We are not really into camping. Erm… by that, I mean ME. I’m a former hotelier after all! The kids enjoyed a short camping trip with daddy last year. They love nature, the mud, the lack of showers and all that. I love nature but I have more issues with mud and dirt than my autistic child.
So this year, we thought we are going to try glamping, so I can tag along too. Whilst looking for a clamping place in Cornwall, we came across WilderMe – and naturally (pun intended), that was that. We booked it and we could not wait. We knew we found the perfect place. 
About WilderMe Autism-friendly Eco Glamping
WilderMe is a social project for families with autism and their glamping site is located near Cawsand and Kingsand on the beautiful Cornish coast.
In their own words: “Showing compassionate attention to nature and exploring fun activities that help rekindle an ancient connection to the natural world, the WilderMe programme has been proven to calm busy minds and help tribes thrive.”
The WilderMe eco retreat is equally calming and interesting for the busy little, neuro-divergent minds, offering real outdoor adventures for autistic adults and children.
The Geodomes
Aka accommodation. One geodome is suitable for a family of 4-5. There are 6 of them. Furnished with jute rugs to keep it warm during the night, there is a double bed and apart from that, there’s space big enough for additional 2-3 single camping beds. There’s a little table with two chairs, as well as fire pit for every geodome.
The site provides bedding and sheets. You will need to take your own towels and toiletries. Anything going down the drain in the shower cabin needs to be eco-friendly.
The campsite
Maker Heights is where the WilderMe geodomes are located and it’s one of the 2 campsites in the same area.
WilderMe has its own mini kitchen/communal geodome (with gas hobs for cooking, mini fridge, and all the basic but necessary kitchen equipment. There are board games to borrow, as well as books. There’s a battery charging point for phones. It also has its own two composting toilets and two shower cabins with a washing up sink.
Within 5-8 minutes walking distance, there are cafes, a The Canteen at Maker Heights, a reception area where you can buy fire wood, a large shower and toilet block with hot water, mirrors etc that serves the entire Maker Heights camping area. (Never busy though, every time we went to use these facilities, we’re the only ones.) These are open 24/7 and I must say: spotlessly clean.
The Canteen is located where the showers and the reception area are and it is open from 9:30 till 4pm It is open to the public, so it gets busy with locals as well. Particularly because it serves delicious, locally sourced food. Run by ex-River Cottage chef Nick Platt. For the campsites, they offer freshly made pizza on most evenings as a dinner option – however, the pizzas need to be ordered beforehand, during the 9am-4pm shift and then people can collect them 5-8pm.
How to book for WilderMe Autism-friendly Eco Glamping
Booking is available directly from the WilderMe website.
Note: the site will ask you to provide proof of autism diagnosis when you book Exclusively Autism.
What’s wonderful about the WilderMe social project is its mission is to keep our prices affordable and accessable to all, regardless of income, so they’ve created tiered pricing options:
- Supported Rate: is for those unable to pay the Standard or Benefactor Rate
- Standard Rate: you will be contributing towards our running costs, supporting the work of WilderMe CIC and helping retreatants of lower incomes to access our retreats
- Benefactor Rate: if you are able to pay the Benefactor Rate, that means that you’ll be supporting others who cannot afford to benefit from a break with WilderMe. Your choice to pay this rate will help them with the running costs of WilderMe, enabling them to continue their work connecting people to nature and fostering mindfulness and wellbeing
What activities are available at WilderMe Autism-friendly Eco Glamping
- Nature walks & Shinrin Yoku
- Creative art workshops
- Kayaking & SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding)
- Sea Safari Boat Adventure
- Foraging, wild cookery workshop & feast
- Campfire sing along
We went on a foraging trip, which was 2 hours long and covered the nearby areas. Our expert leader taught us a lot about edible food to forage for and others that should be avoided. The kids really enjoyed it and the camp site area is full of blackberries so we all munched our way through the trip.
What to do nearby when visiting WilderMe Autism-friendly Eco Glamping
Visit Cawsand and Kingsand
The twin villages are really pretty even in Cornwall terms. From the WilderMe campsite it is a 15 minutes walk into the village (bit of an elevation on the way back if you are walking!) with 3-4 good restaurants and pubs (book ahead! In summer season it’s near impossible to drop in for a meal as all tables are reserved!) There’s a small convenience store in the village and delicious ice cream by the bay where the ferries are coming in and lots of rock-pooling opportunities.
Take the ferry from Cawsand to Plymouth
The Cawsand Ferry runs daily during the seasonal months, between the Barbican Landing Stage and the beautiful beaches and Cornish villages of Cawsand and Kingsand on the Rame peninsula. A wonderful boat trip in itself, plus you can discover Plymouth.
Note: this is a seasonal service running from Easter to the last Sunday in October.
Visit the Eden Project
We never miss the Eden Project when we are around – it’s really my happy place. Read my review about it here: Visiting The Eden Project
The Eden Project is a charity. It’s aim is to educate people about the living nature, connect us with each other and the living world and explore how we can work towards a better future. The building started in a huge clay pit in 1998, after the idea was born in 1995. It’s home to two biomes, planted landscapes, including vegetable gardens, and sculptures.
A full day out for anyone who loves nature and science.
Visit the town of Fowey
About half an hour drive from the WilderMe camp site, Fowey is a very pretty seaside town. It’s a beautiful place to take some photos, and there are also bars and restaurants, including Pintxo, a tapas bar, which we tried and whilst I enjoyed it a lot – the kids obviously moaned because of the lack of pizza. But there are a lot of other places to eat and do some quality shopping for nice things.
There’s a little aquarium with local sea life (don’t expect seal shows), Fowey Museum or you can take a river cruise too. There’s St. Catherine’s Castle to climb up to and we loved visiting Readymoney Cove – surrounded by towering cliffs, it is a beautiful, family-friendly and sheltered cove that is perfect for swimming or beach play (even in the rain).
Visit Whitsand Bay
Whitsand Bay is west of Plymouth and is the largest bay before the border to Devon. It runs along the south side of the Rame Head peninsula. From WilderMe campsite, the closest access point is Tregonhawke Beach, considered by many to be East Cornwall’s finest beach. High cliffs and dramatic scenery with truly magical views you will find. There’s only one catch: the access is steep. Perfect for surfing and body boarding. And I mean, steep climbing for 10 minutes straight (also many steps) on the way back to the carpark. We found two cafes: one on the beach and one on the top of the cliffs.
Visit the town of Looe
Looe is a picturesque fishing harbour situated in South East Cornwall, and about 30 minutes drive from WilderMe. The town has a rich history such as the famous Looe Bridge that joins the East and West towns and hidden treasures including beautiful woodland and cobbled streets lined with independent shops and Cornwall based chain shops like Seasalt of Cornwall, and restaurants – lots of fish and seafood eatieries.
Visit the Bohetherick Alpaca Farm
This is a working, regenerative farm with in the Tamar Valley. Apart from the traditional British breeds they use as part of their traditional and sustainable farming practices – they also have alpacas. So you can book a fun alpaca trekking session or agility as well as farm tour and feeding the farm animals. A perfect little afternoon out for the family,
