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Haven Greenacres Holiday Park - Activities, Reviews and Offers
Holidaymakers looking for a Haven in Wales have a bumper choice of seven caravan parks. That's right, seven!
Greenacres in North West Wales is rightfully one of the most popular, so it is worthy of its own page. It's the sort of place where you can entertain your children for several days without having to go very far at all...although I would recommend a little bit of exploring.
For the full comparison of all seven Welsh resorts, check out our guide to Haven in Wales. We've also got an equally thrilling guide to Haven Hafan y Môr, which is another whopper of a holiday park. It is only 25 minutes' drive from Greenacres so you may be choosing between the two (the bottom of this page has a side-by-side comparison that took me an eternity to produce).
If you're leaning towards Haven Greenacres and want to know what to expect, read on.
Greenacres in North West Wales is rightfully one of the most popular, so it is worthy of its own page. It's the sort of place where you can entertain your children for several days without having to go very far at all...although I would recommend a little bit of exploring.
For the full comparison of all seven Welsh resorts, check out our guide to Haven in Wales. We've also got an equally thrilling guide to Haven Hafan y Môr, which is another whopper of a holiday park. It is only 25 minutes' drive from Greenacres so you may be choosing between the two (the bottom of this page has a side-by-side comparison that took me an eternity to produce).
If you're leaning towards Haven Greenacres and want to know what to expect, read on.
Where is Haven's Greenacres Holiday Park?
Haven Greenacres is on Wales' North West coastline, on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. You'll also see the national park referred to by its Welsh name of Eryri and Mount Snowdon referred to as Yr Wyddfa.
There aren't big cities near to Haven Greenacres but the resort is about two hours from Liverpool, two and a half hours from Manchester or three hours from Birmingham. Bangor is about 50 minutes away whilst Aberystwyth and Wrexham are about 90 minutes away.
It's worth mentioning at this point that Haven Presthaven is much closer to Manchester and Liverpool, so is a popular choice for holidaymakers from both cities. You can reach Presthaven in 1 hour 10 minutes from Liverpool or 1 hour 40 minutes from Manchester.
As we shall see, Haven Greenacres has some advantages over Presthaven. The question is...can you endure an extra hour in the car with children for the sake of a slightly better holiday?
There aren't big cities near to Haven Greenacres but the resort is about two hours from Liverpool, two and a half hours from Manchester or three hours from Birmingham. Bangor is about 50 minutes away whilst Aberystwyth and Wrexham are about 90 minutes away.
It's worth mentioning at this point that Haven Presthaven is much closer to Manchester and Liverpool, so is a popular choice for holidaymakers from both cities. You can reach Presthaven in 1 hour 10 minutes from Liverpool or 1 hour 40 minutes from Manchester.
As we shall see, Haven Greenacres has some advantages over Presthaven. The question is...can you endure an extra hour in the car with children for the sake of a slightly better holiday?
How does Haven Greenacres rank on review scores?
As a general rule, Haven holiday parks compare well on reviews with other big name caravan park companies in the UK, such as Parkdean Resorts. You might like to read our detailed comparison of Haven v Parkdean Resorts, if you have a lot of time on your hands (perhaps if you are stuck in a lift and are awaiting rescue).
Haven's ratings range from 3.5/5 - 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor with most of them scoring a solid 4/5.
Haven's Greenacres fits that pattern very neatly with a customer review score of 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.4/5 on Google reviews. That is based on about 4000 reviews, so we can say with some confidence that it is a good reflection of public opinion. That's not always the case with a small holiday park, which might only have half a dozen reviews (some of which could well be faker than Donald Trump's tan).
Positive themes that you will see repeated regularly throughout the reviews include:
Some less positive issues raised by some reviewers:
Haven's ratings range from 3.5/5 - 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor with most of them scoring a solid 4/5.
Haven's Greenacres fits that pattern very neatly with a customer review score of 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.4/5 on Google reviews. That is based on about 4000 reviews, so we can say with some confidence that it is a good reflection of public opinion. That's not always the case with a small holiday park, which might only have half a dozen reviews (some of which could well be faker than Donald Trump's tan).
Positive themes that you will see repeated regularly throughout the reviews include:
- location - visitors are generally very impressed with the location, which has an excellent sandy beach in one direction and Snowdonia in the other direction ("The mountains and the views surrounding are awesome!" - May 2024)
- activities - most people praise the range of activities, although it's worth considering that you pay extra for a lot of the more exciting sounding things ("ample facilities for families with kids and dogs" - April 2024)
- entertainment - there are plenty of positive comments about the on-site entertainment ("Kids loved the entertainment in the evening" - March 2024)
- accommodation - the majority of customers are happy with the cleanliness and comfort of the caravans. Of course, you will find exceptions when you are looking at 4000 review scores but the overall vibe is a positive one. ("Stayed in the saver caravan with our dog. Accommodation was clean and had everything we needed" - May 2024)
- staff - most comments are that staff are doing a great job ("The staff are all so friendly and willing to help at every opportunity" - April 2024)
Some less positive issues raised by some reviewers:
- cost of eating out - some people comment that the bar and some of the pay-as-you-go activities are expensive. Honestly, I think the food prices are about what I would expect nowadays for a pub-type venue in the UK. To give you a general idea, the Mash and Barrel (Haven's main restaurant) charges about £11-£15 for most main meals but there are several good offers on eating out at Haven. These vary but when I checked you could get a kids meal for £1 or two adults' meals for £18 on quieter days. It's more expensive than some fast food or a Wetherspoons, but for typical pub dining I don't think that's too bad. The main onsite pub/restaurant scores 3/5 on TripAdvisor but there are other options.
- availability and cost of activities - some people had issues with being able to book activities at the last minute on a busy day. You can plan ahead a bit of overcome this. Other people said the activities were expensive. Again, it's worth looking at the offers on activities page as you can save some money by booking a few at the same time. We will look at the cost of activities later in this guide.
- touring facilities - some visitors say that the facilities for touring caravans need an upgrade. They comment on small shower cubicles and not enough hot water. It's worth saying that there are plenty of very positive comments about the touring area ("The facilities on-site are excellent and clean and the staff are friendly and helpful" - June 2024)
How does Haven Greenacres compare to rival parks in the area?
We added together TripAdvisor and Google review scores then converted them into a percentage (you're welcome):
As you can see, Greenacres rates pretty well compared to similar resorts. It matches Hafan y Môr, which is a bit larger than Greenacres.
Away Resorts Barmouth Bay Holiday Park ranks higher but it is a notably smaller resort. It has an indoor swimming pool, hot tubs and easy beach access but it doesn't have the range of activities that you find at Haven Greenacres.
Perhaps Haven's biggest rival in the UK is Parkdean Resorts. They have more than 60 holiday parks around the UK, and many of them are in similar coastal locations as Haven. Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park is about an hour away from Haven Greenacres. It is categorised as an 'action park' by Parkdean, meaning it has a good range of things to go. Reviews are positive for both (I reckon 4+ is a good enough review score) but Haven Greenacres certainly edges it.
- Away Resorts Barmouth Bay Holiday Park - 4.5/5 + 4.6/5 = 91%
- Haven Hafan y Môr - 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Greenacres - 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Away Resorts Golden Sands - 4.2/5 + 4/5 = 82%
- Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park - 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Haven Presthaven Holiday Park - 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
As you can see, Greenacres rates pretty well compared to similar resorts. It matches Hafan y Môr, which is a bit larger than Greenacres.
Away Resorts Barmouth Bay Holiday Park ranks higher but it is a notably smaller resort. It has an indoor swimming pool, hot tubs and easy beach access but it doesn't have the range of activities that you find at Haven Greenacres.
Perhaps Haven's biggest rival in the UK is Parkdean Resorts. They have more than 60 holiday parks around the UK, and many of them are in similar coastal locations as Haven. Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park is about an hour away from Haven Greenacres. It is categorised as an 'action park' by Parkdean, meaning it has a good range of things to go. Reviews are positive for both (I reckon 4+ is a good enough review score) but Haven Greenacres certainly edges it.
How expensive is a holiday at Haven Greenacres Holiday Park?
As you will be aware, prices at UK holiday parks fluctuate wildly throughout the year. A caravan that costs you £200 for a termtime week in March, could cost you £1000+ in early August. Let's wipe away our tears and just accept this reality.
This does rather make it difficult to do a meaningful price comparison, as a holiday park might be the cheapest one week but the most expensive the next.
However, we will look at a week's holiday in mid August as that is when most of us are looking to get away (I have stopped calling it 'a holiday' now that we have children, as I've realised it is more accurate to call it 'parenting in a different location').
We looked up the price for a week in August 2024 at the six holiday parks mentioned above, which are a mix of Haven, Parkdean and Away Resorts locations in North Wales.
We searched in June 2024, which is fairly short notice. You will generally get the best deals if you book ahead a little bit.
As you can see, Haven Greenacres comes out glowing red hot in this price comparison. The competition is left despondent as Greenacres blows it out the water (Ed: alright, calm down, it's only one set of dates).
In this particular search, you can save nearly £500 by staying at Haven Greenacres compared to nearby Haven Hafan y Môr. It's worth mentioning at this point that all of the Haven resorts are available cheaper if you don't want to use the facilities. They all offer a Haven Hideaway option where you can use the restaurants but can't go swimming or watch the entertainment.
We've used the standard prices with the basic facilities included as that's what most people go for. If you just want to go walking in Snowdonia and aren't interested in splashing around then it's a good way to save some money.
See our full guide to whether you should pay for the standard Haven experience or go for the cheaper Haven Hideaway option.
This does rather make it difficult to do a meaningful price comparison, as a holiday park might be the cheapest one week but the most expensive the next.
However, we will look at a week's holiday in mid August as that is when most of us are looking to get away (I have stopped calling it 'a holiday' now that we have children, as I've realised it is more accurate to call it 'parenting in a different location').
We looked up the price for a week in August 2024 at the six holiday parks mentioned above, which are a mix of Haven, Parkdean and Away Resorts locations in North Wales.
We searched in June 2024, which is fairly short notice. You will generally get the best deals if you book ahead a little bit.
- Haven Greenacres - £835 (Saver Caravan - see our Haven grading grade)
- Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park - £889 (Rhyl Caravan - see our Parkdean Resorts grading guide)
- Haven Presthaven Holiday Park - £905 (Saver caravan)
- Away Resorts Golden Sands - £1213 (Comfort Caravan - see our Away Resorts grading guide)
- Haven Hafan y Môr - £1305 (Saver Caravan)
- Away Resorts Barmouth Bay Holiday Park - £1729 (Superior Caravan)
As you can see, Haven Greenacres comes out glowing red hot in this price comparison. The competition is left despondent as Greenacres blows it out the water (Ed: alright, calm down, it's only one set of dates).
In this particular search, you can save nearly £500 by staying at Haven Greenacres compared to nearby Haven Hafan y Môr. It's worth mentioning at this point that all of the Haven resorts are available cheaper if you don't want to use the facilities. They all offer a Haven Hideaway option where you can use the restaurants but can't go swimming or watch the entertainment.
We've used the standard prices with the basic facilities included as that's what most people go for. If you just want to go walking in Snowdonia and aren't interested in splashing around then it's a good way to save some money.
See our full guide to whether you should pay for the standard Haven experience or go for the cheaper Haven Hideaway option.
How big is Haven Greenacres?
Haven Greenacres is a very large holiday resort with plenty to do. It covers roughly the same area as Haven Hafan y Môr, which is a former Butlins site. In case you're interested, Haven Greenacres was previously a British Holidays park but it has undergone a massive upgrade since then and has changed a lot. Be honest, you're not really interested are you?
Despite covering a similar area as Haven Hafan y Môr, we found that Haven Greenacres has fewer caravans.
There are 1000 caravans at Haven Greenacres. Well, my wife actually counted 999 by patiently counting rectangles on the official map, but I've rounded it up. She also counted 45 pitches for caravans.
That compares to about 1400 caravans at Haven Hafan y Môr, plus about 75 pitches for touring caravans (see this official page if you are planning to bring your own caravan to Haven Greenacres or our own guide to touring with Haven).
Despite covering a similar area as Haven Hafan y Môr, we found that Haven Greenacres has fewer caravans.
There are 1000 caravans at Haven Greenacres. Well, my wife actually counted 999 by patiently counting rectangles on the official map, but I've rounded it up. She also counted 45 pitches for caravans.
That compares to about 1400 caravans at Haven Hafan y Môr, plus about 75 pitches for touring caravans (see this official page if you are planning to bring your own caravan to Haven Greenacres or our own guide to touring with Haven).
What activities and facilities does Haven Greenacres have?
We've established that it is big, but what is there to do at Haven Greenacres?
Here's our roundup of what you can do at Haven Greenacres. We will split it into 'free' and 'pay as you go' activities at Haven.
I'm confusing things a bit by saying that there are 'free' activities at Haven holiday parks. They are only free if you pay for the standard 'Haven' holiday rather than a Haven Hideaway holiday. That'll cost a family of four about £120 for a week in peak season.
The reason I describe them as 'free' is that there are also lots of activities that you pay extra for.
Anyway, before you get utterly confused, let's start with the stuff included with a standard holiday with Haven.
Here's our roundup of what you can do at Haven Greenacres. We will split it into 'free' and 'pay as you go' activities at Haven.
I'm confusing things a bit by saying that there are 'free' activities at Haven holiday parks. They are only free if you pay for the standard 'Haven' holiday rather than a Haven Hideaway holiday. That'll cost a family of four about £120 for a week in peak season.
The reason I describe them as 'free' is that there are also lots of activities that you pay extra for.
Anyway, before you get utterly confused, let's start with the stuff included with a standard holiday with Haven.
Swimming and other 'free' activities at Haven Greenacres Holiday Park
The indoor swimming pool at Haven Greenacres is a good size, but it's a fairly basic pool. It doesn't have flumes and slides or the waterpark vibes that you get at the massive Haven Hafan y Môr swimming pool.
There's also an outdoor splashzone at Haven Green acres, which is one of those places with water that sprays out. Half the children scream with delight whilst the other half cry at getting wet.
You need to book swimming pool sessions. They can be booked four weeks before your holiday starts and you can reserve up to 14 sessions via this booking page.
There's also an outdoor splashzone at Haven Green acres, which is one of those places with water that sprays out. Half the children scream with delight whilst the other half cry at getting wet.
You need to book swimming pool sessions. They can be booked four weeks before your holiday starts and you can reserve up to 14 sessions via this booking page.
Besides the swimming, there are also three playgrounds around the site and an indoor soft play area.
Other free activities you can sign up for include football kickabouts and coastal exploring walks. You also get entertainment at Greenacres, which includes people dressed up in silly costumes for the kids and things like live singers, quizzes and bingo for grownups.
Other free activities you can sign up for include football kickabouts and coastal exploring walks. You also get entertainment at Greenacres, which includes people dressed up in silly costumes for the kids and things like live singers, quizzes and bingo for grownups.
Of course, there's also the beach at Greenacres. It's a wide open beach called Black Rock Sands Beach.
Is it safe to swim in the sea at Haven Greenacres?
You'll be aware that dumping sewage into the sea has become embarrassingly common around the UK over the last few years. This is outrageous in my opinion, which is why we created the Brown Flag Awards.
So how does the beach at Greenacres compare? Is it clean enough for swimming?
According to Natural Resources Wales (which is the equivalent of the Environment Agency in England) the water quality at Black Rock Sands Beach is 'excellent'. That's the highest rating possible and is based on cleanliness tests carried out between April and September.
In other words, you can swim in the sea at Greenacres in summer without worrying about what else might be floating in the water. In winter, it's hard to say how clean the sea is, but the park is closed in December, January and February. I don't particularly fancy swimming in the sea in November, so I don't think it's a big issue.
Of course, there are other things you need to consider when staying safe at the seaside. There is no lifeguard cover at the beach near to Haven Greenacres.
So how does the beach at Greenacres compare? Is it clean enough for swimming?
According to Natural Resources Wales (which is the equivalent of the Environment Agency in England) the water quality at Black Rock Sands Beach is 'excellent'. That's the highest rating possible and is based on cleanliness tests carried out between April and September.
In other words, you can swim in the sea at Greenacres in summer without worrying about what else might be floating in the water. In winter, it's hard to say how clean the sea is, but the park is closed in December, January and February. I don't particularly fancy swimming in the sea in November, so I don't think it's a big issue.
Of course, there are other things you need to consider when staying safe at the seaside. There is no lifeguard cover at the beach near to Haven Greenacres.
Pay-as-you-go activities at Greenacres
Besides, the swimming pool and playground, there are also various activities that you pay extra for. You can only sign up for these if you go for the standard Haven holiday rather than the cheaper Haven Hideaway option.
It varies a little depending on when you visit, but you can see the latest list here.
These activities are not as expensive as Center Parcs, but the prices can certainly stack up over a week. My advice is to decide in advance and to book the things that are most appealing. There are often offers where you get a discount or a free activity if you book a few at a time (offers and deals will be on this activities page if there are any).
Some of the activities at Greenacres include:
(This list is from 2024. Prices and activities do change over time so please just see this as a guide rather than a definitive list).
It varies a little depending on when you visit, but you can see the latest list here.
These activities are not as expensive as Center Parcs, but the prices can certainly stack up over a week. My advice is to decide in advance and to book the things that are most appealing. There are often offers where you get a discount or a free activity if you book a few at a time (offers and deals will be on this activities page if there are any).
Some of the activities at Greenacres include:
- Activitots - £3
- Aqua Jets - £12
- Bike hire - £6-£12 depending on your age and how long you hire the bike for
- Aqua inflatables - £10
- Archery - £12
- Bug hunts - £2
- Bungee trampoline - £6
- Climbing wall - £12
- Crazy golf - £4
- Den building - £6
- Dinosaur Fossil Adventures - £16
- Firelighting techniques - £8
- Kart hire - £14-£16
- NERF training camp - £10
- Magical makers - £10
- Pebble art - £6
- Make a bear party - £22
- Table tennis - £5
- Target shooting - £12
(This list is from 2024. Prices and activities do change over time so please just see this as a guide rather than a definitive list).
What is the best accommodation at Haven Hafan y Môr?
There are two types of accommodation at Haven Greenacres (plus camping and touring).
The cheapest type of accommodation at Greenacres are the caravans. These make up the majority of the properties onsite.
The very cheapest caravans are called Saver (£) and then you can upgrade to Bronze (££), Silver (£££) and Gold (££££). At some Haven resorts you also get Signature (£££££) caravans, but I don't believe there are any of those at Haven Green acres.
If you are willing or able to upgrade then you get a wider caravan, somewhere outdoors to sit in the evening and a better equipped kitchen with a proper fridge/freezer. Haven has produced a detailed comparison table and you can read our thoughts on which upgrades are worthwhile.
The cost of upgrading varies massively. For a term time holiday in October, leaping from Saver (£) to Gold (££££) might only cost you £300. The same upgrade during the school holidays in August might cost you more than £1000. For this reason, my policy is to make do with cheaper accommodation at peak times and then upgrade during off peak periods. We tend to be out and about more during the warmer months anyway.
The second - and more expensive - accommodation at Haven Greenacres are the lodges. There aren't so many of these and they tend to sell out during peak times - despite costing a lot more than the caravans.
There are two grades of lodge at Haven Greenacres including Emerald (£) and Diamond (££). Both are wider and more spacious than standard caravans, but the Diamond Lodges are particularly roomy (sometimes twice the width of a Saver caravan).
You get the bells and whistles that you get with the posher caravans, but you also get more space. Again, you can find a comparison table on the Haven website or read our own comparison of Haven's lodge and caravan grades.
The cheapest type of accommodation at Greenacres are the caravans. These make up the majority of the properties onsite.
The very cheapest caravans are called Saver (£) and then you can upgrade to Bronze (££), Silver (£££) and Gold (££££). At some Haven resorts you also get Signature (£££££) caravans, but I don't believe there are any of those at Haven Green acres.
If you are willing or able to upgrade then you get a wider caravan, somewhere outdoors to sit in the evening and a better equipped kitchen with a proper fridge/freezer. Haven has produced a detailed comparison table and you can read our thoughts on which upgrades are worthwhile.
The cost of upgrading varies massively. For a term time holiday in October, leaping from Saver (£) to Gold (££££) might only cost you £300. The same upgrade during the school holidays in August might cost you more than £1000. For this reason, my policy is to make do with cheaper accommodation at peak times and then upgrade during off peak periods. We tend to be out and about more during the warmer months anyway.
The second - and more expensive - accommodation at Haven Greenacres are the lodges. There aren't so many of these and they tend to sell out during peak times - despite costing a lot more than the caravans.
There are two grades of lodge at Haven Greenacres including Emerald (£) and Diamond (££). Both are wider and more spacious than standard caravans, but the Diamond Lodges are particularly roomy (sometimes twice the width of a Saver caravan).
You get the bells and whistles that you get with the posher caravans, but you also get more space. Again, you can find a comparison table on the Haven website or read our own comparison of Haven's lodge and caravan grades.
Which is better, Greenacres or Hafan-y-Mor?
You may be deciding between Greenacres and Haven Hafan y Môr. The short answer is that Hafan y Môr has a better swimming pool and more activities. However, Haven Greenacres is still a large resort with plenty to keep you entertained and it is usually cheaper than Hafan y Môr. Both have access to good beaches.
We've pulled together a comparison table to help you make up your mind.
We've pulled together a comparison table to help you make up your mind.
Facility |
Haven Greenacres |
|
Cost |
Cheaper (usually) |
More expensive (usually) |
Beach |
Direct access to sandy beach |
Direct access to shingly/sandy beach |
Swimming |
Simple indoor pool, outdoor splash park |
Impressive water park with slides, plus a lane swimming pool |
Playgrounds |
3 |
4 |
Places to eat/ restaurants |
4 |
10 |
No |
Yes |
|
Travel time to nearest Snowdonia/Eryri visitor's centre |
22 minutes |
29 minutes |
Dog friendly accommodation |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, and a mostly flat site |
Yes, and a mostly flat site |
|
Bouncy stuff! |
Bungee trampolines |
Bouncy trampolines, inflatable arena |
Vehicles |
Bike hire, kart hire, segway |
Bike hire, kart hire, segway, off road tanks |
Water activities |
Aqua jets, aqua paddlers, aqua inflatables |
Aqua jets, aqua paddlers, pool kayaking, pedalos |
Sports |
Crazy golf, table tennis, football |
Crazy golf, football, roller disco |
Climbing activities |
Climbing wall, |
Climbing wall, aerial adventure (high ropes and low ropes), the Jump |
Shooting and targets |
NERF, target shooting |
Archery, NERF, target shooting |
Crafts |
Yes (pottery painting, slime, make a bear etc) |
Yes (pottery painting, |
Nature |
Yes (coastal explorers, bug hunt) |
Yes (coastal explorers, pond dipping, den building etc) |
Entertainment venues |
2 |
2 |
Amusement arcade |
Yes |
Yes |
Number of caravans |
1000 + 45 touring pitches |
1400 + 75 touring pitches |
What about Haven Cardigan View Holiday Park? I'm confused...
You may have stumbled across Haven Cardigan View Holiday Park in your research.
This is right next door to Haven Greenacres, but is an owners-only caravan park. It has its own swimming pool but guests use Greenacres other facilities.
Cardigan View is smaller than Greenacres, with 221 caravans compared to about 1000 at Greenacres.
You can't stay at Haven Cardigan View Caravan Park unless you also buy a Haven holiday home. You may want to read our guide to owning a caravan on a holiday park, which includes the likely costs as well as the pros and cons.
This is right next door to Haven Greenacres, but is an owners-only caravan park. It has its own swimming pool but guests use Greenacres other facilities.
Cardigan View is smaller than Greenacres, with 221 caravans compared to about 1000 at Greenacres.
You can't stay at Haven Cardigan View Caravan Park unless you also buy a Haven holiday home. You may want to read our guide to owning a caravan on a holiday park, which includes the likely costs as well as the pros and cons.
Images are from Haven.