Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park Review

I just returned from my first ever holiday in North Devon. I have wanted to visit this area of the UK for a long time, but always thought it was a bit far to drive for a weekend away. But as things do fall into place at the right time, Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park contacted me and invited me to spend a week in one of their self-catering caravans. And the timing couldn’t have been better, as every day was a sunny day, and I got to explore so many of the nearby coastal paths, visit picturesque seaside villages, and also enjoy the famous Devon cream tea.

I have never stayed in a holiday park before, so I was looking forward to the experience, especially after lingering for weeks on the website, imagining how amazing the views must be in real life. And they didn’t disappoint! It was much better than I imagined, so the first thing I did after parking the car and taking the luggage inside, was to walk to the main building in the park, take in the view and watch the waves crashing into the shore.  A few brave souls were surfing, conquering the waves without any fear. 

About Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park

Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park is a premium seaside holiday park that offers everything you would want from a perfect holiday. They have a selection of modern self-catering accommodation options, ranging from apartments and caravans to luxury lodges with porches and hot tubs.

The park offers activities for the entire family, with a full daily schedule for both children and adults. I visited the park with a friend for a girl’s getaway, and this review will reflect the activities that we did to suit the kind of holiday we enjoy.

Location

The first thing that comes into my mind when I think about Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park is its fantastic location, on top of a hill, overlooking the beach and the sea. Watching the sunset from the terrace of the main building is pretty special.

The beach is a 15 minute walk away, downhill, on a path which crosses a field where sheep are grazing. And lambs, so many cute, adorable, lambs.

We found a lovely bar and restaurant in Woolacombe, Bar Electric, where we stopped to have a refreshing cold beer or a bite to eat on the way back from our hikes. 

The Check-in Process

The check-in process was very easy and took less than five minutes. The check-in booth is just before the main entrance to the holiday park, on the right-hand side. It’s impossible to miss. For a speedy check-in process, you can enter the number plate of your car online, directly on your reservation.

When we arrived at the check-in booth, we were greeted by a cheerful lady who explained where our caravan was and how to get there. She also gave us an envelope with the key, the weekly schedule of activities, as well as a small kit with bin liners, washing up liquid, and a sponge for washing dishes. 

The Gold Caravan

Whilst initially we were booked into a Silver Caravan, we were happy to see that our reservation was upgraded to a Gold one. Our caravan was in the G sector of the park, and it looked brand new – it even welcomed us with that ‘brand new’ smell as we stepped inside. We wondered if we were the first guests in G24.

The caravan had a small parking space, which was just big enough for my small car. I noticed that the caravans in front of ours had longer parking spaces, more suitable for SUVs and larger estate cars. The check-in lady told us that not all caravans have a designated parking space, but there are plenty of car parks scattered around each sector of the park.

I really liked the modern, seaside-inspired décor of the caravan, combining blue, orange and grey in the colour scheme. The caravan was spacious and had two bedrooms. I chose the double bedroom, which had its own small en-suite bathroom, with a toilet and sink. The other bedroom, which my friend used, had two twin beds. The main bathroom was opposite the twin bedroom and featured a large shower and plenty of shelves for toiletries.

We used the living room for a variety of activities: dining, enjoying a cuppa whilst watching tv, or working in the morning before heading out exploring. I also liked the electronic fireplace, which was such a nice touch. I can imagine what a romantic atmosphere it would create in the evenings for couples snuggling up on the couch with a glass of wine, without the lights on. The caravan has central heating which is easily controlled by a thermostat in the living room. As the nights were still quite chilly during our trip to Devon, we turned it on before going out for the evening entertainment, so it was nice and toasty upon our return, ready for bedtime. 

The kitchen had everything we needed for cooking: pots, pans, even a grater and a potato peeler. Whilst in the initial email we were notified to bring with us essentials such as washing up liquid, sponges, and even toilet paper, we were actually given some of these supplies. If you stay for longer and plan to use the kitchen every day, there is a shop on site where you can buy more.

The kitchen also featured a cooker with oven and a grill, a microwave, a kettle, a toaster, as well as a retro fridge. There were plenty of plates, cups, and glasses for six people. Sometimes we ate in, sometimes we ate out.  

WiFi was a very important thing for me, as I had to work every morning. Even though our caravan was in the opposite side of the park to the main building, it was still covered by decent WiFi, so I didn’t have to buy the premium package.

The Bair Ball Restaurant

For the purpose of this review, I wanted to try the on-site restaurant as well, so on the last day, I went there for breakfast. I ordered the full English, accompanied by a large mug of coffee. I got to the restaurant relatively early, and enjoyed breakfast with a view, whilst everyone else was probably still sleeping.

It was a generous breakfast, and it gave me plenty of energy for my hike in the Valley of the Rocks later that day.

Outdoor Heated Pool

I love swimming and it’s one of those activities that I always do when I come across a pool during my trips. It helps my back muscles, and, after a five hour drive to Devon, my back was in need of a bit of stretching.

I loved that Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park had an outdoor heated swimming pool, and I took full advantage of it. The pool is overlooked by a lifeguard, even if there is nobody swimming. As I went there in the morning, I had the entire pool to myself, which made it very easy to swim laps and stretch my back muscles.

Spa & Wellness

Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park also features an adult only spa. They offer a free spa experience, which includes a jacuzzi, a dry sauna, a steam room, and a cold pool.  However, to benefit from this service, you must book in advance.

The spa also offers massages and different treatments, which are so welcomed after a day of hiking the coastal path.

The park also features a gym and an outdoor exercise area. The gym costs £5 per visit, whilst the outdoor area is free of charge.

If you love sports, the park has a tennis court, as well as a disc ball court.

Evening Entertainment 

I loved that even though it was low season and there weren’t many people around, the holiday park had something going on each evening. The evening entertainment started at 6:15pm with bingo ticket sales, followed by kids’ time until 8pm. The bingo would start at 8 pm, followed by party dances and a game show with prizes until 9:30 pm. That’s when a live band or a singer would perform for the next 45 minutes.

During my stay, I watched Kristian Turner, as well as the Missing Cat Trio band who made the entire hall sing and dance along with them. The entertainment is held upstairs in the main building, where there is also a bar with very reasonable prices. I usually went for a pint of Carlsberg, which was priced at £4.20, compared with £5.60 at a bar in the village.

Raining?

I was lucky, with beautiful weather and only one morning of rain during my stay at Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park. But, if it rains, there are plenty of things to do there. Firstly, the park has its own cinema which plays the most recent releases. Whilst I was there, I would have loved to have seen the film sequel Downton Abbey – A New Era, but as my friend hadn’t watched the series, I left it for another time.

The park organises plenty of activities for adults during the day, from pool competitions to panto, from talent rehearsals to family arts and crafts, from beachball breakfast to crazy golf.

The arcade is also a fun place to spend time when the weather is not great. There are plenty of classic games such as claw cranes or coin pushers.

The Launderette

I didn’t use the launderette, but I can imagine it is very useful for families with children, who get through clean clothes so fast in a day. It’s good to know that there is an option to wash your clothes on site.

The Shop on Site

The holiday park has a Nisa Local shop on site, which is stocked with essentials, as well as souvenirs. I did buy my obligatory fridge magnets from here, as they were so affordable, less than £2 each. There is a small shop in Woolacombe as well if you want more things, but you will have to carry them back uphill.

Overall, I had an amazing time at Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park and I am looking forward to returning. Woolacombe Bay have other holiday parks around Devon that I might check out on my next trip to this beautiful county. This trip was just the starter!

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Please note that I was invited by Woolacombe Bay Holiday Park to stay in one of their Gold Caravans, for the puprpose of this review. All the opinions in the articles are my own, and have not been influenced by the invitation.