch |
| Other Features |
 Sea Views |
 Not Working Farm |
 Campfires Allowed |
|
 Coastside Pitches |
 Public Transport <5 miles |
 Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access |
|
Reviews:
301 in total, now showing 221 to 230
Previous 10
Next 10
|
|
Jump to Page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
|
Write your own Review to win an Outdoor Revolution Screenhouse 4 and £150!
If you've ever visited this campsite please submit a review for your chance to win! Each month one lucky person will have their review picked at random and will win an Outdoor Revolution Screenhouse 4 worth £299 AND £150 of Amazon vouchers. Leave as many reviews as you can for more chances - it only takes a few minutes
|
| Date of Visit: June 2008 |
Unit: Touring Caravan |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
 | Facilities:
 | Customer Service:
 |
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
 | Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Brewood Camper |
6 reviews from this member |
|
 Stayed here for a long weekend at the end of June 2008 with the wife, two kids (5 and 9) and the dog (3). I consider Shell Island the ronseal of campsites – it does exactly what it says on the tin, this is not a 5 star hotel it is camping and I think that you need to remember that!
When we returned the dog slept for about a week the walks down the beach and sand dunes are fantastic and you can lose a day very easily without leaving the Island. One word of warning make sure you take some decent tent pegs and not the poxy ones you seem to get with tents these days as the winds picked up Saturday night / Sunday morning and because you are so close to the sea you have no protection from the wind, if you stay on the grass you should be OK but if you go in the sand dunes remember sand does not hold the pegs as well.
This site is great for the kids because they run, explore and as I’ve two boys play football till they drop without bothering any other campers.
The campsite itself has all you would expect but as the site can hold around 800 tents you have to expect for it to get busy from time to time but for me this adds to the fun. The shop, café and gift shop is properly slightly above the average price you would expect to pay on a campsite but on the flip side the camping shop is very reasonable and a pint of Lager cost £2.50 which is 10p cheaper than my local at home– so good times here. The cooked breakfast I had on Saturday morning was very nice and very filling and set me up for the whole day.
There is a laundry room which we did not use as only being here for a weekend so can not comment. The restaurant did not seem to be open but it may just have been coincidence it was shut the times I walked past so again can not comment. There is a small to medium amusement arcade, which the kids loved.
There is no evening entertainment but you can sit outside the pub on the patio area and the kids can play on the park and nip in and out the amusement arcade safely and in full view while you have a pint or two! There is now a security vehicle that drives round the site at night and a zero tolerance rule of no music after 11pm, which is a great improvement and well enforced.
In summary it was an excellent site and would highly recommend it and I will absolutely be returning in the future. If I was Prime Minister for the day I would pass a law that every child should visit Shell Island at some point of there childhood because they have so much fun there. 
|
|
| Date of Visit: June 2008 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Cliff n Pat |
25 reviews from this member |
|
Our second visit here & the first thing we noticed was a new company doing the dreaded portaloos, I have to admit though, they are a vast improvement, cleaned every day while we were there & there is no longer a foot operated sink for washing hands but a chemical dispenser which is much better ( like a hospital).
The site itself is unique, there are grass , sand dune & woodland pitches so something to suit most people.
There are a lot of sloping pitches but this didn't seem to bother most people but there are also plenty of flat pitches, just dont turn up on a Friday evening & expect to have your pick.
There are plenty of stand pipes for fresh water but no disposal points so we used the portaloos for emptying the Luggableloo as it was this or the bushes.
The main complex is at the entrance with shop, camping supplies, bar & cafe all located together.
The site has its own beaches, huge dunes & a small harbour where people can fish in comfort as the tide comes in.
As has been said before, for people with children this is a very safe site, just keep an eye on them near the harbour when the tide is in.
For about a week or so every month on the biggest tides the island is cut off twice a day so check the tides on the website or you could be sat for a few hours waiting to get on or off.
There are no EHUs on the island so its back to basic camping but it does make a nice change.
As for the staff, I never had a problem with them, they were always chatty & helpful. At busy times like every other campsite in the world ,the clowns & morons turn out but this isn't the sites fault, the 20metre rule helps but there's always one who cant count past 10 without taking their shoes off so just remind them before they pitch or have a word at the office.
Do I like this site?, yes.
Will I go back? , definitely.
For those who like to get out & about, well the whole of North Wales is within an hours drive.
|
|
| Date of Visit: April 2006 |
Unit: Tent |
|
| Reviewer: Erin1979 |
2 reviews from this member |
|
Shell Island is beautiful and lots to do for kids. The rock pooling is brilliant!
Site is overall clean but the toilets are a bit of a nightmare, I will be investing in a loo before we return as holding your breath every time you go to the loo is not good for your health!
The causeway is great, you feel really cut off from everything, and it gives much entertainment value on an evening when the tide is coming back in and you can see everyone racing the tide! My favourite moment was watching a Nova drift off the causeway as the tide came over the top!
Great time to be had here, will definitely go again.
|
|
| Date of Visit: May 2008 |
Unit: Tent |
|
| Reviewer: Greboicus |
2 reviews from this member |
|
I have been going on and off to Shell Island for around 30 years now, and I am sad to say this weekend’s visit may well be the last.
Now I am aware it was the Bank Holiday but having to pay for 3 nights when we only wanted 2 is nothing but a blatant money making exercise, and at a cost of £42 a very large money making exercise at that.
If the site had changed for the better because of the investment then fair enough but it has actually got worse!
We were there last year for a couple of weekends in a row and there were more portaloos than on a relatively quiet weekend than there were at this particularly busy time.
The sorry excuse for a shower block meant that one of our party lost over 90 minutes of her life waiting for the boiler to be repaired despite being first in the queue at the grand 4 o’clock re-opening. Not only that but the block itself is run down and there appeared to be no hot water in the basins for pretty much all of the day.
The main shopping/amenities area quickly descended in to one of the outer circles of hell with no-one seemingly able to look where they were going which with the amount of brainless Nova drivers speeding around made it a dangerous place to be.
The whole place seemed to have a real cannot be bothered attitude to it and this malaise applied to the majority of the staff also.
A once fantastic campsite reduced to a mere fraction of its former glory, we will not be going back any time soon
|
|
| Date of Visit: August 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
Rating:
| Rating Breakdown: |
Location:
| Facilities:
| Customer Service:
|
Value for money:
| Child friendliness:
| Overall:
|
|
| Reviewer: Muffty0805 |
2 reviews from this member |
|
I have been going to Shell Island since I was a little girl. Growing up it has been a firm family favorite and now I take my children there.
The family run site is a safe and friendly get a way. I can let my children run off round the fields or send them up to the shops for me knowing that they wont come to any harm.
Being as I have been going for so long there have been many changes. The shower block is now very clean and has been recently re-painted but never used to exist when I was little. The showers are only open for short periods during the day, and can get very busy. Make sure you know the opening times and get there a good 10 mins early to beat the rush!
The toilets at the top of the island are by far the most popular, they can very busy at peak season can get dirty, but I think this more to do with the lack of respect from other campers than the frequency that they are cleaned.
Last summer we noticed porta-loos for the first time. These blue boxs are dire. They get filthy very fast. If you must resort to using them then your own loo roll is essential.
There is small play ground for the kiddies, fantastically situated by the shops and the Pub! but also by the main entrance.
The views are heavenly. Its that, and the whole atmosphere of the island that keeps 5 generations of our family going back year after year!
Your never stuck for things to do either. Llanbedr its self is so post card picture! The local butchers has been there for years,and is far better than any you will find in barmouth.
|
|
Advertisement
|
| Date of Visit: May 2008 |
Unit: Campervan |
|
| Reviewer: Pendleton_girl |
21 reviews from this member |
|
Shell Island is a pretty unique place - a self sufficient 'island' (peninsula) which has everything you need so you do not have to get off the island at all until you want to - there is a general store, gift shop, camping shop which also sells clothing by Animal and such, licensed bar, snack bar and laundrette. Gas is available from the camping shop. So yes, you can park up and if the weather is gorgeous like it was for us the night we stayed you should have a brilliant time.
We preferred the eastern (right hand) side of the island to pitch up. Here it was nice and quiet and everyone had plenty of room to stay well apart (the site rule is no less that 20 metres apart but I wonder if that holds up at the height of the season as on the photo on the front of their leaflet no way is that the case!) The left hand side seemed to have some rubbish strewn around the sand dunes - the party side. I was also concerned about sand flies. So we pitched up on the right hand side near a path leading down to the beach. The wind soon settled down and we got settled. Lovely.
.Until - THE FLIES. We were obviously too near the sand; at first there weren't too many but when they began to be a real nuisance (late afternoon) it was too late to move as we had had a couple of glasses of wine whilst unwinding. It seems that they are particularly drawn to white vans (like ours); I am afraid that at the time of writing I am still quite badly bitten, which was a shame because it impacted on the evening and caused tension (eventually eased with more wine, sitting away from the van and a glorious sunset).
The next morning I couldn't wait to get off the island and up to Snowdonia but we were held up by the tide so remained on the island until just after 12 noon, but in another spot with no flies it went pleasantly enough.
To conclude: four important points:
1. The flies - next time we visit I will ensure I have protection and repellent to hand and I would strongly suggest you do the same.
2. The showers. When we arrived just after noon desperate for a shower one of the leaflets said they were shut from 12 until 5 (aarrgghh!), the other one said 1 until 5, luckily the second leaflet was the correct one. Be aware the showers are closed for quite long periods. They were clean and tidy but this is not peak season of course.
3. Being cut off. Check the tide times, you may find being cut off and unable to get off the island either restrictive (my feeling) or a blessing (husband's)
4. Conveniences. I wouldn't have liked to have been on there without my own loo but appreciate it's not always possible to be in that position. If you haven't got one I can only suggest you find a quiet spot near some portaloos, hopefully bag a clean one and keep it to yourself. Carry your own paper (past festival experience - it was a must!)
Finally (honest!) I will return to Shell Island, and I will enjoy it more next time because I will be better prepared for it. My husband thought he'd found heaven on earth and can't wait to get back!
|
|
| Date of Visit: May 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
|
| Reviewer: Katherine_h |
2 reviews from this member |
|
I have been to this campsite 4 times. The location is lovely, as is the scenery, however it is expensive and the facilities are poor. There is a main toilet block and servaral portaloo's which quickly get full, there are 3 ladies showers (the campsite accommadates over 100 campers)Over recent years there has been an increase in rubbish as the bins get full and you can't book, which means a long wait to see if you can get in. It is a drive or a long walk to wash your dishes. On the plus side there are plenty of water points.
|
|
| Date of Visit: March 2008 |
Unit: Tent |
|
| Reviewer: SGEO |
12 reviews from this member |
|
Lovely place as always. The toilets have been painted and they are cleaned regularly, but I would recommend you take your own (we use a luggable loo) or you could have a long walk to the portaloos dotted around the island. The island seems to have it's very own weather system as you can see what weather it isinland but on the island it is totally different. But that's what camping on Shell island is all about.
|
|
| Date of Visit: July 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
|
| Reviewer: 2mums2kids |
4 reviews from this member |
|
Shell Island has plenty to offer for two types of camper. If you end up in a field with like minded people it's a lovely place to stay.
Choose your pitch well and arrive early so you can drive round the whole place before you decide to pitch. If you have a portaloo then defo take it the chemical toilets are the only solution the island can use as they have applied for planning permission on numerous occasions and get refused due to it being a nature reserve. Where the councils logic comes from with massive amounts of chemicals being used (which need to be disposed somewhere)instead of maybe building some sort of enviro friendly buildings I cannot figure out.
Be warned the chemical toilets are not for the faint hearted especially over busy weekends. We eventually chose to drive the car to the 1 toilet block on the island every time. The staff could pay a little more attention to the facilites they have got, a lick of paint and regurlary cleaning checks would certainly make life more sanitary for the campers.
The best time for the showers was middle of the day when everyone is on the beach or later after tea. Hair dryers were supplied I think it was 50p but a small price to pay instead of queueing.
The island seems to be split into 2 halves the left side seems to be large groups and lots of alcohol, the right side is more sedate familys and older people.
The shops on site have everything you could need even a very well stocked camping shop it would fit in on any high street. There is a laundrette also therefore should you not want to leave the island all holiday you wouldn't have to. We probably won't go again but if beach is what you want this is the place to be 'just be careful where you pitch'
|
|
| Date of Visit: April 2007 |
Unit: Tent |
|
| Reviewer: Moominmama |
1 review from this member |
|
We camped here five times in 2007 and I have to say we all enjoyed it everytime.
We loved choosing a place to put the tent's, although I don't think we'll be pitching on the sand again, I'm still finding sand now!
The scenery and beaches are beautiful!
We were lucky enough to have fab dry weather everytime we went!
My children love Shell Island and can't wait to go back, believe it or not they prefer to go here than to Majorca!
The showers do get packed so it's best to go around teatime, that's when there was no cue!
The main toilet block is clean enough, we used to jump in the car and use these because the porta loo's were usually disusting, I would advise you buy you're own porta loo like we did.
My 3 year old loved the playground and my older two loved to go crabbing on the causeway!
The shop and the camping shop are great, and there is a great butcher's in Llanbedr and a great little Spar on the way to Barmouth that sells great sausages for you brekkie!
The security is great and the warden does a great job of making sure everyone sticks to the rules.
We are going back at the end of May, can't wait!
|
|
Previous
301 Reviews in total, now showing 221 to 230
Next
|
Write a Review of this Site to Win an Outdoor Revolution Prize and £150
 |
Common Questions
Is Shell Island Camp Site child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Shell Island Camp Site? There is a shop on site View all facilities
Is Shell Island Camp Site dog friendly? YES View all facilities
Other Sites Near Llanbedr Other sites within 10 miles - All Sites in Gwynedd
Latest News, Discounts and Competitions see all...
| Follow us on Facebook! |
 |
You can now follow UKCampsite.co.uk on Facebook! Keep abreast of the latest news and updates much more easily.
Simply click here then click on the Like button! |
|
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
|
8994 Visitors online !
Free UKCampsite.co.uk Window Sticker - Recommend to Friend - Add a Missing Campsite
[Message Forums]
[Caravan Sites & Camping]
[Company Listings]
[Features / Advice]
[Virtual Brochure]
[Shop!]
[Reception]
[Competitions]
[Caravans & Motorhomes For Sale]
[Event Diary]
[Contact Us]
[Tent Reviews]
Please note we are not responsible for the content of external sites & any reviews represent the author's personal view only. Please report any error here. You may view our privacy and cookie policy and terms and conditions here. All copyrights & other intellectual property rights in the design and content of this web site are reserved to the UKCampsite.co.uk © 1999 - 2024 |
Advertisement
|
|
|
