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5 Best Essex Caravan Holiday Parks - 2026
There's a pretty good choice of caravan holiday parks in Essex, which is conveniently located for a trip away from London, Suffolk or Kent. You'll find that most of the big names in the UK caravan park market are represented in Essex, including Haven, Parkdean Resorts, Park Holidays and Away Resorts.
Essex has a few traditional seaside resorts for a day out, including Southend on Sea (home to the world's longest pleasure pier, in case that impresses you) and Clacton on Sea. Big attractions in Essex include Colchester Zoo, Clacton Pier and Colchester Castle.
We've picked out five of the best caravan holiday parks in Essex by looking at facilities, location, customer reviews and value for money. For a rough price comparison, we looked for a family holiday for a week in August 2026.
Essex has a few traditional seaside resorts for a day out, including Southend on Sea (home to the world's longest pleasure pier, in case that impresses you) and Clacton on Sea. Big attractions in Essex include Colchester Zoo, Clacton Pier and Colchester Castle.
We've picked out five of the best caravan holiday parks in Essex by looking at facilities, location, customer reviews and value for money. For a rough price comparison, we looked for a family holiday for a week in August 2026.
1. Dovercourt Holiday Park, Harwich (outdoor swimming pool, clubhouse, soft play)
Park Holidays has got five holiday parks in Essex, but Dovercourt Holiday Park is our favourite.
It scores 4.1/5 from reviewers on TripAdvisor and 4/5 on Google Reviews (giving us a total of 81%). If you want an alternative Park Holidays site in Essex you can choose from Park Holiday's Seawick Holiday Park and St Osyth and Martello Beach Holiday Park).
There's a 'rustic' beach a couple of minutes walk away from Dovercroft Holiday Park or you can walk about half an hour minutes to the main beach. The beach at Dovercroft deserves praise for its cleanliness. It gets the maximum three star rating from the Environment Agency, which tests water quality during the summer months. That's certainly not the case with every beach in England!
Onsite facilities at Dovercroft include an outdoor swimming pool (during the warmer months), playgrounds, a sports court, minigolf, a clubhouse with entertainment, a good sized soft play area and a restaurant.
If you want a day trip, Frinton on Sea or Clacton on Sea are both half an hour away in the car.
Dovercourt is one of several dog friendly holiday parks in Essex.
Price: £849 for a week in a Gold Plus caravan in August 2026. The caravan has two bedrooms and sleeps six people, although a caravan with an extra bedroom was only about £90 extra for the week. Gold grade was the cheapest available when we checked. It's worth mentioning that the price had dropped £10 over the space of a year, so I'd say this is a good deal!
It scores 4.1/5 from reviewers on TripAdvisor and 4/5 on Google Reviews (giving us a total of 81%). If you want an alternative Park Holidays site in Essex you can choose from Park Holiday's Seawick Holiday Park and St Osyth and Martello Beach Holiday Park).
There's a 'rustic' beach a couple of minutes walk away from Dovercroft Holiday Park or you can walk about half an hour minutes to the main beach. The beach at Dovercroft deserves praise for its cleanliness. It gets the maximum three star rating from the Environment Agency, which tests water quality during the summer months. That's certainly not the case with every beach in England!
Onsite facilities at Dovercroft include an outdoor swimming pool (during the warmer months), playgrounds, a sports court, minigolf, a clubhouse with entertainment, a good sized soft play area and a restaurant.
If you want a day trip, Frinton on Sea or Clacton on Sea are both half an hour away in the car.
Dovercourt is one of several dog friendly holiday parks in Essex.
Price: £849 for a week in a Gold Plus caravan in August 2026. The caravan has two bedrooms and sleeps six people, although a caravan with an extra bedroom was only about £90 extra for the week. Gold grade was the cheapest available when we checked. It's worth mentioning that the price had dropped £10 over the space of a year, so I'd say this is a good deal!
Dovercourt Holiday Park has had significant investment recently
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Here's the outdoor pool at Dovercourt
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2. Haven's The Orchards Holiday Park, Brightlingsea (beachside, indoor and outdoor swimming pools)
**Winner: best value and cheapest Essex holiday park**
**Haven's Offers: Last minute bargains from £49 + Christmas 2025 from £109 + Summer 2026 from £159**
Haven is arguably the most famous name in the UK caravan park market and they've got one site in Essex - The Orchards - which is close to Brightlingsea and Clacton-on-Sea.
The Orchards doesn't score quite as highly from reviewers as some Haven holidays parks. Its current rating is 3.4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.1/5 on Google Reviews, which works out as 75% overall.
However, there's still a lot going for it if you want a holiday with a familiar name in Essex. Dogs are welcome in lots of the caravans and there are plenty of positive comments.
The Orchards doesn't score quite as highly from reviewers as some Haven holidays parks. Its current rating is 3.4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.1/5 on Google Reviews, which works out as 75% overall.
However, there's still a lot going for it if you want a holiday with a familiar name in Essex. Dogs are welcome in lots of the caravans and there are plenty of positive comments.
What is there to do at The Orchards?
Onsite, you'll find a good range of entertainment including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a nine hole golf course, a sports court and playground. There are also a number of activities you can sign up for including archery, nature discovery sessions and football training sessions (you pay extra for some activities).
Lots of the accommodation at Haven's The Orchards overlooks water and the site is right alongside a beach called Point Clear Bay. This particular beach is very scrubby and is more of a dog walking area rather than a place to bring a bucket and spade.
If you want to head out to pick up a stick of rock or a kiss-me-quick hat, it is 15-20 minutes in the car to Jaywick and Clacton Pier. The cleanest beach in the area (according to Environment Agency data) is at Holland on Sea. It gets the top mark for cleanliness and is a 20 minute drive from The Orchards.
Lots of the accommodation at Haven's The Orchards overlooks water and the site is right alongside a beach called Point Clear Bay. This particular beach is very scrubby and is more of a dog walking area rather than a place to bring a bucket and spade.
If you want to head out to pick up a stick of rock or a kiss-me-quick hat, it is 15-20 minutes in the car to Jaywick and Clacton Pier. The cleanest beach in the area (according to Environment Agency data) is at Holland on Sea. It gets the top mark for cleanliness and is a 20 minute drive from The Orchards.
How much will it cost me?
Price: £605 for a Saver caravan for a family of four for a week in August 2026. Saver caravans are the cheapest Haven grades. You can upgrade to bronze, silver, gold and signature. Upgrades give you extras such as a balcony, central heating, a dishwasher, towels, wider caravans and extra TVs. The signature models have the best views overlooking the lakes.
That price is slightly cheaper than last year. Well, it's £4 cheaper than the same holiday in 2025 but that's not to be sneezed at when everything else gone up in price.
Read our blog about the different grades of caravan offered by Haven or look at Haven's official comparison.
If you don't plan to use any of the facilities, choose the Haven Hideaway option when you book to save £120 on this particular holiday. You can still use the restaurants with this no-frills option. In this instance, the holiday would have been £475 if we went for Haven Hideaway - that's a bargain for a family holiday in August.
That price is slightly cheaper than last year. Well, it's £4 cheaper than the same holiday in 2025 but that's not to be sneezed at when everything else gone up in price.
Read our blog about the different grades of caravan offered by Haven or look at Haven's official comparison.
If you don't plan to use any of the facilities, choose the Haven Hideaway option when you book to save £120 on this particular holiday. You can still use the restaurants with this no-frills option. In this instance, the holiday would have been £475 if we went for Haven Hideaway - that's a bargain for a family holiday in August.
Haven's only Essex caravan park has two swimming pools...
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...and a playground, as well as golf, archery and football
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3. Mersea Island Holiday Park, near Colchester (beachside, indoor swimming pool, hot tubs)
**Mersea Island Discount Code: up to 10% off via this link with code AWRAF7 until 31/12/25**
Mersea Island Holiday Park is run by Away Resorts, which has about a dozen caravan parks around the UK. It's a medium-sized holiday park and customer reviews are very positive (86% overall, including 4.3/5 on both TripAdvisor and Google Reviews). It's also in a decent location with direct access to a nice stretch of beach.
Onsite facilities are a bit limited, but there is an indoor swimming pool, a restaurant and a playground. There is also a clubhouse which puts on entertainment at peak times.
It's a dog-friendly site and has a mix of different accommodation options including cheap caravans and luxurious lodges with hot tubs called 'Indulgent TriBeCa'.
If you happen to own a boat or a jetski, you can launch it from the private beach. Also, would you mind lending me a tenner? The good news is that the beach at West Mersea is clean enough for a swim. It's another one that gets the top three star rating for cleanliness from the Environment Agency.
If you fancy a wander, Cudmore Grove Country Park is nearby.
Price: £867 for a week in a Luxury caravan for a family of four in early August 2026. This particular model is pet-friendly but they also have some standard models, which is better if you have an allergy to dog hair!
Top tip: being flexible with your arrival date can save you quite a bit of money at Mersea Island Holiday Park. A midweek arrival is usually cheaper than arriving on a Saturday but it does vary. In this instance, a Monday arrival was £203 cheaper than a Friday arrival!
Onsite facilities are a bit limited, but there is an indoor swimming pool, a restaurant and a playground. There is also a clubhouse which puts on entertainment at peak times.
It's a dog-friendly site and has a mix of different accommodation options including cheap caravans and luxurious lodges with hot tubs called 'Indulgent TriBeCa'.
If you happen to own a boat or a jetski, you can launch it from the private beach. Also, would you mind lending me a tenner? The good news is that the beach at West Mersea is clean enough for a swim. It's another one that gets the top three star rating for cleanliness from the Environment Agency.
If you fancy a wander, Cudmore Grove Country Park is nearby.
Price: £867 for a week in a Luxury caravan for a family of four in early August 2026. This particular model is pet-friendly but they also have some standard models, which is better if you have an allergy to dog hair!
Top tip: being flexible with your arrival date can save you quite a bit of money at Mersea Island Holiday Park. A midweek arrival is usually cheaper than arriving on a Saturday but it does vary. In this instance, a Monday arrival was £203 cheaper than a Friday arrival!
Mersea Island Holiday Park is near a beach and it gets very good reviews
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It's also got an indoor swimming pool for less sunny days
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4. Coopers Beach Holiday Park, Mersea Island (indoor and outdoor swimming pools, coastal location)
**Coopers Beach offers: Caravan holidays from £99**
Parkdean Resorts is one of the biggest names in the UK caravan park market. They've got more than 60 caravan parks after a merger a few years ago with Park Resorts. Most of them are in coastal locations and have a decent range of facilities. We've visited loads of them and have generally been impressed.
There are five Parkdean Resorts holiday parks to pick from in Essex. I would start by looking at either Weeley Bridge Holiday Park or Coopers Beach Holiday Park, depending on what's important to you.
There are five Parkdean Resorts holiday parks to pick from in Essex. I would start by looking at either Weeley Bridge Holiday Park or Coopers Beach Holiday Park, depending on what's important to you.
What's so good about Weeley Bridge and Coopers Beach?
Coopers Beach is a large holiday park that is near to a beach at Mersea Island and has indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Weeley Bridge is a much smaller holiday park that is 15 minutes drive from Clacton on Sea and is alongside fishing lakes. It has an outdoor swimming pool, but it's got much simpler facilities than Coopers Beach.
Weeley Bridge scores slightly higher with reviewers. It gets an average score of 84% across TripAdvisor and Google Reviews whilst Coopers Beach is on a still-respectable 79%.
Personally, I'd pick Coopers Beach as two of my top criteria for a holiday park are a beachside location and an indoor swimming pool.
Price: £759 for a family of four for a week in a Raven caravan at Coopers Beach Holiday Park in August 2026. For £40 extra you could get a caravan for eight people, so might be worth considering if you're a big group and are looking for a cheap caravan holiday in Essex. Weeley Bridge was £699 for the same week for a caravan that sleeps six people. Read our blog for tips on choosing a Parkdean Resorts caravan.
Weeley Bridge scores slightly higher with reviewers. It gets an average score of 84% across TripAdvisor and Google Reviews whilst Coopers Beach is on a still-respectable 79%.
Personally, I'd pick Coopers Beach as two of my top criteria for a holiday park are a beachside location and an indoor swimming pool.
Price: £759 for a family of four for a week in a Raven caravan at Coopers Beach Holiday Park in August 2026. For £40 extra you could get a caravan for eight people, so might be worth considering if you're a big group and are looking for a cheap caravan holiday in Essex. Weeley Bridge was £699 for the same week for a caravan that sleeps six people. Read our blog for tips on choosing a Parkdean Resorts caravan.
Coopers Beach Holiday Park is run by Parkdean Resorts...
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...and it gets reviews of 79% from customers
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5. St. Osyth and Martello Beach Holiday Park, Clacton-on-Sea (indoor swimming pool, beachside, extra facilities at adjacent parks)
St Osyth and Martello Beach Holiday Park is another caravan site run by Park Holidays UK. They're a big name in the UK market and also run Dovercourt Holiday Park (see number 1).
St Osyth and Martello Beach were previously considered two separate parks, but they are now bundled together - which makes sense as they were next door to each other.
The park's average review score is 74% (3.7/5 on both TripAdvisor and Google Reviews) whilst Dovercourt is on 81% (4.1/5 on TripAdvisor and 4/5 on Google Reviews). Despite that, I would say that St Osyth's is a better choice if your priority is a holiday park with easy beach access and an indoor swimming pool.
The pool is a good size and has a waterslide, so it will provide a useful way to fill a couple of hours on a wet day.
The local beach is mostly sandy and is right next to some of the caravans onsite. The caravans at the far end of the holiday park are about 10 minutes walk to the beach.
Besides the swimming pool, there is also a fishing lake, a kids' club and an entertainment venue that has evening shows.
St Osyth and Martello Beach were previously considered two separate parks, but they are now bundled together - which makes sense as they were next door to each other.
The park's average review score is 74% (3.7/5 on both TripAdvisor and Google Reviews) whilst Dovercourt is on 81% (4.1/5 on TripAdvisor and 4/5 on Google Reviews). Despite that, I would say that St Osyth's is a better choice if your priority is a holiday park with easy beach access and an indoor swimming pool.
The pool is a good size and has a waterslide, so it will provide a useful way to fill a couple of hours on a wet day.
The local beach is mostly sandy and is right next to some of the caravans onsite. The caravans at the far end of the holiday park are about 10 minutes walk to the beach.
Besides the swimming pool, there is also a fishing lake, a kids' club and an entertainment venue that has evening shows.
Access to extra facilities
Park Holidays also a nearby holiday park called Seawick. You're allowed to use the facilities at that park as well, during your stay. Seawick is a big and busy park that has a swimming pool, playgrounds and minigolf.
The resort is about three miles west of Clacton on Sea, so it's close enough for regular day trips.
Price: £869 for a Gold Plus caravan for a family of four in early August 2026 at St Osyth and Martello Holiday Park. You could upgrade to a caravan which sleeps eight people for about £90 extra, which would be excellent value. Pets are allowed in some of the accommodation.
The resort is about three miles west of Clacton on Sea, so it's close enough for regular day trips.
Price: £869 for a Gold Plus caravan for a family of four in early August 2026 at St Osyth and Martello Holiday Park. You could upgrade to a caravan which sleeps eight people for about £90 extra, which would be excellent value. Pets are allowed in some of the accommodation.
St Osyth and Martello Holiday Park was previously two separate parks
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The park leads directly onto this beach
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Price comparison of the 5 best caravan holiday parks in Essex
To give a rough idea of price, we looked for the cheapest holiday we could find for a family of four in August 2026. We looked for the cheapest accommodation available for a week and didn't include optional extras such as activities that cost extra. However, we did include the option to use the facilities at Haven rather than a more basic 'Haven Hideaway' holiday that just includes accommodation and use of the food outlets.
We carried out our searches in September 2025. You will generally find that booking a holiday park early is the best way to get a good deal as the cheaper accommodation gets booked up, but occasionally there are last minute deals too.
Here's our top 5 holiday parks in Essex in order of price:
Images are from Away Resorts, Park Holidays, Parkdean Resorts and Haven.
We updated the review scores in June 2025.
We carried out our searches in September 2025. You will generally find that booking a holiday park early is the best way to get a good deal as the cheaper accommodation gets booked up, but occasionally there are last minute deals too.
Here's our top 5 holiday parks in Essex in order of price:
- Haven's The Orchards Holiday Park - £605 **Winner: best value and cheapest holiday park**
- Parkdean Resorts Coopers Beach Holiday Park - £759
- Park Holidays Dovercourt Holiday Park - £849
- Away Resorts Mersea Island Holiday Park - £867
- St Osyth and Martello Beach Holiday Park - £869
Images are from Away Resorts, Park Holidays, Parkdean Resorts and Haven.
We updated the review scores in June 2025.
