Haven Devon Cliffs review: is this activity-packed Haven holiday park the best in Devon?

Our verdict

Haven Devon Cliffs is a great choice for a family holiday if you want plenty to keep the kids entertained alongside a genuinely lovely coastal setting. For us, its biggest selling point was the location. Having direct access to beautiful Sandy Bay beach, with the cliffs and sea as a backdrop, made it feel more special than your average holiday park, while Exmouth and plenty of family attractions are within easy driving distance.

Our Gold caravan in the Ocean View area was another highlight. It was spacious, comfortable and well equipped for the three of us, with two bathrooms, a good-sized kitchen and a balcony with breathtaking sea views. There were a couple of maintenance niggles and having to pay extra for WiFi was disappointing, but overall the accommodation made a very comfortable base for our long weekend.

There was more than enough to keep our four-year-old busy. The mini aerial adventure and trampolining were particular hits, she loved the water slides and evening entertainment, and we made good use of the playgrounds, soft play and arcade. Best of all, when we wanted a break from organised activities, we could simply head down to the beach. There isn't quite the same amount of entertainment as we experienced at Butlin's, and the main FunWorks and entertainment areas could feel very busy and a little overwhelming at peak times, but we never struggled to fill our days.

The My Haven app made the whole experience much easier to manage. We used it for everything from checking in and finding our caravan to booking activities and swimming, checking entertainment, ordering food and keeping track of our plans. Notifications such as swimming reminders and checkout information were genuinely useful too. The downside is that some of the most popular activities and swimming sessions need to be planned in advance and can book up quickly, so a Haven break isn't always as spontaneous as you might expect.

Food was probably the weakest part of the stay for us. There are plenty of convenient options, but the choice is dominated by familiar fast-food and takeaway brands and prices can soon add up. Having a well-equipped kitchen meant this wasn't a major issue for us, as we made breakfast and lunch in the caravan and generally ate out in the evening.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at Haven Devon Cliffs and would happily return, particularly for the location, beach and range of activities for younger children. It's not a luxury resort and there are a few compromises - from the busy communal areas and limited food choice to pre-booked swimming and additional activity costs - but for an action-packed family break by the sea, it offers a lot. I'd particularly recommend it to families with younger and primary-school-aged children who want the convenience of a holiday park without giving up the opportunity for a proper beach holiday.

How we tested Haven Devon Cliffs

I travelled to Haven Devon Cliffs with my husband and four-year-old daughter. While we aren’t regular holiday park-goers, we’ve previously stayed at Center Parcs Woburn Forest and Butlin’s Skegness, so we had some experience of UK family resorts to compare it with.

We’re a fairly adventurous family when it comes to travel and have taken our daughter on trips across the UK, Europe and North America, as well as further afield to Mauritius. We’re used to travelling with a young child and know what can make a family holiday easier, from comfortable accommodation and good facilities to plenty of things to see and do.

What's the accommodation like?

Haven Devon Cliffs offers a range of static caravans, from its more affordable Saver models through to larger Gold and Signature Gold caravans. We stayed in a two-bedroom Gold caravan, which slept four and felt very spacious for the three of us. Gold caravans are Haven’s largest standard caravan grade at around 560 sq ft.

Ours had one double bedroom with an ensuite, a twin bedroom, a main bathroom and a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. There was plenty of room for us to spread out without feeling on top of each other, and having two bathrooms was particularly handy when getting ready in the mornings.

The kitchen was well equipped for a self-catering stay, with the main appliances and utensils we needed. Haven caravans come with an oven, hob, microwave, fridge, kettle and toaster, while Gold accommodation also includes extras such as a washing machine and dishwasher. We did have a couple of niggles: there was a pan missing during our stay and one of the oven knobs was broken. Neither caused us a major problem, but they were disappointing given that Gold is one of Haven’s higher-end accommodation options.

Bed linen was included and the beds were made up ready for our arrival, while towels are also provided in Gold caravans - something worth checking if you book another grade, as towels aren't included with all Haven accommodation. A hairdryer is provided in Gold caravans too.

You do need to bring quite a few everyday essentials with you. Haven recommends packing washing-up liquid and a sponge or cloth, hand wash, tea towels, oven gloves, kitchen roll, foil, bin bags, toilet roll, toiletries and a bath mat, as well as basics such as cooking oil, and tea and coffee. If you're travelling with young children, it also recommends bringing child-friendly plates, cups and cutlery, although we just used the regular plates and cutlery with our 4-year-old. Most of these things can be picked up at the on-site supermarket if you forget them.

Families with younger children can also hire items such as a travel cot, highchair and bed guard at most Haven parks, although cot mattresses aren't provided. We took a bed guard from home with us for our 4-year-old who slept on one of the twin beds.

One of the best features of our caravan was the spacious balcony, which had a table and chairs and gave us an amazing view across the cliffs and sea. The view was a major highlight of the accommodation for us - it really was breathtaking, although we didn’t spend as much time as we would have liked in the outdoor area as there was lots for us to explore elsewhere.

We stayed in the Ocean View area and loved the location. Devon Cliffs is a large and very hilly park, so where your caravan is positioned can make quite a difference to your stay. From Ocean View, we weren't far from the main facilities, which meant we didn't have a long walk every time we wanted to go swimming, eat out or take part in an activity.

Our caravan didn't have air conditioning or free WiFi. Haven does now have some specific three-bedroom Gold/Signature Gold caravans with air conditioning at Devon Cliffs, but these need to be selected when booking rather than being a standard Gold feature.

What are the pools like?

The swimming facilities at Haven Devon Cliffs were good, although the main pool area felt a little more basic than those at some other holiday parks we’ve visited. That said, there was plenty to keep our four-year-old entertained, including a play area with smaller slides for younger children, as well as flumes and four-lane water slides for bigger kids. She was tall enough to use the larger slides and absolutely loved them, going on them again and again. There was also another indoor slide, although this one was quite slow. Overall, we thought there was a really good amount for her age.

The indoor pool is open from March to November, with swimming available from 9am to 5pm during our stay. Sessions can be booked from four weeks before your holiday and are limited to 60 minutes. The park was busy during our stay and slots filled up quickly, so it didn't leave much room for deciding to go for a spontaneous swim. We tended to book mid-afternoon sessions and found that the pool became a little quieter later in the day. Haven limits capacity for safety, which did at least mean numbers were controlled. The opening hours worked well for us, and we found it easy enough to fit swimming around our other plans once we'd secured a slot.

There are outdoor pools too, along with a larger multi-lane outdoor slide. The outdoor pools are seasonal and weather-dependent, opening at weekends from May half term until early July, then on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and weekends until the August Bank Holiday. The outdoor pool area felt fairly small when we visited and we couldn't see much seating around it. Despite visiting in summer, we also found it a little too chilly to spend much time swimming outside.

The changing facilities were adequate, with lockers available for your belongings. They could get a little messy towards the end of the day when lots of families had passed through, although we regularly saw staff cleaning them during our visits. If you forget any swim gear, there is a shop at the swimming pool reception.

What other facilities and activities are available?

There’s a lot to do at Haven Devon Cliffs, particularly for younger children, although we found the overall choice of entertainment and activities a little more limited than at Butlin’s. We had Play Passes included with our stay, which gave us access to the swimming pools, entertainment and free and paid-for activities. For our four-year-old, however, there was more than enough to fill our days, and we liked being able to mix organised activities with the beach, swimming and time at the playgrounds.

Sandy Bay beach

One of the biggest highlights is the direct access to Sandy Bay beach. Being able to walk from our caravan to such a beautiful beach was a real bonus, and we ended up choosing a morning there over one of the organised activities. The water was calm and shallow when we visited, which was great with a four-year-old, and we spent hours building sandcastles and paddling and swimming in the sea. There’s also a beach shop nearby, as well as the South Beach Cafe and a play area overlooking the coast.

Outdoor and indoor play areas

There are several play areas dotted around Devon Cliffs, including one in the main entertainment area and another near the beach. We also made good use of the soft play next to the Sports Bar. This was particularly handy as we could sit down with a drink while our daughter played nearby.

Away from the busier entertainment areas, there’s a nature trail and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coastal setting. We particularly liked having the option to step away from the organised activities and spend time at the beach. There was also a market at the park on the Sunday of our stay, with stalls from local sellers, which was a lovely surprise. 

Bookable activities

There’s a wide choice of bookable activities too, including trampolining, a mini aerial adventure course, crazy golf and activities at the Football Factory, as well as a multi-sports court and an off-road 4x4 area. Our four-year-old particularly loved the mini aerial adventure and trampolining. We managed to book the trampolining through the app just half an hour before the session started, which was really convenient and showed that last-minute availability is sometimes possible. We were also given £7.50 credit to put towards an additional activity during our stay. We also tried an Activitots session, although this felt a little young for our four-year-old and lacked the structure we were expecting.

The Creative Studio is located in the main FunWorks area, where we took part in a Seaside Squad Make a Bear activity. Our daughter really enjoyed this, and there were plenty of other activities available to browse by age in the My Haven app.

Evening entertainment

We also tried the evening entertainment, including the Tots Disco, Tiger Club, Hit the Beat and HVN Pop, which went down really well with our four-year-old. The main Capone’s ShowBar could get extremely busy, though, and with the music, lights and crowds we sometimes found it a bit of a sensory overload. There seemed to be less entertainment to choose from than we experienced at Butlin’s, but there was still enough to keep our daughter entertained in the early evening. Entertainment continues later into the evening, with a changing programme that can include live acts, quizzes, bingo and music aimed at older children and adults. We didn't stay for the later entertainment, but there was plenty listed in the app during our stay. 

Arcade

The arcade is another big part of the main FunWorks complex, with plenty of games and 2p machines. It was fun in small doses, but it could feel overwhelming, particularly first thing in the morning. Its central position also means it's difficult to avoid: depending on where you're heading, you may find yourself walking through the arcade simply to get from one part of the complex to another.

Did you use the My Haven app?

Yes - and actually, the My Haven app was one of the most useful features during our stay and made such a large park much easier to navigate and organise. We used it to check in, find our assigned caravan on the interactive map, book swimming and activities, browse activities by age, see what entertainment was on and keep track of our plans. You can also use it to book or order food, tell Haven if you're arriving late, register your car and see information about what's included in your accommodation and what you need to bring.

We also received useful notifications through the app, including a reminder two hours before our swimming session and checkout instructions at the end of our stay. Check-in itself was extremely quick, although we weren't given directions to our caravan on arrival, so having already looked at the map in the app was particularly useful.

What is the food like at Haven Devon Cliffs?

There are a fair few places to eat at Haven Devon Cliffs, although we found the choice quite basic, with a lot of the options geared towards fast food and takeaways. On-site options include The Red Rocks Wetherspoon pub, Burger King, Slim Chickens, Papa Johns, Cook’s Fish & Chips and Chopstix, as well as South Beach Café down by the beach. There are also plenty of places to pick up treats, including Millie’s Cookies near the swimming pool and Bertie’s ice cream van.

We tended to have breakfast and lunch in our caravan, which had a well-equipped kitchen, and eat out for dinner. We ate at Slim Chickens, ordered from Chopstix, as well as making use of Wetherspoon, which was handy as we didn't need to book. Most of the main venues have child-friendly options, so finding something for our four-year-old wasn't difficult. 

Prices were a little on the steep side, particularly if you’re eating out as a family for every meal, although this was something we expected from a holiday park. Having a kitchen in our caravan meant we could keep costs down by making breakfast and lunch ourselves and eating out for dinner.

South Beach Café is worth knowing about if you want something away from the busy main complex. It’s in a lovely position overlooking the coast, so you can combine lunch or a drink with a trip to the beach (we just had a drink there, so didn’t sample the food).

There’s also a Nisa Local on site, which was handy for picking up groceries and anything we'd forgotten. We used it to stock up on supplies so that we could cook and eat in the caravan rather than relying on the restaurants for every meal.

The My Haven app was useful for food too. We could see the different dining options and offers available during our stay, as well as book tables and order food. This made it much easier to plan meals around swimming, activities and entertainment. Opening times vary by venue, but the on-site Nisa Local and Wetherspoon open from 8am, while most of the other main food outlets open from around lunchtime.

Overall, the food offering was convenient and there was enough to keep us going for a few days, particularly as we combined eating out with self-catering. However, if food is a big part of your holiday, you may find the selection a little limited compared with other holiday parks.

What is there to do nearby?

There’s plenty to do within easy reach of Haven Devon Cliffs if you want to explore beyond the park. Sandy Bay beach is directly accessible from the holiday park, so you can walk down for a day on the sand without getting in the car - although bear in mind that the route back up is steep.

The seaside town of Exmouth is around a 10-minute drive away, with a long sandy beach, traditional seafront, cafés and family attractions. From here, you can also take boat trips along the Jurassic Coast or River Exe.

For a family day out, World of Country Life is around a five-minute drive from Devon Cliffs and has farm animals, indoor and outdoor play areas and activities for younger children. Crealy Theme Park & Resort is around 20 minutes away by car, with rides, play areas and attractions aimed at a range of ages.

If you fancy exploring further afield, Exeter is around a 30-minute drive away, while the Jurassic Coast offers plenty of opportunities for coastal walks, beaches and days out. Budleigh Salterton is around 20 minutes away by car and is apparently a good option for a quieter seaside trip.

With the exception of Sandy Bay beach, you'll generally want a car to explore the surrounding area, particularly when travelling with young children.

About the author

Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet, with 10 years’ editorial experience. For the past eight years, she has written, commissioned and edited reviews and buying guides designed to help parents make informed decisions about where to spend their money.

Mum to a four-year-old, Laura has explored destinations across the UK, Europe and further afield with her daughter. She knows first-hand what can make or break a holiday with a young child and, when reviewing family accommodation and destinations, pays particular attention to comfort, cleanliness, location, facilities, activities, food and overall value for money.

About the editor

Jenny Wonnacott is a mum of three school-aged children and a content editor for Mumsnet, where she covers a wide range of parenting topics. She combines her professional experience with real-world parenting know-how to guide families on everything from the best baby monitor to safe sleeping advice to the board games guaranteed to get preteens off screens.

Travel has always been a big part of Jenny’s life, from childhood holidays right through to travelling with her own family today. She’s experienced just about every kind of family holiday – including camping, holiday parks, long-haul adventures, skiing, city breaks and all-inclusive stays. From Club Med to camping in the Cotswolds, Jenny has years of experience discerning which facilities, amenities, activities and thoughtful little extras makes the difference between a good holiday and the best holiday ever.

About Mumsnet travel reviews

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