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Camping and Touring in Cornwall - Top 5 2024
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Cornwall is one of the more expensive places for a camping or touring holiday with a caravan or motorhome.
However, there are some good deals - particularly if you can avoid the peak weeks. We’ve picked out five excellent campsites in Cornwall, which are good choices for families. We've focused on campsite and touring sites which offer a) access to a beach and b) an onsite swimming pool. Those are the things we can't cope without! To give you an idea of price, we’ve looked for a week’s holiday in August 2024 for a family of four towing a 5m long caravan. Of course, prices are cheaper outside of the summer holidays - or if you visit during the last week of the holidays. We included an electric hook-up as we consider that pretty essential but didn't include other optional extras. Prices and review scores are correct at the time of searching. I would imagine you figured that out for yourself... |
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1. Camping and touring at Trevella Holiday Park (drive to beach, 100+ pitches, outdoor pool)
**Cheapest Cornwall campsite in our 2024 price comparison**
Camping and touring at Trevella Holiday Park is excellent value. We found some bargain prices off-season and it's reasonably priced on peak as well.
The nearest beach is just over a mile away and will take you about 30 minutes on foot or five minutes in the car. That's not a problem for campers or tourers who have their own car but motorhome owners may prefer a beach within walking distance (e.g. St Ives Bay - see #3). Cornwall's busiest resort - Newquay - is about 10 minutes away by car.
The camping and touring field at Trevella has about 130 pitches with a range of different grades, including:
All of the pitches we found were dog friendly.
The facilities at Trevella are good but are not quite as numerous as you get at Haven's Perran Sands (see #2). For example, there is an outdoor swimming pool but there isn't an indoor pool at Trevella Holiday Park. Other things to do include a playground, fishing lakes and minigolf.
The resort is run by Park Holidays UK, who took over the running of it back in 2021. Reviews are impressive at 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.4/5 on Google reviews.
Trevella also has camping pods at the site for those who want a hybrid between a lodge and a tent.
Price: £325 for a grass pitch with a caravan for a week in August 2024. That includes an electric hook-up and shared showers and toilets. You can also upgrade to a hardstanding pitch, which has a fresh water hook-up.
The nearest beach is just over a mile away and will take you about 30 minutes on foot or five minutes in the car. That's not a problem for campers or tourers who have their own car but motorhome owners may prefer a beach within walking distance (e.g. St Ives Bay - see #3). Cornwall's busiest resort - Newquay - is about 10 minutes away by car.
The camping and touring field at Trevella has about 130 pitches with a range of different grades, including:
- basic grass pitches without electric, which are just for campers
- grass pitches with electric, which are for campers, tourers or motorhomes
- hard standing premium pitches with electric and water, which are for tourers or motorhomes
- hard standing pitches with electric hook-ups and ensuite toilets
All of the pitches we found were dog friendly.
The facilities at Trevella are good but are not quite as numerous as you get at Haven's Perran Sands (see #2). For example, there is an outdoor swimming pool but there isn't an indoor pool at Trevella Holiday Park. Other things to do include a playground, fishing lakes and minigolf.
The resort is run by Park Holidays UK, who took over the running of it back in 2021. Reviews are impressive at 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.4/5 on Google reviews.
Trevella also has camping pods at the site for those who want a hybrid between a lodge and a tent.
Price: £325 for a grass pitch with a caravan for a week in August 2024. That includes an electric hook-up and shared showers and toilets. You can also upgrade to a hardstanding pitch, which has a fresh water hook-up.
You can see the camping and touring area on the left of this view of Trevella Holiday Park
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The resort has an outdoor swimming pool
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2. Touring and trailer tents at Haven Perran Sands Holiday Park (beachside, 300+ pitches, indoor pool)
Haven’s Perran Sands has a very large touring area with enough space for up to 344 pitches. I reckon that makes it the largest of Haven’s campsites in the UK. It’s a great choice for beach access and plenty of activities – but don’t pick this one if you want isolation!
It’s important to say at this point that your options at Perran Sands are motorhomes, tourers or trailer tents. You can’t just turn up with a tent and a car at Perran Sands anymore (this isn't the case at every Haven resort).
You can choose from three types of pitch at Perran Sands including:
Perran Sands is a really popular holiday park which has a good range of things to do. Haven resorts tend to be amongst the best in the UK in terms of customer reviews and on-site facilities.
The beach is excellent and sits right alongside the resort. The touring area is at the far end of the resort, but it's still only about 15 minutes' walk through the site.
There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools as well as activities you pay extra for such as a climbing wall, segways and a NERF training camp, which is a bit like laser quest. Perran Sands has four places to eat and drink. See the full list of activities here.
Perran Sands is a dog friendly holiday park.
Price: £609 for an electric pitch for a week in August 2024 for a family of four. This pitch doesn’t include water but you can upgrade to that option with a ‘touring pitch/Euro electric pitch’.
It’s important to say at this point that your options at Perran Sands are motorhomes, tourers or trailer tents. You can’t just turn up with a tent and a car at Perran Sands anymore (this isn't the case at every Haven resort).
You can choose from three types of pitch at Perran Sands including:
- a basic pitch which has a gravel base, but no electric),
- an electric pitch which has a grass, concrete or gravel base as well as awning space and electric hookup. These come in two sizes
- a Euro electric pitch (also known as a touring pitch) which comes with awning space plus a ‘turret’ including electric, TV, water and wastewater disposal
Perran Sands is a really popular holiday park which has a good range of things to do. Haven resorts tend to be amongst the best in the UK in terms of customer reviews and on-site facilities.
The beach is excellent and sits right alongside the resort. The touring area is at the far end of the resort, but it's still only about 15 minutes' walk through the site.
There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools as well as activities you pay extra for such as a climbing wall, segways and a NERF training camp, which is a bit like laser quest. Perran Sands has four places to eat and drink. See the full list of activities here.
Perran Sands is a dog friendly holiday park.
Price: £609 for an electric pitch for a week in August 2024 for a family of four. This pitch doesn’t include water but you can upgrade to that option with a ‘touring pitch/Euro electric pitch’.
Haven's Perran Sands has a large touring area...
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...which is walking distance to this beach and surf school
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3. Camping and touring at St Ives Bay Holiday Park (beachside, 100+ pitches, indoor pool)
**St Ives Discount Code: 10% off via this link with exclusive code HOLGURU10 (expires 31/12/24)**
St Ives Bay Holiday Park is a fairly large resort which has the notable advantage of butting up alongside a long stretch of sandy Cornish coastline. There are 122 camping and touring pitches by my count. You can find them near to the park's entrance. The map on this page shows the pitches as the Lowarn Haven section of park
There is one toilet block and shower block within the camping and touring area, as well as a couple of others elsewhere within the site. Some people prefer to use the swimming pool shower facilities instead.
The site has some hilly bits but the camping and touring areas are relatively flat. You can either pick a more exposed spot where you will get a better view or a more sheltered location where there’s less chance of finding your tent has relocated to Devon.
The campsite is owned by Away Resorts, which has become a big player in the holiday park market after buying up and upgrading several sites in the last decade.
You can squeeze up to six people into your pitch, although you can only have one tent or caravan. Dogs are allowed but you have to pay a couple of pounds extra per night.
Campers and tourers get access to the indoor swimming pool, two places to eat and a playground. There’s also minigolf and a sports court which you pay extra for. You can sign up for surf lessons which are run on the local beach.
This campsite scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.5/5 on Google reviews. You will also find it referred to as the rather grand sounding St Ives Bay Beach Resort.
They also have some camping pods, which are an upgrade from standard camping.
Price: £636 for an electric pitch for a week in August 2024. The pitch is 5m x 8m and is for up to six people. You can add on pets for a couple of pounds per night.
There is one toilet block and shower block within the camping and touring area, as well as a couple of others elsewhere within the site. Some people prefer to use the swimming pool shower facilities instead.
The site has some hilly bits but the camping and touring areas are relatively flat. You can either pick a more exposed spot where you will get a better view or a more sheltered location where there’s less chance of finding your tent has relocated to Devon.
The campsite is owned by Away Resorts, which has become a big player in the holiday park market after buying up and upgrading several sites in the last decade.
You can squeeze up to six people into your pitch, although you can only have one tent or caravan. Dogs are allowed but you have to pay a couple of pounds extra per night.
Campers and tourers get access to the indoor swimming pool, two places to eat and a playground. There’s also minigolf and a sports court which you pay extra for. You can sign up for surf lessons which are run on the local beach.
This campsite scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.5/5 on Google reviews. You will also find it referred to as the rather grand sounding St Ives Bay Beach Resort.
They also have some camping pods, which are an upgrade from standard camping.
Price: £636 for an electric pitch for a week in August 2024. The pitch is 5m x 8m and is for up to six people. You can add on pets for a couple of pounds per night.
There are more than 100 camping and touring pitches at St Ives Bay Holiday Park...
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...which is next to a sandy beach
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4. Camping and touring at Holywell Bay Holiday Park (walk to beach, 40 pitches, outdoor pool)
Parkdean Resorts has two options for campers and tourers in Cornwall – Holywell Bay and Lizard Point.
Lizard Point Holiday Park has more activities but I would get yourself a pitch at Holywell Bay Holiday Park, which gets better review scores (4.3/5 on Google reviews, 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor) and is much closer to the beach. You can do straightforward camping at Holywell Bay or bring a caravan or motorhome.
Holywell Bay has a relatively small camping and touring area with just 41 pitches. In fact, the whole site is one of Parkdean Resorts’ smaller and simpler resorts – but don’t let that you put you off as the location is excellent.
It’s just along the coast from Newquay and is about 10-15 minutes walk from the touring area to a really lovely sandy beach.
This part of Cornwall is considerably easier to reach than the far end of the county. From London, it’s about an hour closer than a trip to Land’s End.
Parkdean's Holywell Bay campsite has an outdoor swimming pool with a long slide but there isn’t an indoor pool. There’s a restaurant and playground but don’t come to Holywell Bay expecting the non-stop entertainment that you get at some bigger Parkdean Resorts.
There are a couple of different types of pitch available. ‘Serviced’ pitches are for motorhomes and caravans whilst ‘serviced tents’ are just for campers. Tourers and motorhomes can bring pets.
The pitches at Holywell Bay don’t have water access points but there are shared toilets and shower facilities.
Price: £566 for a pitch with an electric hookup for a week in August 2024 for up to eight people and a touring caravan or motorhome. The pitch doesn’t include water.
Lizard Point Holiday Park has more activities but I would get yourself a pitch at Holywell Bay Holiday Park, which gets better review scores (4.3/5 on Google reviews, 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor) and is much closer to the beach. You can do straightforward camping at Holywell Bay or bring a caravan or motorhome.
Holywell Bay has a relatively small camping and touring area with just 41 pitches. In fact, the whole site is one of Parkdean Resorts’ smaller and simpler resorts – but don’t let that you put you off as the location is excellent.
It’s just along the coast from Newquay and is about 10-15 minutes walk from the touring area to a really lovely sandy beach.
This part of Cornwall is considerably easier to reach than the far end of the county. From London, it’s about an hour closer than a trip to Land’s End.
Parkdean's Holywell Bay campsite has an outdoor swimming pool with a long slide but there isn’t an indoor pool. There’s a restaurant and playground but don’t come to Holywell Bay expecting the non-stop entertainment that you get at some bigger Parkdean Resorts.
There are a couple of different types of pitch available. ‘Serviced’ pitches are for motorhomes and caravans whilst ‘serviced tents’ are just for campers. Tourers and motorhomes can bring pets.
The pitches at Holywell Bay don’t have water access points but there are shared toilets and shower facilities.
Price: £566 for a pitch with an electric hookup for a week in August 2024 for up to eight people and a touring caravan or motorhome. The pitch doesn’t include water.
Holywell Bay has a modestly sized camping and touring area...
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...and it is about 10 minutes walk to an excellent beach
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5. Camping and touring at Widemouth Bay Holiday Park (walk or short drive to beach, indoor pool)
This campsite and touring park near Bude is sometimes know as Widemouth Bay Caravan Park. It is run by John Fowler Holidays which has several resorts in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. The resort scores 4.4/5 on Google reviews or 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor (no, I haven't figured out why there is such a big difference between those two scores!).
The local beach is about one mile away, so it's about five minutes in the car. There is also a coastal path which starts about five minutes walk from the park. From there, it's about 15 minutes walk to the beach.
Widemouth Bay Holiday Park has a mix of pitches including electric and non electric pitches for tents as well as hardstanding pitches for tourers and motorhomes. By my count there are about 200 pitches for touring and camping at Widemouth Bay Caravan Park.
Tourers and campers can use the facilities, which include an indoor swimming pool, playground, minigolf, evening entertainment, pool, table tennis, an onsite restaurant and kids' club. See the list of facilities here.
Price: unavailable for 2024 when we searched, but for August 2023 we found an electric pitch for a touring caravan for £364.
The local beach is about one mile away, so it's about five minutes in the car. There is also a coastal path which starts about five minutes walk from the park. From there, it's about 15 minutes walk to the beach.
Widemouth Bay Holiday Park has a mix of pitches including electric and non electric pitches for tents as well as hardstanding pitches for tourers and motorhomes. By my count there are about 200 pitches for touring and camping at Widemouth Bay Caravan Park.
Tourers and campers can use the facilities, which include an indoor swimming pool, playground, minigolf, evening entertainment, pool, table tennis, an onsite restaurant and kids' club. See the list of facilities here.
Price: unavailable for 2024 when we searched, but for August 2023 we found an electric pitch for a touring caravan for £364.
Widemouth Bay Holiday Park has space for about 200 tourers and campers
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Facilities include an indoor swimming and a restaurant
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Which is the cheapest campsite and touring park in our Cornwall top 5?
It's fair to say that there was a big range in the prices of our five camping and touring sites in Cornwall. It's also worth saying that these resorts all offer activities and swimming pools. You may be able to find a cheaper campsite in Cornwall which is little more than a patch of grass and a toilet block. Our selection is very much based on family holidays where you benefit from having a few things to do onsite (and a few other children for your kids to play with).
Here are the five holiday parks we looked at, ranked from least expensive to most expensive:
Here are the five holiday parks we looked at, ranked from least expensive to most expensive:
- Trevella Holiday Park - £325
- Widemouth Bay Holiday Park - £364 (2023 price)
- Holywell Bay Holiday Park - £566
- Perran Sands Holiday Park - £609
- St Ives Bay Holiday Park - £636
Images from Haven, Parkdean Resorts, Park Holidays UK, John Fowler Holidays and Away Resorts.
