Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park in Lincolnshire: Our review of Haven's Mablethorpe resort

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​Haven Golden Sands

Haven Golden Sands is a whopper - but is it any good? We went to find out

A jumbo sized chair to go with a jumbo sized resort

After spending much time writing about and visiting holiday parks in the UK I've realized that there are several that go under the name of Golden Sands. 

I think it's fair to say that Haven Golden Sands is the most famous with that name and it offers a lot of what we look for in a holiday park.

We spent a long time referring to this map as we got our bearings at Haven Golden Sands

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A dominating part of the landscape

As we approached Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park, it became apparent how much this holiday park dominates the landscape around this part of Lincolnshire.

Some Haven holiday parks that we have visited, such as the outstanding Haven Wild Duck in Norfolk, are hidden away towards the end of a housing estate but Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park is much more obvious and is visible from the road for a long way. In some ways, it reminded us of Butlins Skegness, which looms over much of the town when you drive around.

As we explored the site, we were reassured that Golden Sands has much of the Haven quality that we have come to expect. 

"Fancy a game of Connect 4 before we check in?"

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Fun and games in Golden Sands' Adventure Village

Let's start with the Adventure Village where we spent quite a lot of our time. 

The Adventure Village at Haven Golden Sands is another that has seen significant investment in recent years and is looking very good. 

Many of the activities in the Adventure Village will cost you extra - such as the high ropes and low ropes, the bungee trampolines, the go-kart hire, the mini golf course and the climbing wall. 

We liked the look of the modern minigolf course

However, there is a very decent playground that is free to use and there is also lots of nice outside seating and a big screen, which shows films and provides other onstage entertainment.

Some activities are free, including this playground

You'll pay to use things such as these high ropes

Younger children can use the low ropes

The climbing wall at Haven Golden Sands is the modern 'Clip n Climb' style

The sports court is another free activity, along with a running track round the outside

I was tempted by the bungee trampolines

We found a good stock of pedal go karts at Haven Golden Sands

This entertainment area is a focal point of lots of activities at Golden Sands

We didn't go into the Owners' Lounge, since we aren't owners!

You can even wash your pants at Golden Sands

Quayside is one of the main places to eat at Haven Golden Sands

Haven Golden Sands is also one of the only Haven resorts with a Bark Yard, otherwise known as a dog agility course. These have been put into place in about six or seven Haven resorts around the UK and they are a good addition if you are a dog owner.

I offered to test out the Bark Yard agility course but was talked out of it

The indoor and outdoor swimming pools at Haven Golden Sands are a big part of its appeal, and I would recommend that you make the most of them during your visit. 

Golden Sands has both indoor and outdoor swimming pools

No, we didn't take this photo ourselves (this is an official Haven photo)

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Exploring the green space at Haven Golden Sands Holiday Park

Around the site there is quite a decent amount of greenery and trees, which is certainly a positive. Several of the independent holiday parks that we have visited around East Lincolnshire don't seem to offer this, which can make a holiday park look quite sparse and uninviting.

Golden Sands is leafier than some independent Lincolnshire resorts we've visited

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Caravans, camping and touring at Golden Sands

The caravans that we viewed around the site looked pretty modern, which is something that Haven are very good at. Haven tend to replace their older caravans regularly as they know that it can look quite unappealing if you have lots of tatty old caravans hanging around for too long. 

Caravans are mostly arranged in neat rows at Golden Sands

Some caravans are in nicer crescents overlooking lakes

This was one of the nicest parts of Golden Sands that we found on our visit

There is also a sizeable camping and touring section at Haven Golden Sands. We visited outside of the school holidays when it was not full, but there were still quite a few caravans around. 

Tourers have their own reception at Golden Sands

There are about 170 pitches at Haven Golden Sands (we looked it up rather than counting)

The touring area that we saw was flat

These facilities are provided for campers and tourers

There's also a small playground just for motorhome users and tourers

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Beach and local attractions at Haven Golden Sands

Just behind Golden Sands is a nature reserve that leads on to the beach. This stretch of coastline in East Lincolnshire is notable for offering wide open sandy beaches rather than cosy coves. If I was being very critical I would say that I prefer beaches with a little more variation and character. If you are happy with wide open beaches that are good for dog walking and kite flying then you will certainly be able to make the most of the beach next to Golden Sands. 

The park is a little way outside of the main entertainment in Mablethorpe, but you can drive in without too much bother. There is also a cute little road train that lots of people used when we visited.

This road train is a useful addition if you didn't bring a car (or just fancy a ride)

Personally, Mablethorpe is not quite my cup of tea and I have always found it a little bit less appealing than other resorts nearby. My apologies to the residents of Mablethorpe and anyone else who feels otherwise. 

I am sure Mablethorpe has lots of fans and it was certainly very busy when we visited. If you are a fan of classic British resorts with amusement arcades then I'm sure it would fill that gap for you. I do enjoy such things but for some reason Mablethorpe has never really charmed me in the same way that some other similar resorts do.

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Final thoughts and conclusions about Haven Golden Sands

If I'm going to be really picky then I will also say that I think some of the signposts around Golden Sands could do with a bit of a refresh to match with the more modern Haven branding. Haven Skegness is better in this regard. I doubt that many people pay attention to this and it is hardly likely to ruin your holidays!

Overall then, it's a thumbs up for Haven Golden Sands, which has plenty to do on site, a great big open beach on the doorstep and some good quality caravans and other accommodation.