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Which Haven Holiday Park Has The Best Beach? Top 5 Guide 2025
**Haven's Offers: Summer 2025 from £215 + Christmas 2024/New Year from £99**
Most Haven holiday parks are within easy reach of a beach. But which Haven has the best beach?
Which offers the best sand, lifeguard cover and watersports on the beach? And which is closest to the holiday park, so you won't have to walk too far in bare feet?
A beach is essential for us on holiday, so this is a pretty big deal!
We've picked out our top five beaches at Haven holiday parks, including resorts next to outstanding beaches in Cornwall, Devon, Yorkshire, Wales and Norfolk.
Which offers the best sand, lifeguard cover and watersports on the beach? And which is closest to the holiday park, so you won't have to walk too far in bare feet?
A beach is essential for us on holiday, so this is a pretty big deal!
We've picked out our top five beaches at Haven holiday parks, including resorts next to outstanding beaches in Cornwall, Devon, Yorkshire, Wales and Norfolk.
1. Haven Riviere Sands, Cornwall
Perran Sands and Riviere Sands are Haven's two Cornwall holiday parks - and they both offer easy access to an excellent beach.
If a beach is your absolute number one priority then my vote goes to Riviere Sands as it has three beaches within walking distance:
For most people staying at Riviere Sands, the easiest beach to reach is Gwithian Beach. The 'Lander' section of the resort with caravan numbers around 100-110 are the best located for getting to the beach quickly (see this Haven map). You can reserve specific accommodation via the 'Choose Your Holiday Home' page on Haven's website. The nearest accommodation is a walk of about 150m to the sand. Riviere Sands also has a 'surf and paddle school' at the beach.
Of course, water cleanliness is a big issue at beaches in the UK. The closest beach to Riviere Sands that is tested by the Environment Agency is called Mexico Towans. It gets the highest-possible three star rating from the Environment Agency for water cleanliness in summer.
Overall, Riviere Sands scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor. Facilities onsite include an 'aerial adventure', kids' clubs, indoor and outdoor swimming pools (the outdoor pool has a two lane slide), places to eat onsite, archery, evening entertainment, an amusement arcade, bushcraft, den building and craft activities.
If a beach is your absolute number one priority then my vote goes to Riviere Sands as it has three beaches within walking distance:
- Gwithian Beach is a popular, wide-open beach with plenty of sand, sand dunes, rock pools and loads of space. It gets 5/5 reviews on TripAdvisor. It has lifeguard cover provided by the RNLI (check times and dates).
- Riviere Towans Beach is a rockier and more secluded cove with a café.
- Hayle Beach is another wide open beach with plenty of sand and 5/5 reviews on TripAdvisor. Again, it has lifeguard cover from the lovely people at the RNLI.
For most people staying at Riviere Sands, the easiest beach to reach is Gwithian Beach. The 'Lander' section of the resort with caravan numbers around 100-110 are the best located for getting to the beach quickly (see this Haven map). You can reserve specific accommodation via the 'Choose Your Holiday Home' page on Haven's website. The nearest accommodation is a walk of about 150m to the sand. Riviere Sands also has a 'surf and paddle school' at the beach.
Of course, water cleanliness is a big issue at beaches in the UK. The closest beach to Riviere Sands that is tested by the Environment Agency is called Mexico Towans. It gets the highest-possible three star rating from the Environment Agency for water cleanliness in summer.
Overall, Riviere Sands scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor. Facilities onsite include an 'aerial adventure', kids' clubs, indoor and outdoor swimming pools (the outdoor pool has a two lane slide), places to eat onsite, archery, evening entertainment, an amusement arcade, bushcraft, den building and craft activities.
Both Haven resorts in Cornwall have great beaches but Riviere Sands is next to three beaches
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Two of the beaches at Riviere Sands are sandy and have plenty of space so they don't feel crowded
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What about Haven Perran Sands?
I should point out that Perran Sands Holiday Park is also well worth considering for a Cornwall beach holiday. It gets similar reviews but has some advantages over Riviere Sands, such as requiring a shorter drive when you first arrive (it's only 20 minutes closer to most of the UK, but you will be grateful of that after a long journey). Perran Sands also has a bit more to do onsite, including a flume in the outdoor swimming pool, a climbing wall and a bowling alley.
Haven's Perran Sands Holiday Park is about 200m from the beach at the nearest point (here's the site map for Perran Sands holiday park). The best located accommodation for easy access to the beach are Chy-An-Mor (numbers 557-577) and Pentreath View (numbers 540-556).
The beach at Perran Sands is similar to that at Riviere Sands. It is pretty wide open and there are lifeguards onsite. It's quite a steep climb down to Perran Sands Beach.
Haven's Perran Sands Holiday Park is about 200m from the beach at the nearest point (here's the site map for Perran Sands holiday park). The best located accommodation for easy access to the beach are Chy-An-Mor (numbers 557-577) and Pentreath View (numbers 540-556).
The beach at Perran Sands is similar to that at Riviere Sands. It is pretty wide open and there are lifeguards onsite. It's quite a steep climb down to Perran Sands Beach.
2. Haven Seashore Holiday Park, Norfolk
Norfolk has two obvious contenders for a Haven holiday park next to an outstanding beach - Caister on Sea Holiday Park and Seashore Holiday Park. The two parks are only about a mile apart so the beach experience is pretty similar with sand dunes leading onto a wide open beach. There are views towards the wind turbines out in the North Sea. Norfolk beaches tend to be a little windy at times but you are compensated with plenty of space.
The local beach is rated as 'good' for summer water cleanliness by the Environment Agency. That means it gets a two star rating, out of a possible three stars.
Both of these Haven resorts offer easy beach access. Seashore has the advantage of being a long and thin holiday park, so a large number of caravans overlook the water. Go for a caravan in one of the following areas of the park if beach access is important to you: Seaview, Anchorage, Breakwater, Ketch or Longshore (see the map).
Haven's Caister on Sea is a bit more square shaped, so some caravans are set back a little bit further. The closest accommodation to the beach are in the 'Caister Beach' part of the resort (numbers 20-60 are all pretty close to the beach footpath). You can find the map on this page and choose your caravan on this page.
There isn't RNLI lifeguard cover at the beach at Seashore or Caister on Sea. The nearest is at Great Yarmouth beach which is about 15 minutes' drive away.
If you like the look of the beaches at Seashore Holiday Park and Caister on Sea Holiday Park then I would suggest you pick between the parks based on other factors.
Reviews between the two are nearly identical. Both score 4/5 on TripAdvisor but Caister on Sea just edges it on Google reviews. Seashore's big selling point is its swimming pool, which was revamped in 2019. It features in our guide to the best holiday park swimming pools.
A price comparison may well be the deciding factor. Haven prices fluctuate significantly depending on a) when you visit b) how far in advance you book and c) which grade of caravan you choose. However, in our 2025 price comparison we found that Caister on Sea was £200 cheaper than Seashore Holiday Park for a week's holiday in August. That was based on a family of four staying in the cheapest caravan available.
The local beach is rated as 'good' for summer water cleanliness by the Environment Agency. That means it gets a two star rating, out of a possible three stars.
Both of these Haven resorts offer easy beach access. Seashore has the advantage of being a long and thin holiday park, so a large number of caravans overlook the water. Go for a caravan in one of the following areas of the park if beach access is important to you: Seaview, Anchorage, Breakwater, Ketch or Longshore (see the map).
Haven's Caister on Sea is a bit more square shaped, so some caravans are set back a little bit further. The closest accommodation to the beach are in the 'Caister Beach' part of the resort (numbers 20-60 are all pretty close to the beach footpath). You can find the map on this page and choose your caravan on this page.
There isn't RNLI lifeguard cover at the beach at Seashore or Caister on Sea. The nearest is at Great Yarmouth beach which is about 15 minutes' drive away.
If you like the look of the beaches at Seashore Holiday Park and Caister on Sea Holiday Park then I would suggest you pick between the parks based on other factors.
Reviews between the two are nearly identical. Both score 4/5 on TripAdvisor but Caister on Sea just edges it on Google reviews. Seashore's big selling point is its swimming pool, which was revamped in 2019. It features in our guide to the best holiday park swimming pools.
A price comparison may well be the deciding factor. Haven prices fluctuate significantly depending on a) when you visit b) how far in advance you book and c) which grade of caravan you choose. However, in our 2025 price comparison we found that Caister on Sea was £200 cheaper than Seashore Holiday Park for a week's holiday in August. That was based on a family of four staying in the cheapest caravan available.
Seashore Holiday Park leads directly to a typical Norfolk beach with sand dunes aplenty...
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...whilst Caister on Sea Holiday Park is about a mile along the coast and has a similar beach
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Seashore Holiday Park edges it for me thanks to the revamped waterpark - but you may find it costs more than Caister on Sea
3. Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, Devon
Devon Cliffs Holiday Park is a great choice if you want a Haven holiday park near to a lovely beach. The beach is justifiably called Sandy Bay and it is right next to the park. It has RNLI lifeguard cover at peak times, plenty of sand and it has won flags for cleanliness.
I've got four caveats before you book! (Ed: four?!)
Firstly, Devon Cliffs is a very large Haven holiday park with about 1600 caravans across the site. That makes it the biggest Haven resort in the UK.
This is great news if you want non-stop entertainment but it's not a good choice if you have in mind a small and quiet resort (Lydstep Beach in Wales or Seaview in Dorset are better choices for a smaller resort). The other issue with Devon Cliff's size is that some caravans are a long walk from the beach, simply because you have to walk from one side of the park to the other. The far corner of Devon Cliffs is getting on for a 20 minute walk.
The best located caravans for easy beach access are around Beech Walk, Apple Grove and Cypress Way. You can see the Devon Cliffs map here and choose which caravan you want to stay in after booking.
Secondly, the beach at Devon Cliffs is lovely and sandy but it's not as large or never-ending as the beaches at Seashore Holiday Park in Norfolk or Riviere Sands in Cornwall. It's certainly not a small beach and you will not be falling over people but it is popular. It's more of an issue at high tide when the amount of sand is considerably smaller.
Thirdly, Devon Cliffs tends to be at the pricey end of Haven holiday parks. In our 2025 comparison of the 10 best Haven holiday parks it ranked as one of the more expensive resorts.
Fourthly, the beach at Devon Cliffs currently rates as 'sufficient' on water cleanliness. That means it gets one star out of three from the Environment Agency. If that's a concern, you could drive along to the beaches at Exmouth or Budleigh Salterton, which both have the full three star rating.
You might like to read our full guide to Devon Cliffs Holiday Park which includes advice on reviews, facilities and some tips for saving money. Reviews average 4/5 and the range of things to do is really impressive - I'd say it's on a par with Center Parcs for the choice. You pay extra for some activities but Haven activities tend to be a lot cheaper than Center Parcs.
Highlights at Devon Cliffs include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tube slides (doughnuts that you sit on and slide down), two entertainment venues, an 'inflatable arena', aerial adventures, Segway, minigolf, archery, climbing, bushcraft, pottery painting and several places to eat.
I've got four caveats before you book! (Ed: four?!)
Firstly, Devon Cliffs is a very large Haven holiday park with about 1600 caravans across the site. That makes it the biggest Haven resort in the UK.
This is great news if you want non-stop entertainment but it's not a good choice if you have in mind a small and quiet resort (Lydstep Beach in Wales or Seaview in Dorset are better choices for a smaller resort). The other issue with Devon Cliff's size is that some caravans are a long walk from the beach, simply because you have to walk from one side of the park to the other. The far corner of Devon Cliffs is getting on for a 20 minute walk.
The best located caravans for easy beach access are around Beech Walk, Apple Grove and Cypress Way. You can see the Devon Cliffs map here and choose which caravan you want to stay in after booking.
Secondly, the beach at Devon Cliffs is lovely and sandy but it's not as large or never-ending as the beaches at Seashore Holiday Park in Norfolk or Riviere Sands in Cornwall. It's certainly not a small beach and you will not be falling over people but it is popular. It's more of an issue at high tide when the amount of sand is considerably smaller.
Thirdly, Devon Cliffs tends to be at the pricey end of Haven holiday parks. In our 2025 comparison of the 10 best Haven holiday parks it ranked as one of the more expensive resorts.
Fourthly, the beach at Devon Cliffs currently rates as 'sufficient' on water cleanliness. That means it gets one star out of three from the Environment Agency. If that's a concern, you could drive along to the beaches at Exmouth or Budleigh Salterton, which both have the full three star rating.
You might like to read our full guide to Devon Cliffs Holiday Park which includes advice on reviews, facilities and some tips for saving money. Reviews average 4/5 and the range of things to do is really impressive - I'd say it's on a par with Center Parcs for the choice. You pay extra for some activities but Haven activities tend to be a lot cheaper than Center Parcs.
Highlights at Devon Cliffs include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tube slides (doughnuts that you sit on and slide down), two entertainment venues, an 'inflatable arena', aerial adventures, Segway, minigolf, archery, climbing, bushcraft, pottery painting and several places to eat.
Devon Cliffs has a beautiful beach - but it does get fairly busy (note the high tide mark)
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The big resort has indoor and outdoor swimming pools
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4. Lydstep Beach Holiday Park, Wales
Several Haven holiday parks in Wales are next to good beaches but my vote goes to Lydstep Beach. It is much smaller than most Haven holiday parks and the entertainment is limited but it has several caravans that are practically on the beach.
Half of the beach is dog friendly and the other half has a no dogs rule. The beach itself is an attractive cove shape. There isn't RNLI lifeguard cover at Lydstep Beach. If that's a priority for you then you could stay at Presthaven Holiday Park and drive along the coast to Prestaytn Beach.
The good news is that the water at Lydstep Beach is particularly clean for swimming. It currently achieves the full three star rating from the Welsh equivalent of the Environment Agency.
Most of the accommodation at Lydstep Beach Holiday Park is only a short walk from the beach. It doesn't compete on facilities with big Welsh resorts like Haven's Hafan y Môr Holiday Park but Lydstep Beach Holiday Park does have a simple indoor swimming pool, den building, a climbing wall, kids' entertainment and archery.
Reviews are outstanding, with scores of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor. On the downside, Lydstep Beach is usually one of the more expensive Haven holiday parks in Wales in our comparisons.
Half of the beach is dog friendly and the other half has a no dogs rule. The beach itself is an attractive cove shape. There isn't RNLI lifeguard cover at Lydstep Beach. If that's a priority for you then you could stay at Presthaven Holiday Park and drive along the coast to Prestaytn Beach.
The good news is that the water at Lydstep Beach is particularly clean for swimming. It currently achieves the full three star rating from the Welsh equivalent of the Environment Agency.
Most of the accommodation at Lydstep Beach Holiday Park is only a short walk from the beach. It doesn't compete on facilities with big Welsh resorts like Haven's Hafan y Môr Holiday Park but Lydstep Beach Holiday Park does have a simple indoor swimming pool, den building, a climbing wall, kids' entertainment and archery.
Reviews are outstanding, with scores of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor. On the downside, Lydstep Beach is usually one of the more expensive Haven holiday parks in Wales in our comparisons.
The caravans at Lydstep Beach are so close to the beach that you might get wet feet in bed
Other Haven resorts in Wales next to excellent beaches
To be honest, we struggled to decide which Haven resort in Wales to include in this guide. Wales is blessed with some really lovely beaches and some of the Haven resorts are very nicely located for making the most of them.
Quay West Holiday Park is another that I wanted to give a mention. The resort is next to a really lovely tree-lined beach, which is about 100m from the nearest caravan.
It is a better choice if you want a more 'action-packed' Haven holiday near to a good beach. There are indoor and outdoor pools as well as things like an aerial adventure course, tennis, a bowling alley and minigolf.
Haven's Greenacres Holiday Park is a better choice if you like wide-open beaches. It has sand dunes leading to a very spacious beach. Personally, I prefer cosy coves to wide open beaches but that's just me!
Quay West Holiday Park is another that I wanted to give a mention. The resort is next to a really lovely tree-lined beach, which is about 100m from the nearest caravan.
It is a better choice if you want a more 'action-packed' Haven holiday near to a good beach. There are indoor and outdoor pools as well as things like an aerial adventure course, tennis, a bowling alley and minigolf.
Haven's Greenacres Holiday Park is a better choice if you like wide-open beaches. It has sand dunes leading to a very spacious beach. Personally, I prefer cosy coves to wide open beaches but that's just me!
The beach at Haven's Quay West is reached by walking through the woods...
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...and it's a sandy beach when you arrive
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5. Reighton Sands Holiday Park, Yorkshire
For our final pick we wanted to choose one of Haven's Yorkshire holiday parks. There are four to choose from but we think that the one with the best beach is Reighton Sands Holiday Park. It is sandy, sheltered and backed by some attractive cliffs.
The beach at Reighton Sands is rated as 'good' for water cleanliness in summer from the Environment Agency. That means it get two stars out of three and is a pretty decent choice for stripping down to your budgie smugglers and jumping in the sea.
However, there's a big plot twist coming...Primrose Valley Holiday Park is a better choice if you want a bigger holiday park with a good beach as well as a lot more facilities and things to do. (Yes, I know picking two is a cop-out). Primrose Valley is also unusual as it has its own Wetherspoons onsite.
Both resorts are 4-5 minutes walk from the nearest caravan to the sand.
Primrose Valley has a couple of routes down to the beach but its size means that you might have a 15 minute walk if you get a caravan near to the main entrance. For the best location for accessing the beach stay in Cormorant, Puffin, Tern, Southcliff Court, Rose View or Linkfield Court (see the map here).
Meanwhile, Reighton Sands is a smaller resort so your worst case scenario is a walk of 10 minutes to the beach. The caravans closest to the beach footpath can be found in the Silver Woods and Rowan Close part of the resort (see the map here or pick your caravan).
Both holiday parks are popular resorts with plenty to do - but Primrose Valley is certainly more action-packed and well equipped. For example, Primrose Valley has nine different places to eat and drink whereas Reighton Sands has three outlets.
The beach at Reighton Sands is rated as 'good' for water cleanliness in summer from the Environment Agency. That means it get two stars out of three and is a pretty decent choice for stripping down to your budgie smugglers and jumping in the sea.
However, there's a big plot twist coming...Primrose Valley Holiday Park is a better choice if you want a bigger holiday park with a good beach as well as a lot more facilities and things to do. (Yes, I know picking two is a cop-out). Primrose Valley is also unusual as it has its own Wetherspoons onsite.
Both resorts are 4-5 minutes walk from the nearest caravan to the sand.
Primrose Valley has a couple of routes down to the beach but its size means that you might have a 15 minute walk if you get a caravan near to the main entrance. For the best location for accessing the beach stay in Cormorant, Puffin, Tern, Southcliff Court, Rose View or Linkfield Court (see the map here).
Meanwhile, Reighton Sands is a smaller resort so your worst case scenario is a walk of 10 minutes to the beach. The caravans closest to the beach footpath can be found in the Silver Woods and Rowan Close part of the resort (see the map here or pick your caravan).
Both holiday parks are popular resorts with plenty to do - but Primrose Valley is certainly more action-packed and well equipped. For example, Primrose Valley has nine different places to eat and drink whereas Reighton Sands has three outlets.
Reighton Sands has a sandy beach with low cliffs behind
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The beach at Primrose Valley isn't bad either!
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