North East Family Fun : Haven Holiday Parks near Scarborough - Which One is Best for Your Family Break? (2024)

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I have a long history with the Haven Holiday parks near Scarborough and North Yorkshire is a fantastic place for a family day out. Located just a few miles from the popular seaside town of Scarborough, Primrose Valley, Blue Dolphin and Reighton Sands have always offered a fantastic value family holiday for us with lots to do both on and off-site. With a wide range of accommodation options available for all budgets, there really is something for everyone.

A bit of history..........

We used to visit almost every summer when I was a child and I have fond memories of entering talent competitions, playing party games and I even won a trophy in the 'Little Miss Haven' competition after I declared that I wanted to be Stephen Gately's microphone when I grew up. Because I trusted the Haven brand so much and it was super familiar to me, Primrose Valley was the place I took my first ever holiday without grown-ups (at age 17 which I am pretty sure goes against their guidelines). We had the best time and I think a caravan holiday like this with your friends really is a rite of passage.

Haven Holiday with the girls (aged 17)

Then again, we chose Blue Dolphin as a girls getaway when I was pregnant with Harry and at that stage of life where I was contemplating if baby carriers are worth it - kind of one last trip before our lives were going to change forever. If you split the cost of a caravan between 5-6 people, it actually works out very cheaply.

Haven Holiday when pregnant with Harry

Then it turned full circle and we chose a Haven Holiday park for our first ever family camping trip when Harry and Heidi were little (and Jack was a little twinkle in my eye) and enjoyed numerous holidays with the children at the parks when they were younger. Harry, Heidi and Jack used to be obsessed with 'Rory the Tiger's House' and I'm pretty sure they're going to take their own children when they are older and create memories of their own too. I think I may have visited a Scarborough Haven Holiday Park around 20 times across my life and I thought it might be nice to compare the three as it's often difficult to decide which one to stay at. We haven't stayed with Haven in a few years as I personally think they are much better suited to families with children under the age of 8.

Primrose Valley

Primrose Valley is built on top of a cliff (don't worry - it's safe) and is a huge all-singing, all-dancing park. This one is a good option if you have older children and you'd like access to lots of activities to keep them entertained. The site is big so you'll likely need baby carrier, sling or pushchair to walk around and your accommodation might be quite a distance from where all the action is. Primrose Valley has it's own swimming pool and activities and also a lake where you can hire a pedalo, build rafts, canoe or simply feed the ducks. There are so many sport activities on offer that it's impossible to list them all - from a climbing wall to archery tuition, bike hire, crazy golf and an aerialadventure. There's honestly so much to do - the park even has its own funfair! You will have to pay an additional fee for most activities so make sure you take this into account when budgeting.

Blue Dolphin

Blue Dolphin is probably the park that I've visited most often. It seems to have the best of both worlds - plenty of activities but a little more chilled than Primrose Valley up the road. The park is again on a cliffside and offers both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

As well as the swimming pools, there's a sports dome (which used to hold fab roller discos back in the day) where families can try rock climbing, archery, fencing and more. The outdoor pool is open from May Half Term - 2 September and perfect for sunny days. There's lots of daytime activities too from bowling to bike hire and puppet shows.

We love that Blue Dolphin has its own touring field that welcomes both vans and tents. We've camped here a fair few times over the years and it's a low-cost way to enjoy all that Haven has to offer if money is a little tight.

Food: With a fish and chip shop, Papa Johns, Burger King and pub on-site, there's plenty of choice.

Accommodation: Caravans range from standard to prestige with decking plus there's a camping and touring field.

Best for: Families who love swimming and sports and campers looking for a break with lots to keep the kids entertained.

Prices from: £79 per family (standard caravan) or camping available from £10 per family per night.

Reighton Sands