Caravan by the sea Trecco Bay

HOTEL OVERVIEW

You know what? I wasn’t expecting much when I first heard “caravan by the sea” – honestly thought it might be some tired old static home plonked near the beach. But this place at Trecco Bay actually surprised me in the best way possible. It’s tucked into this massive holiday park (and I mean massive – Trecco Bay stretches on forever), but somehow feels like its own little world once you’re settled in.

The thing about staying here is you get this weird mix of proper seaside nostalgia and genuine comfort that most places can’t pull off. The caravan itself is way more spacious than you’d think, and they’ve clearly put thought into the details – proper shower pressure, decent Wi-Fi that actually works, and windows positioned so you catch those sea breezes without getting blasted by wind when it picks up (which it does, this being the Welsh coast and all). What really got me was stepping outside in the morning with my coffee and having the beach basically on my doorstep. Not “a short walk to the beach” like most places claim, but literally right there. You can hear the waves at night, which is either perfect or potentially annoying depending on how you sleep – I loved it, but fair warning if you’re a light sleeper.

Porthcawl itself is one of those places that locals have been coming to for decades, and you can tell. There’s this brilliant fish and chips place about ten minutes’ walk along the front that does proper mushy peas (not the fluorescent green stuff), and the town has that lived-in feel where people actually know each other. The holiday park can get pretty lively during school holidays – families everywhere, kids on bikes, that whole scene – but if you’re here off-season or even just midweek, it’s surprisingly peaceful. Parking’s never an issue, which honestly is half the battle with UK coastal stays. The setup means you’ve got access to all the park facilities if you want them (decent pool, entertainment if that’s your thing), but you can completely ignore all that and just treat it like your own private base for exploring the coastline. I spent most mornings walking the coastal path toward Nash Point – proper dramatic cliffs and hardly anyone around – then coming back for a lazy afternoon. The whole experience just works in a way that feels refreshingly uncomplicated. No pretentious breakfast menus or overcomplicated check-in procedures, just a genuinely comfortable spot where you can actually relax and remember why you wanted to get away in the first place.