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10 Best Devon Caravan Holiday Parks - 2022
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We've picked 10 of Devon's best caravan holiday parks by comparing prices (during August for a family of four), reviews from visitors, facilities and location.
Most of Devon's holiday parks are along either the north or south coast of the county, although we have included a couple of highly rated parks near Dartmoor. South Devon includes the cities of Exeter and Plymouth, as well as the old-fashioned seaside resorts of Torquay and Paignton, the fishing town of Brixham and the pretty sailing towns of Salcombe and Dartmouth. North Devon has choppier waters, so it is popular with surfers around Croyde and Westward Ho! The north of Devon also has several seaside resorts including Ilfracombe. Here are 10 of the best holiday parks in Devon, including busy parks with indoor swimming pools and quieter parks to get away from it all: |
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1. Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Park (Exmouth) - busy seaside Haven park, indoor pool
**Haven Offers 2022: Last minute bargains from £49 + Summer Holidays from £299 + Autumn Breaks from £69**
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Haven only has one holiday park in Devon, but it gets good reviews (4/5 on average) so it's a good option if you like the style of Haven parks. As you would expect from Haven, it is a big, busy, family-friendly park so one for those seeking entertainment and space for the children to run around.
Devon Cliffs has outdoor swimming pools as well as an indoor pool just in case the weather doesn't match the photos on the Devon tourist board website. There's also a high ropes course, mini-golf, water sports on the nearby beach and a Segway course (those two wheel things that American businessmen stand on). The location is very good, with a short walk down to Sandy Bay. It's also only a short drive into Exeter, which is well placed for some of the county's bigger attractions or a day shopping. It's near Torquay which I personally find a bit twee, but it appeals if you want the classic English Riviera seaside experience. It's also not too far from the rather lovely Dartmouth Steam Railway. Price: £1075 for 2 adults and 2 children for a week in August 2022 in a Devon Cliffs standard caravan. Top tip: Arriving on a Friday is much cheaper than arriving on a Saturday at a Haven holiday park. |
Devon Cliffs is next to a beach and it has a choice of indoor and outdoor swimming pools...
...as well as climbing, mini golf, high ropes and watersports
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2. Waterside Holiday Park (Paignton) family park, quite good facilities
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Park Holidays UK runs six caravan parks in Devon, and the one which tends to get the best reviews is Waterside Holiday Park in Paignton (average of 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor).
It's in the classic style of English seaside holiday parks with kids' clubs, adventure playgrounds and somewhere to eat. The local beach has a blue flag (which means you will hopefully be the only thing floating in the sea). It's also near to Torquay which is a busy tourist town. One slight reservation I've got is that Waterside Holiday Park only has an outdoor pool. That is fine on a sunny day in summer but it might reduce your options if you arrive to find the forecast is seven days of rain. Still, it is well placed for exploring places like Salcombe and Brixham or for visiting Paignton Zoo, Go Ape Haldon Forest or the big aquarium in Plymouth. Price: £1235 for a week in a gold caravan for 2 adults and 2 children in August 2022. That was the cheapest available when we checked but you might find bronze and silver availability on different dates. |
Waterside Holiday Park is in an attractive setting...
...with a beach nearby
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3. South Bay Holiday Park (Brixham) cheap family park, indoor pool
**John Fowler's Latest Offers: Summer from £389 + Last Minute Bargains**
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There are four Devon caravan holiday parks run by John Fowler holidays. The one which gets the best reviews from visitors is South Bay Holiday Park. It averages 4 out 5 from TripAdvisor reviewers.
The park is well equipped with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. There is also evening entertainment for adults (bingo etc.) and children's clubs. You can walk down to a local beach, as long as you don't mind a few steps. It's a sandy and rocky beach which is good for exploring rather than for an ice cream and a stick of rock. However, one plus point is that it is along the so-called 'English Riviera' so there are lots of nice sandy beaches to explore if you spend a few minutes in the car. It's also only a short drive to Dartmoor. Price: £889 for a two bedroom chalet for a family of 2 adults and 2 children for a week in August 2022 |
South Bay Holiday Park is one of several John Fowler Holiday Parks in Devon...
...and it has a range of different grades and sizes of caravan
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4. Parkdean Resorts Ruda Holiday Park (Croyde) beachside, surf school, indoor swimming pool
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Parkdean Resorts has more holiday parks than anyone else in the UK. There are more than 60 in various coastal locations including four in Devon. Parkdean is sometimes a little cheaper than Haven holiday parks, although I’d say that Haven is a whisker ahead on customer review scores.
The two Parkdean Resorts holiday parks in Devon with the best reviews are Ruda Holiday Park on the north coast near Woolacombe and Challaborough Bay Holiday Park on the south coast (halfway between Plymouth and Dartmouth). Both score 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor but Ruda Holiday Park scores 4.3/5 on Google Reviews compared to 4.2/5 for Challaborough Bay. Ruda Holiday Park is a good choice if you want to try surfing as it’s very near to Croyde Bay and has a surf school onsite. It’s also got a decent sized indoor swimming pool with a long slide. Another bonus is that it offers glamping safari tents, which isn’t an option at Parkdean Resorts’ other holiday parks in Devon. Ruda doesn’t have the vast range of activities that you get at Haven’s Devon Cliffs holiday park but there are nature trails, a playground, soft play, evening entertainment and a couple of places to get food. Challaborough Holiday Park is on a similar scale with soft play, a playground and an entertainment venue. It doesn’t have loads to do onsite, compared to some holiday parks but the local beach is very pleasant and there are lots of good walking paths. Your other options for a Parkdean Resorts holiday park in Devon are Torquay Holiday Park and Bideford Bay Holiday Park. Both require a bit more effort to get to the beach and score slightly lower with reviewers. If you go for Ruda Holiday Park then there are quite a few family friendly attractions within a 45 minute drive in North Devon. Options include Lynton and Lynmouth (with the steam powered lift), a sheep themed park (The Big Sheep) and Exmoor Zoo. Price: £1369 for a family holiday in a Northleigh Caravan in early August 2022. That’s the price for a two bedroom caravan which sleeps up to six people. |
The indoor pool at Ruda Holiday Park is good fun...
...and the beach by the resort is great for bodyboarding and surf lessons
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5. Tarka Holiday Park (Barnstable) positive reviews, well located for outstanding beaches
**Winner: cheapest Devon holiday park**
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Tarka Holiday Park doesn’t have a swimming pool, a restaurant or a clubhouse. So, why does it get outstanding reviews on TripAdvisor?
The short answer is that it offers good value accommodation in a convenient location for exploring a pretty park of Devon. It’s very competitively priced when compared to other caravan holiday parks in Devon and the Westcountry. Generally speaking, Westcountry holiday parks are a bit pricier than those in Yorkshire, Northumberland and Scotland. Barnstable is only a five minute drive away and is well stocked with shops. In the other direction you’ve got a choice of Woolacombe Beach, Croyde Beach and Saunton Sands. They’re all popular beaches and are 10-20 minutes drive from Tarka Holiday Park. The site is run by Park Holidays which has more than 40 caravan holiday parks around the UK. Price: £772 for a two bedroom caravan which sleeps six people. That’s the price for a week in August 2022. For less than £100 extra we found a three bedroom caravan which sleeps eight. If you filled it to capacity then you’d only be paying £15 per person, per night. That’s a really good price for a Devon holiday park in the school summer holidays. |
Tarka Holiday Park is a simple holiday park but it's great value...
...and the local beaches are some of the best in Devon
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6. Sandaway Beach Holiday Park (Ilfracombe) outdoor swimming pool, rocky beaches nearby, sea views
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Sandaway Beach Holiday Park is mid-sized by John Fowler’s standards. We rate it because of its location next to a quiet beach and its impressive sea views.
It’s one of the better value caravan parks we’ve found in Devon. Reviews are solid at around 4/5, although it’s marginally behind the average score for John Fowler’s South Bay Holiday Park. You can choose from several bays and coves around the park, including Newberry Beach and Wild Pear Beach. Most of the local beaches are better for adventurous exploring, rockpooling and paddling rather than for sandcastle building with toddlers. The famous seaside town of Ilfracombe is only about 10 minutes drive away. Sandaway Beach Holiday Park has an outdoor swimming pool, but it doesn’t have an indoor pool. However, there are pay-as-you-go activities organised on the water such as kayaking and ‘water walkers’ (the giant balls you climb inside). If you want to eat onsite, there’s a bar and a takeaway. They also host entertainment during the busier times of year, such as bingo. Price: £849 for a two bedroom value chalet for a week in August 2022. They can sleep six people, but that would require two people to sleep in the lounge. |
Sandaway Beach Holiday Park has an outdoor swimming pool and sea views
There's a big range of accommodation available, including these chalets with sea views
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7. Riviera Bay Holiday Park (Brixham) lodges, sea views, beach nearby
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Riviera Bay Holiday Park is more of a lodge park than a caravan park, after some significant upgrades in recent years. Its trump card is its location with good sea views from the site. There is a stony beach you can access from the park but it’s quite steep so it won’t be suitable for everyone.
Riviera Bay doesn’t have much to do onsite, but it offers a hybrid holiday which will appeal to some. You get peace and quiet at the resort and the option to walk up the road to a sister park which has lots of facilities. The nearby resort is called Landscove and it has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a bar and restaurant and an entertainment venue. It’ll take you about 15 minutes to walk between the parks. The beach and harbour at Brixham is about 20 minutes walk or a short drive. Paignton is a 20 minute drive and has a number of attractions including Paignton Zoo. The lodges at Riviera Bay Holiday Park are two or three bedroom and some of them are pet friendly. It currently scores 5/5 on TripAdvisor or about 4/5 on Google Reviews. Price: £1943 for a week in a two bedroom lodge for a family of four in early August 2022. |
Riviera Bay has lodges with top-notch views of the Devon coastline...
...and the local beach is a good one for adventures and exploring
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8. Woodovis Park (Tavistock), small inland park, lots of facilities
**Winner: best value Devon holiday park**
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Woodovis Park wins our best value award because of the consistently glowing reviews from visitors (5/5 on TripAdvisor).
It's one of the few inland holiday parks in Devon which we recommend, and you'll have to drive about 40 minutes to reach a beach, but it is well placed if you want to explore Dartmoor or parts of Cornwall. Facilities and entertainment at Woodovis Park are a bit quirkier than the usual pool-table-with-3-balls-missing which some holiday parks offer. As well as an indoor swimming pool, children's play area and table tennis, they also put on circus skills, pony and carriage rides and storytelling sessions. It's also quite near the National Trust's Lydford Gorge which has a big waterfall (by UK standards, it's certainly not Niagara Falls...) and River Dart Country Park which is a good day out for outdoorsy children. The caravans are named after birds, so you can stay in something with the fantastic name of a 'super finch plus'. Price: £889 for 2 adults and 2 children in August 2022 in a Super Finch caravan. The caravan is actually a 6 berth so you could squeeze in a couple of extras in the lounge. |
It's not by the coast but reviews for Woodovis Park are outstanding...
...and it has a good choice of activities including archery and circus skills
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9. Ladram Bay Holiday Park (Otterton, South Devon) family facilities, beachside location
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Ladram Bay Holiday Park in South Devon ticks a lot of boxes for me, as it has a lovely beachside location and also has loads to do onsite.
The onsite facilities include (take a deep breath if you are reading this out loud to a disinterested spouse): indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna and steam room, club with entertainment, children's and teenage clubs, restaurant, bar, waterwalkerz, raft building, indoor soft play, adventure playground, crazy golf, kayaking, paddleboarding and fishing. You have to pay extra for some things. The local beach is gorgeous too, so I probably wouldn't get around to using much onsite. It's a short drive to Sidmouth or Exmouth, which are pretty little towns, and it's also close to West Dorset's Jurassic coastline. Average reviews are 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor and are similar on other review sites. Price: £1714 for 2 adults and 2 children in August 2022 (6 berth comfort caravan) |
Ladram Bay Holiday Park offers watersports at the local beach...
...and has an indoor swimming pool, as well as soft play, crazy golf and playgrounds
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10. Devon Bay Holiday Park (Paignton) busy park, near attractions
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Devon Bay Holiday Park is in Paignton, so it's near to several of Devon's busiest attractions including Paignton Zoo and Greenway (Agatha Christie's holiday home). It's about 45 minutes drive to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. It's walking distance to the beach at Goodrington Sands and isn't too far from the pretty coastal towns of Brixham, Salcombe and Dartmouth.
The park is run by Hoburne which has a few parks across the Westcountry, and it has enough to entertain excited children for a week. I would say it's not one to choose if you want to get away from it all, but it's a good choice if you want lots to do at the park and nearby. There's an indoor swimming pool with flume, as well as an outdoor pool. There are also children's clubs, indoor soft play, an outdoor playground, crazy golf, basketball and football areas. Just in case you get five minutes to yourself, there is a gym, sauna and steam room. Reviews are very good, averaging 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor when I checked. Price: £1262 for 2 adults and 2 children for 7 days in August 2022 in Classic Plus 2 caravan. |
You can walk to the beach from Devon Bay Holiday Park...
...or have a dip in the indoor or outdoor swimming pool
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Which is cheapest? Price comparison of 10 of Devon's best holiday caravan parks
We looked for the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four, for a week in August 2022. We searched in November 2021 and looked for a holiday starting on either a Friday or Saturday. From cheapest to most expensive:
- Tarka Holiday Park - £772 **Winner: cheapest holiday park**
- Manleigh Park - £825
- Sandaway Beach Holiday Park - £849
- South Bay Holiday Park - £889
- Woodovis Park - £889 **Winner: best value holiday park**
- Devon Cliffs Holiday Park - £1075
- Waterside Holiday Park - £1235
- Devon Bay Holiday Park - £1262
- Parkdean Resorts Ruda Holiday Park - £1369
- Ladram Bay Holiday Park - £1714
- Riviera Bay Holiday Park - £1943
Images from Haven, Park Holidays, John Fowler Holidays, Parkdean Resorts and Snaptrip.
