Blue Dolphin Holiday Park - Haven

The Blue Dolphin Holiday Park is a seasonal caravan park located on the Yorkshire coast. An extensive array of activities and sports, as well as two pools and several playgrounds, make this a fun, kid-oriented destination for families traveling on a budget. There is a variety of campsites available as well as caravans for rent, which are clustered around a large low-rise central complex that includes four restaurants, a convenience store, and a large entertainment area. Guests are greeted in a basic, but functional, reception room located in a brick building at the front of the park. Outside of the reception area, the cream-colored clapboard caravans stretch across many acres, each with their own small green lawn. There are 14 different sections of the park, all connected by winding asphalt roads. Though featuring a slew of entertainment facilities, many of them are a little run down and in need of an update (and are often overcrowded in the summer), but this is common across holiday parks.

The park is located on the Yorkshire coast, near the small town of Filey and six miles south of Scarborough (a 15-minute drive). It's bordered on the north by seaside cliffs, which offer beautiful views, but unfortunately, no beach access. Guests can take a three-mile hike down a winding coastal path to the beach at Filey, but there are also several beaches a short drive away. The park is only a mile away from the A165, a major motorway that leads to Scarborough (where travelers can visit Scarborough Castle and the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary aquarium), hiking trails in the North York Moors National Park (a 30-minute drive), and the white coastal cliffs of Flamborough (another 30-minute drive). There are also two golf courses within a 10-minute drive of the park.

The Blue Dolphin Holiday Park has a variety of campsites available, including electric hook-ups and water and waste disposal connections, that accommodate tents, trailers, and motor homes. Many of the sites slope, however, which makes pitching a trailer difficult, and they are quite close together. The park also has seven different types of static caravans available to rent, all with flat-screen TVs and fully-equipped kitchenettes with ovens, stoves, fridges, microwaves, toasters, and kettles. Basic trailers are decorated with red and tan colors and blonde wood accents, while upgraded options have a fun nautical theme, with sailboat throw pillows, compass rose artwork, and sailor-striped curtains tied back with rope. As to be expected, the units are small, especially the bedrooms and tiny bathrooms, but are clean and make efficient use of space. The caravans have free gas, electricity, and hot water, but the basic units do not include bed linens.  

This family oriented holiday park has a multitude of features for kids, including heated outdoor and indoor pools with waterslides and a variety of water activities, as well as an arcade with a bowling alley, go-kart track, rock climbing wall, and a freshwater fishing lake with bumper boats. Some of the facilities are a bit run down and in need of an update, such as the worn outdoor and indoor playgrounds. The park has a kids club and offers various arts and crafts activities, as well as evening entertainment. On-site dining options gravitate towards fast food and include a Burger King, Papa John's Pizzeria, fish and chips shop, and a pub restaurant where guests can enjoy free Wi-Fi, as well as two ShowBars with live music and entertainment. There is a SPAR convenience store, though pricey, as well as a gift shop and toy store. There are laundry facilities on-site. Camping facilities include a shower block and toilets, though cleanliness varies.