Three Cliffs Holiday Park Review: Our First 5* Family Glamping Trip (Gower, Swansea, South Wales)

Summer is here and Baby Holbrook is five months old, so we eased ourselves into our first family adventure with a luxurious glamping stay at the legendary Three Cliffs Holiday Park. Did it live up to expectations or will we be sticking to our old fashioned tent and sleeping bags?

One of the few good things to come from the Covid epoque has been a new perspective on travel and adventure. I think many of us have realised that you don’t need to leave the country to find yourself “elsewhere” or to experience exciting new things. This has proved especially valuable to me personally, as a new father and ex-travelholic. Because there’s only so far you can go with a little baby and, more to the point, only so far you want to go.

Luckily for us we live in one the most beautiful corners of the UK. The Gower peninsula in Swansea, south Wales has some of the most spectacular beaches and coastal paths I’ve ever seen. I mean, yes, of course I’m biased, but there’s no question that I’m speaking the truth.

Three Cliffs Campsite, Gower, Swansea - by Ben Holbrook-41

Anyhow, to get to my point…

Now that the weather’s been getting good, we wanted to plan our first family camping trip. Two or three nights to test the waters. And it struck me that we literally have some of the best campsites on earth right on our doorstep.

Top of our list was Three Cliffs Holiday Park, which overlooks my favourite beauty spot on the Gower, Three Cliffs Bay.

Living up to their 5-star reputation, they offer luxury yurts as well as traditional camping pitches. Perfect for our first camping trip with our 5-month-old old baby boy!

A Bit About Three Cliffs Holiday Park

Three Cliffs Bay Holiday Park is a five star holiday park offering luxury glamping, traditional camping and touring pitches. It’s somewhat famous in Gower and there’s no denying it boasts the most enviable location and vistas of any campsite in all of Wales – if not the UK.

The campsite sits atop a hillcrest overlooking Three Cliffs Bay, offering unbeatable elevated views over this ever-changing tidal landscape.

Location-wise, it just doesn’t get any better.

The Staff/Service

I’m one of those people who is overly sensitive to nuances of service. I can dine at the finest restaurant on earth or stay at the fanciest hotel, but if the staff don’t back it up I simply can’t enjoy myself.

It strikes me that campsites are often run by landowners rather than hospitality pros, with customers service being something of an afterthought (and campers something of a nuisance). But this most certainly isn’t the case at Three Cliffs.

Tom Beynon is the park’s infectiously passionate and hands-on manager. He’s clearly put a huge amount of thought, energy and money into making the customer experience as enjoyable and seamless as possible. And, you know, it’s really paid off. He’s even developed a welcome team that’s specially tasked with… well, making you feel welcome. And they do!

What’s more, like me, Tom is immensely passionate about the Gower and all it has to offer visitors. He supports other local businesses and I think sets the standard for what the Gower’s tourism industry should be aiming for.

You may have already watched some of Tom’s social media updates, in which he shares weather updates, offers tips on what to see and do locally, and drops his famous catchphrases – especially when there’s “wall-to-wall sunshine”!

I’m not going to lie, I felt a little starstruck when I met him in person! What a great guy!

The Glamping Yurts

As I understand, there are two types of glamping yurts available at Three Cliffs: sea-facing and non-sea-facing.

They’re all fantastic, with tons of space and seriously comfortable furnishings and facilities. Each yurt boasts a full-sized double bed, sofa, dining table, fridge/freezer, kettle, heater and standard electricity sockets (so you can plug your own devices in).

Each yurt also has its own picnic table, fire-pit and gas bbq, as well as a water supply so you don’t have to walk over to the communal water tap to fill your kettle or wash your dishes.

What’s more there’s crockery and complimentary (Welsh) tea & coffee, milk and wine. The result of all this is that you can literally just turn up, hop out of your car and straight into your luxury yurt without having to go through the rigamarole of traditional camping, where you literally need to think of everything including the kitchen sink.

Everything you could possibly need or want is right there for you. This made the experience truly easy and comfortable for us with a new baby in tow.

The Camping and Touring Pitches

As above, there are sea and non-sea facing pitches. I think the pitches overlooking Three Cliffs Bay below must be among the most in-demand camping spots on earth.

The views are unquestionably, to quote one of Tom’s catchphrases, “absolutely stunning”, and I dream of returning one day and waking up to that epic view.

The prices are reasonable, though naturally you’ll have to book far in advance.

The Food & Drink

The campsite’s shop is impressively stocked with everything you might need, including fresh meat, milk, chilled beers, wines and soft drinks. And the highlight for us, Tom gets up at God-knows-what-time every morning to bake his delicious pastries and bloomer loaves.

It’s funny when you reflect on your holiday… the parts that stand out. For me it was having chocolate-filled pastries and strong black coffee in the morning and then later in the day, after our evening stroll, stocking up on a few bottles of ice-cold Gower Brewery ales to sip on whilst I flamed our burgers on the barbie. It’s the simple things.

There’s also an onsite food truck offering hot bites every evening. And you can also enjoy a coffee and something sweet in the little cafe area.

So yes, again, you could literally turn up and stock up on whatever you might need to eat and drink. It’s all very well thought out, and extremely convenient.

Showers / Toilets

It’s safe to say that the toilets and showers at Three Cliffs definitely live up to the campsite’s five-star status.

What I really like about them is that you get your own private shower room and toilet, rather than it just being a block where you shower next to other people and the like. They’re modern and pristinely clean, and wouldn’t look too out of place in a luxury hotel.

If only all campsite toilets and showers could be this impressive.

Verdict

I knew that we would love Three Cliffs Holiday Park, but I didn’t expect to be quite so impressed. The grounds and facilities are beautifully maintained and the staff are unwaveringly dedicated to offering a five-star experience.

I think anyone who loves camping is sure to be equally impressed, while those who are less au fait with joys of life outdoors will appreciate the creature comforts offered in the yurts. They’re ideal for couples looking for a little romance alongside their adventure, while the advantages for families are obvious.

The pièce de résistance; the location is simply sublime. If you’re dreaming of camping by the sea somewhere on the Welsh coast, this is definitely the spot.

I’d never been glamping before and, if I’m honest, had never really seen the appeal. But now that I’ve tried it, especially as a family, it’s safe to say I’m fully converted.

As my wife Sarah said, “There’s no going back after this.”