Golden sands, rugged mountains, towering castles, elegant resorts, lush countryside – North Wales has all the ingredients you could want for a cracking family caravan holiday, providing the weather holds up. On the off chance that it doesn’t, it’s best to book a site that offers plenty of options for a fun-packed rainy day.
We’ve chosen five family-friendly caravan parks in North Wales with swimming pools, all within easy driving distance of the region’s key attractions, from seaside strolls to stunning Snowdonia. Unless stated, all offer electric hook-up and WiFi; check the park’s website for the latest Covid-19 updates.
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Plassey Holiday Park
Address: Eyton, Wrexham LL13 0SP
Website: plassey.com
Open from February to New Year
Set in 250 acres of delightful Dee Valley countryside, Plassey Holiday Park is more like a small town than a caravan site – based around a handsome Edwardian building, it has a heated indoor pool, a games room, fishing ponds, a beauty studio, two hairdressers, a shopping village that’s home to 20 independent retailers, a nine-hole golf course designed by Ian Woosnam’s former coach and even its very own castle, a wooden one in the adventure playground. There are two restaurants and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the only caravan park in the UK with a hypnotherapist on site.
With two miles of nature trails to explore, and a dedicated dog-walking area, you could burn up a few days at this award-winning site without leaving the park gates: Plassey Stores is a licensed shop selling pies, cakes, groceries and fresh meat. For even more shopping, it’s a 10-minute drive to Wrexham, where you’ll also find the interactive Xplore! science centre, and only half an hour to medieval Chester, across the English border. Head to lovely Llangollen, 20 minutes away, for white-water rafting, a ride on a steam train and the chance to cross Thomas Telford’s astonishing Pontcysyllte aqueduct on a narrowboat or in a canoe.
Prices: from £33 a night for a family of four
Top tip: this is a big site, so consider upgrading to a premium or deluxe pitch if you don’t fancy trudging to the shower block every morning
Penrhyn Bay Caravan Park
Address: Llanfwrog, Anglesey LL65 4YG
Website: penrhynbay.com
Open from March to October
If you really want to get away from it all, you can’t do much better than Anglesey – the enchanting island off the North Wales coast is a paradise for nature lovers, walkers and birdwatchers. It’s not the easiest place to get to, but when you park up at Penrhyn Bay Caravan Park, 40 minutes from the Menai Suspension Bridge, you might never want to leave. The site is on a headland overlooking the Irish Sea, with glorious views, direct access to a sandy beach and countryside all around: it’s in the Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Dogs are welcome, and there’s a heated indoor pool, a play area, a games room, tennis, football and a licensed shop.
You’ll have to drive to the nearest pub, and it’s 15 minutes to the nearest Spar, but you’re within an hour’s drive of everything on the island, from the ramparts of Beaumaris Castle to Lligwy Bay, where you might spot seals and dolphins. There’s 125 miles of coastal paths to enjoy, and you’ll see puffins, guillemots and razorbills from the cliffs on South Stack Island, half an hour away. Sample the local seafood at the Lobster Pot, 20 minutes up the coast in Church Bay
Prices: from £25 a night for a family of four
Top tip: the site has a private slipway, so bring your boat (and insurance documents)
Haven Greenacres Holiday Park
Address: Morfa Bychan, Gwynedd LL49 9YF
Website: haven.com/parks/north-wales/greenacres
Open from March to early November
Haven resorts can be relied on to lighten up even the rainiest day, with heated indoor pools, restaurants and a never-ending menu of children’s activities. Throw in a sandy beach, views of Snowdonia’s peaks and easy access to Harlech Castle and the gorgeous Llyn Peninsula, and you’ve got a recipe for a fabulous family holiday. Karting, archery and adventure golf are all present and correct, but Haven Greenacres Holiday Park makes the most of its glorious surroundings with its Nature Rockz programme, covering den building, bug hunts, water safety and survival bracelets made from parachute cords. Its new Marina bar and stage, due in spring 2021, should up the entertainment ante even further.
If you can drag your kids off the site, you’re spoilt for grand days out. Porthmadog, 2½ miles away, has shops, pubs and a heritage railway. It’s a 20-minute drive to the elegant resort of Criccieth and 25 minutes to Harlech, home to one of the finest and most forbidding castles in the UK. The Italian-style village of Portmeirion, where The Prisoner was filmed, is 12 minutes away. Best of all, you can get to the southern edge of Snowdonia National Park in 20 minutes, and park up for a scramble up Mount Snowdon within 40 minutes.
Prices: from £24 a night for a family of four
Top tip: daredevils aged seven and up will love the underground trampoline nets and zipwire rides at the Zip World Slate Caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog, half an hour from the park
Haven Presthaven Beach Resort
Address: Gronant, Flintshire LL19 9TT
Website: haven.com/parks/north-wales/presthaven
Open from March to early November
This caravan park is ideal for exploring the long string of resorts that runs along the North Wales coast: you can park at Prestatyn station, a 10-minute drive away, and take the train to Rhyl, Colwyn Bay or Conwy, famous for its imposing riverside castle. All three are less than half an hour’s ride from Prestatyn. It’s 50 minutes to Llandudno, famous for its pier and promenade, and 25 minutes to the half-timbered houses and excellent shops of Chester, across the English border.
Or you could just stay on site, lazing on the beach or exploring miles of protected dunes. Haven Presthaven Beach Resort has five restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, a lazy river, an indoor sports hall, playgrounds, bungee trampolines, high ropes and a host of activities, from karting and archery to a pottery studio. There’s a shop on site, and you can walk to the Gronant Inn, but you’ll have a wider choice of shops, pubs and restaurants if you head into Prestatyn or Rhyl.
Prices: from £17 a night for a family of four
Top tip: you can walk from Colwyn Bay station to the Welsh Mountain Zoo, a 37-acre site that offers behind-the-scenes “encounters” with its snow leopards – a unique opportunity to learn about these rare and beautiful big cats
Hafan y Môr Holiday Park
Address: Pwllheli, Gwynedd LL53 6HX
Website: haven.com/parks/north-wales/hafan-y-mor
Open from March to early November
We’ll make no apology for including three Haven parks in this round-up: all of them offer great facilities in scenic surroundings, and this one is in a particularly cracking location on the south coast of the glorious Llyn Peninsula. It’s halfway between Criccieth and Pwllheli, two delightful seaside resorts with plenty of pubs, restaurants and shops – and you can get to either of them in 10 minutes from Penychain station, a request stop half a mile from the caravan park. Or take the car along the coast to chichi Abersoch and surfie Porth Neigwl, half an hour away. It’s a 25-minute drive to the southern edge of Snowdonia National Park, 45 minutes to Mount Snowdon and half an hour to Caernarfon, where there’s a mighty medieval castle.
As for the park, it’s one of Haven’s biggest, with direct beach access, nine bars and restaurants, a heated indoor pool, a boating lake, high ropes, nine playgrounds, children’s 4×4 off-roaders and an endless list of activities that includes bat walks and rockpooling as well as archery, karting and pedalos. It’s also great for under-5s, who will love the dinosaur hunts and “seaside slime” sessions.
Prices: from £24 a night for a family of four
Top tip: this is a strong Welsh-speaking area, so call it “Puu-thel-ee” if you want to impress the locals