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Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park - Reviews, Facilities and Discounts
Splashaway Bay at Haven Hafan y Môr is better than your average holiday park swimming pool
Haven Hafan y Môr is a vast holiday park, which is a solid choice if you want endless entertainment from a big-name and trusted brand.
It's got an outstanding swimming pool, loads of outdoor activities (some free, some paid) and a busy entertainment programme.
Here's our guide to what to expect from Haven Hafan y Môr including advice on how it compares to rival resorts.
It's got an outstanding swimming pool, loads of outdoor activities (some free, some paid) and a busy entertainment programme.
Here's our guide to what to expect from Haven Hafan y Môr including advice on how it compares to rival resorts.
Where is Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park?
If you're planning a holiday at Haven Hafan y Môr then you hopefully have a fair idea of where it is...
However, we shall plough on.
Haven Hafan y Môr is in North West Wales, about 25 minutes from the edge of Snowdonia.
It's about 2 hours' drive from Liverpool or 2 hours 30 minutes from Manchester. There are holiday parks closer to Liverpool and Manchester, but lots of people make the journey because of the better facilities at Hafan y Môr.
However, we shall plough on.
Haven Hafan y Môr is in North West Wales, about 25 minutes from the edge of Snowdonia.
It's about 2 hours' drive from Liverpool or 2 hours 30 minutes from Manchester. There are holiday parks closer to Liverpool and Manchester, but lots of people make the journey because of the better facilities at Hafan y Môr.
Did we mention that Haven Hafan y Môr has a good swimming pool?
Does Hafan y Môr Caravan Park get good reviews?
The short answer is that yes, Hafan y Môr does get good reviews.
Let's dig into a little bit more detail though as we embark on a journey of holiday park education together (Ed: are you feeling alright?).
Customers give Hafan y Môr a score of 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.4/5 on Google reviews. That figure is based on about 8000 ratings, so I consider it a pretty reliable number. Reviews of holiday parks don't tend to be faked, in the same way that reviews are for some stuff you buy online.
There are spme Haven and Parkdean Resorts holiday parks that score marginally higher, but not many.
We've also noticed over the years that larger holiday parks are generally marked down by customers. My theory is that a huge holiday park has more to go wrong than a field with caravans and a launderette.
The holiday park that Haven Hafan y Môr has the most in common with is probably Haven Greenacres. It is also in Wales and is another large resort. Customer reviews for Greenacres are...exactly the same as Hafan y Môr at the time of writing.
There is a Haven holiday park in Wales that gets better review scores than Hafan y Môr. It's called Haven Lydstep Beach and can be found in South Wales. It scores 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews. However, it is considerably smaller than Hafan y Môr and offers a very different holiday experience (e.g. the swimming pool is much more basic and there aren't as many activities).
And how about Butlins? At the time of typing, Hafan y Môr Caravan Park gets slightly better customer review scores than the three Butlins resorts (Minehead, Skegness and Bognor Regis). The difference is not huge but the Butlins resorts score 3.5/5 or 4/5 on TripAdvisor compared to Hafan y Môr's 4/5.
Finally, how does Haven Hafan y Môr compare to Parkdean Resorts' holiday parks in Wales?
There are lots of choose from, but two are particularly relevant for our comparison. Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park is another large resort in North Wales - it scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor and 4.1/5 on Google Reviews. Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay is in South Wales and is one of the larger holiday parks in the UK. It scores 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.3/5 on Google Reviews. Again, both of those scores are slightly lower than Haven Hafan y Môr.
Here's how Hafan y Môr ranks against a selection of the resorts mentioned above. We've given them a percentage score to make it easier to compare (you're welcome):
Let's dig into a little bit more detail though as we embark on a journey of holiday park education together (Ed: are you feeling alright?).
Customers give Hafan y Môr a score of 4/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.4/5 on Google reviews. That figure is based on about 8000 ratings, so I consider it a pretty reliable number. Reviews of holiday parks don't tend to be faked, in the same way that reviews are for some stuff you buy online.
There are spme Haven and Parkdean Resorts holiday parks that score marginally higher, but not many.
We've also noticed over the years that larger holiday parks are generally marked down by customers. My theory is that a huge holiday park has more to go wrong than a field with caravans and a launderette.
The holiday park that Haven Hafan y Môr has the most in common with is probably Haven Greenacres. It is also in Wales and is another large resort. Customer reviews for Greenacres are...exactly the same as Hafan y Môr at the time of writing.
There is a Haven holiday park in Wales that gets better review scores than Hafan y Môr. It's called Haven Lydstep Beach and can be found in South Wales. It scores 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews. However, it is considerably smaller than Hafan y Môr and offers a very different holiday experience (e.g. the swimming pool is much more basic and there aren't as many activities).
And how about Butlins? At the time of typing, Hafan y Môr Caravan Park gets slightly better customer review scores than the three Butlins resorts (Minehead, Skegness and Bognor Regis). The difference is not huge but the Butlins resorts score 3.5/5 or 4/5 on TripAdvisor compared to Hafan y Môr's 4/5.
Finally, how does Haven Hafan y Môr compare to Parkdean Resorts' holiday parks in Wales?
There are lots of choose from, but two are particularly relevant for our comparison. Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park is another large resort in North Wales - it scores 4/5 on TripAdvisor and 4.1/5 on Google Reviews. Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay is in South Wales and is one of the larger holiday parks in the UK. It scores 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor or 4.3/5 on Google Reviews. Again, both of those scores are slightly lower than Haven Hafan y Môr.
Here's how Hafan y Môr ranks against a selection of the resorts mentioned above. We've given them a percentage score to make it easier to compare (you're welcome):
- Haven Lydstep Beach - 4.5/5 + 4.5/5 = 90%
- Haven Hafan y Môr - 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Haven Greenacres - 4/5 + 4.4/5 = 84%
- Butlins Skegness - 4/5 + 4.3/5 = 83%
- Parkdean Resorts Ty Mawr Holiday Park - 4/5 + 4.1/5 = 81%
- Parkdean Resorts Trecco Bay - 3.5/5 + 4.3/5 = 78%
- Butlins Minehead - 3.5/5 + 4.2/5 = 77%
Haven's Lydstep Beach scores higher with customers than Haven Hafan y Môr - but it's a much smaller resort
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Haven Greenacres gets very similar review scores to Haven Hafan y Môr
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What do customers say about Haven Hafan y Môr?
So, we've established that Haven Hafan y Môr's reviews are actually pretty decent compared to similar holiday parks. But what are customers actually saying?
Here's my summary:
Here's my summary:
- The range of things to do at Hafan y Môr is frequently praised in reviews. Lots of people also praise staff, particularly those running activities. There are a few negative comments about some members of staff, but the vast majority are positive. I would say that you will always have a few negatives at a resort of this size.
- Lots of guests of Haven Hafan y Môr talk positively about the location, cleanliness and the pool. A huge number of people talk about how family friendly Haven Hafan y Môr is. This isn't a big surprise!
- Some guests had issues with the Wifi and others said they waited a while to check in.
Visitors like the range of activities at Haven Hafan y Môr Holiday Park
How big is Haven Hafan y Môr?
We've established that Haven Hafan y Môr is a large holiday resort. But how big is it?
The short answer is Haven Hafan y Môr is 540 acres, but that doesn't mean a lot to me as I'm neither a farmer nor an estate agent.
By my count, there are about 1400 caravans and other accommodation units at Haven Hafan y Môr, plus about 75 pitches for tourers. Assuming that four people stay in each unit (which is only a rough guess) then there would be about 6000 visitors onsite at peak times (assuming it had sold out).
In terms of its size, Haven Hafan y Môr is roughly the same size as a Butlins resort such as Butlins Minehead. I figured this out by looking at aerial views rather than pacing around the site with one of those wheels on a stick.
This comparison is not hugely surprising considering that Hafan y Môr was originally a Butlins called Butlins Pwllheli (and Starcoast World for a while). It's been owned by Haven for about 25 years and there isn't much evidence left of its former life.
One thing I would say is that Haven and Butlins are similar - but certainly not identical. Butlins tends to do bigger shows with well known characters and presenters from children's TV, which you don't tend to get at Haven. However, Haven generally gets better reviews and is usually a bit cheaper than Butlins. See our full guide to Haven v Butlins to see how we reached those conclusions.
The short answer is Haven Hafan y Môr is 540 acres, but that doesn't mean a lot to me as I'm neither a farmer nor an estate agent.
By my count, there are about 1400 caravans and other accommodation units at Haven Hafan y Môr, plus about 75 pitches for tourers. Assuming that four people stay in each unit (which is only a rough guess) then there would be about 6000 visitors onsite at peak times (assuming it had sold out).
In terms of its size, Haven Hafan y Môr is roughly the same size as a Butlins resort such as Butlins Minehead. I figured this out by looking at aerial views rather than pacing around the site with one of those wheels on a stick.
This comparison is not hugely surprising considering that Hafan y Môr was originally a Butlins called Butlins Pwllheli (and Starcoast World for a while). It's been owned by Haven for about 25 years and there isn't much evidence left of its former life.
One thing I would say is that Haven and Butlins are similar - but certainly not identical. Butlins tends to do bigger shows with well known characters and presenters from children's TV, which you don't tend to get at Haven. However, Haven generally gets better reviews and is usually a bit cheaper than Butlins. See our full guide to Haven v Butlins to see how we reached those conclusions.
What activities and facilities are there for guests at Hafan y Môr?
Warning: pedalos are a lot more effort than they appear in this photo...
Now we're getting to the interesting bit!
Hafan y Môr excels at activities, but they are only available if you choose the standard 'Haven' holiday option when you book. If you go for a Haven Hideaway holiday then you get a decent discount - but you can use only the restaurants and launderettes. You could try and persuade your children that a week in the launderette will be great fun but I suspect they will see through it.
The saving varies, but a family of four will typically save about £200 over a week during peak season at Hafan y Môr if they go for a Haven Hideaway holiday.
Most people go for a standard Haven holiday, otherwise you will just end up leaving the resort and spending more money at off-site attractions. Without wishing to sound like an old misery, it's fair to say that £200 doesn't go very far between four people over a week nowadays (it's about £7 per person, per day).
See our full review of Haven Hideaway holidays or this page on the official Haven website to figure out which is the best option for you.
Assuming you go for a standard Haven holiday, you then get access to a range of activities and entertainment - some of which are free and some which cost extra.
Hafan y Môr excels at activities, but they are only available if you choose the standard 'Haven' holiday option when you book. If you go for a Haven Hideaway holiday then you get a decent discount - but you can use only the restaurants and launderettes. You could try and persuade your children that a week in the launderette will be great fun but I suspect they will see through it.
The saving varies, but a family of four will typically save about £200 over a week during peak season at Hafan y Môr if they go for a Haven Hideaway holiday.
Most people go for a standard Haven holiday, otherwise you will just end up leaving the resort and spending more money at off-site attractions. Without wishing to sound like an old misery, it's fair to say that £200 doesn't go very far between four people over a week nowadays (it's about £7 per person, per day).
See our full review of Haven Hideaway holidays or this page on the official Haven website to figure out which is the best option for you.
Assuming you go for a standard Haven holiday, you then get access to a range of activities and entertainment - some of which are free and some which cost extra.
Free activities at Haven Hafan y Môr Caravan Holiday Park
Here's what included in the price of a holiday at Hafan y Môr, assuming you go for the standard Haven holiday rather than a Haven Hideaway:
- The swimming pool - Splashaway Bay - is the biggest and best free thing at Hafan y Môr. We reckon it is one of the best holiday park swimming pools in the UK. You can waste plenty of time on the four line water slide and in the splash park type things that drop a bucket of water over your head. There's also a lane swimming pool for grown ups who want to sneak off and get some exercise. The pool has been around for a while but it was given a big revamp in 2017 at a cost of about £3 million. You can book 60 minute swimming sessions on this page.
Haven Hafan y Môr has swimming lanes, so you won't need to steer around toddlers
- There are four free playgrounds around the site at Hafan y Môr. You'll find one in the touring area, one in The Parklands near to Splashaway Bay, one in the west of the site in Snowdonia View and one near to the boating lake. I might have missed one, but those are the ones I know about! There's also a soft play area in the Oodles arcade.
There's a soft play area at Haven Hafan y Môr. You might want to bring noise cancelling headphones...
- Evening entertainment and kids' entertainment is generally included if you go for a standard holiday at Hafan y Môr (rather than a Haven Hideaway holiday). It takes place in The Cove and The Boardwalk. It's not quite on the same scale as Butlins, but you get live music in the evening and kids get things like the Seaside Squad providing entertainment.
- The beach is obviously an excellent source of free entertainment. The beach at Hafan y Môr caravan holiday park is nice but it's shingly rather than a stunning golden sandy paradise (see our guide to Haven holiday parks with the best beaches if that's what you're after). You can access the beach at Hafan y Môr from two points - one near to the Ogwen and Waterside accommodation and another near to the Pine Lodge area. You can choose where you accommodation is on this Haven page. There are some free activities based around the beach, such as the Beach Explorers activity and RNLI safety activities.
There are also some nice sandy beaches not too far away. Pwllheli Beach is only 10 minutes away by car and is one of the best in the area.
The local beach is shingly but this sandy beach is only 10 minutes away by car (Pwllheli Beach)
- Dogs can use the Bark Yard, which is a dog agility course. Hafan y Môr is particularly dog friendly, with lots of dog friendly accommodation. You can also take dogs into a dog friendly section of The Coast House restaurant.
Woof! The Bark Yard at Haven Hafan y Môr has an agility course and a pooch podium
- Some other activities throughout the week are free. When we checked that included a Wild Music Tots activity and Pond Dipping. Check what's available here.
Activities you pay extra for at Haven Hafan y Môr
Quite a few of the activities at Haven Hafan y Môr cost extra. My advice is to plan ahead a bit so you can prioritise the most appealing ones or you will have to endure a lot of begging! Paid activities at Haven Hafan y Môr include:
This official activities page is useful as it shows what is available each day, and how much you will pay. To give you a general idea, minigolf is £4, archery is £12 and pottery painting is £12 (those were the prices when we checked, take a look for yourself here).
Just to clarify, you can't sign up for these paid activities if you go for the Haven Hideaway option when you book. You need to book the standard Haven holiday option to be allowed to sign up.
- Adventurous experiences like the climbing wall, The Jump (a big pillow you leap onto), aerial adventures, segways, a NERF training camp, mini tank driving
- Family activities such as pedalo rides, roller discos, archery, target shooting, minigolf, nature trails, kart and bike hire
- Craft activities such as pottery painting, bracelet making, sand art
This official activities page is useful as it shows what is available each day, and how much you will pay. To give you a general idea, minigolf is £4, archery is £12 and pottery painting is £12 (those were the prices when we checked, take a look for yourself here).
Just to clarify, you can't sign up for these paid activities if you go for the Haven Hideaway option when you book. You need to book the standard Haven holiday option to be allowed to sign up.
Why didn't they have NERF training camps when I was growing up..?
What is the best accommodation at Haven Hafan y Môr?
You could be forgiven for being somewhat baffled by the range of accommodation at Haven Hafan y Môr. Take a deep breath and I'll talk you through it.
There are three types of accommodation at Haven Hafan y Môr:
There are three types of accommodation at Haven Hafan y Môr:
- Caravans are the most popular option and these are what Haven is generally known for. Within the caravan category, there are several grades including: Saver (£), Bronze (££), Silver (£££), Gold (££££) and Signature (£££££). Some of the Signature models have a view over a lake or towards the sea. These have the word 'Lakeside' or 'Sea View' included in the title. Upgrading gives you things like a veranda, full size freezer and a wider caravan. You can read our Pulitzer Prize worthy guide to the Haven accommodation grading system or look at the comparison table on the Haven website.
- Lodges are posher and more spacious than Haven's caravans. The range includes Emerald (£), Diamond (££) and Signature (£££). The biggest advantage is the width of a lodge, which is a big bonus if you have boisterous children.
- Apartments are similar in quality to the caravans and tend to cost about the same as a Saver caravan (£). These are the accommodation that was used when the site was a Butlins resort in the 1990s, but they have been updated since then. Some of them have balconies.
A typical Haven Saver (£) caravan kitchen looks like this...
...whilst lodges are much wider and some have verandas with sea views.
Haven Hafan y Môr also has apartments, which is unusual for Haven
How much does a holiday at Haven Hafan y Môr cost?
You will not be stunned to realise that the answer to that question is 'it depends'. Prices with Haven vary a lot depending on when you book and which accommodation you stay in. As we all know, a holiday during term time in March is considerably cheaper than a holiday in August (Ed: don't rub it in).
However, we can give you a general idea of how expensive Haven Hafan y Môr is compared to similar holiday parks.
In our guide to the five best Haven holiday parks in Wales we found that Haven Hafan y Môr was mid to higher priced compared to the other Haven resorts. We looked at prices for Easter, August and early October. A week in the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four was from £1005 at Easter 2024, £1027 in early August 2024 and £244 in early October.
We found that the cheapest Haven resort in Wales for 2024 was Haven Quay West in South Wales.
Meanwhile, in our guide to the 10 best holiday parks in Wales, Haven Hafan y Môr was seventh cheapest out of 10. We only looked at one set of dates (August 2024) but that will give you a general idea.
However, we can give you a general idea of how expensive Haven Hafan y Môr is compared to similar holiday parks.
In our guide to the five best Haven holiday parks in Wales we found that Haven Hafan y Môr was mid to higher priced compared to the other Haven resorts. We looked at prices for Easter, August and early October. A week in the cheapest accommodation available for a family of four was from £1005 at Easter 2024, £1027 in early August 2024 and £244 in early October.
We found that the cheapest Haven resort in Wales for 2024 was Haven Quay West in South Wales.
Meanwhile, in our guide to the 10 best holiday parks in Wales, Haven Hafan y Môr was seventh cheapest out of 10. We only looked at one set of dates (August 2024) but that will give you a general idea.
In our price comparisons, Haven Quay West was cheaper than Haven Hafan y Môr
Images are from Haven.
