Independent Campsite Reviews

I have visited this site several times in the past 10 years, I think the beach and rock pools are excellent.

The club is large and vibrant, with great family entertainment.

I enjoyed the restaurant facilities as I do not go away to spend my time cooking, the pool tables and arcades are great and keep the kids happy when our English weather lets us down.

You can have a real good laugh in the club at night, and this goes on till late with no need to get up early only adds to the enjoyment.

The only thing the site lacks in my opinion is an indoor or outdoor pool, but I believe this is just about sorted, I did not go to Cornwall last year but would like to know if the pool is finished yet. [Read the review by Rachel Barnes to find out!]

The large rock out crop just off of the beach is a great source of amusement when the tide is in, I always spend hours jumping in off of the rocks.

And with it being such a closed in cove it also makes it very safe for the kids.

I would definitely recommend this site as an all-rounder for the family looking for the complete holiday package.

Thanks for many great times.

What an interesting read the reviews of Harlyn Sands make.

I was pleased to note that the owners are the same as the days when we brought our children up with almost weekly visits to the site.

Yes there can be some problems with children who are in a clique because their parents work at the site and they are there every weekend so feel that they own the place but that is natural.

To balance this is the FACT that the Richards family (Yes they are a a family in every sense of the word) have run the site for decades in way that ensures that adults get a good holiday because the children are catered for.

Even though for personal reasons our family no longer visit the site I can honestly say that our children benefited from growing up spending all of our holiday times there.

So good news the pool is at last finished - god it took long enough... The area has so much to offer and the site is located in a splendid part of Cornwall - you just can't do better if you are a family with young or teenage children.

Perhaps one day our family will be together again at this FAMILY camp site even if it's just for a weekend.

I have been visiting Harlyn Sands since I was 1 year old . My parents owned a caravan there until I was 14 and we went 2 or 3 times a year - my memories are of sandy beaches and long hot summer days clambering around the rock pools and eating sandy sandwiches on the beach - when it rained we visited Trago Mills, Wadebridge etc.

As soon as I learnt to drive I was straight back there ! The beach at Haryln is incomparable, and have looked forward to at least 1 visit a year to the site. We have tried other campsites but always felt the pull back to Harlyn and actually felt cheated that we hadn't stayed there. The site has changed over the years but definitely for the better - the club entertainment is faultless. The people working on the site are friendly and helpful and great with kids !

Looking forward to our visit next week.

Sorry mark [review below] but can this be the same site we visit every june? As

you say the beach is superb, the location is superb, the staff are superb and

the music you hear is the sound of families enjoying themselves.

The only part of the review I agree with is that the pitches are a little cramped and

are surrounded by statics, but the people who holiday in these are quite

normal and we've made some good friends with them while the children who are

very well looked after are enjoying themselves to the loud music. In our

opinion this site is ideal for families who want a good holiday, beach,and

family fun.

P.S. People actually come from the site next door that you mention to get some evening entertainment !

So one man's meat is another man's poison - it just shows the value of an impartial website like this one! (webmaster)

Situated within 300 yards of the North Western end of Harlyn Bay, the best features of this site are the sandy beachside location and the clifftop walks to the lifeboat station and lighthouse on Trevose Head. It is also only 10 minutes drive from the centre of the attractive Camel Estuary harbour town of Padstow, for those with a penchant for London priced seafood.

Unfortunately, the main site is let down by the cramped pitches and poor facilities. Tourers and tents play second fiddle to static caravans, with the pitches surrounded by statics. However, the rally/beach field is more attractive, with views across Harlyn Bay.

The facilities are poor for the scale of the site, with only two sinks for washing up on a site with around 150 pitches, and a peculiar arrangement in the toilets where loo roll was only available from a central point outside of the cubicles, resulting in a lot of unpleasant litter. You will also need a plentiful supply of 20p pieces to pay for showers, hair dryers, and a capful of water for a baby bath. What's more, music blares out from the toilets throughout the night. At present, an indoor swimming pool is being constructed, which resulted in cement mixers and heavy machinery using the site in one of the busiest weeks of the school holidays.

There is a 'club' which is noisy, but as I didn't visit, can't really pass comment on the acts!

On balance, my recommendation would be to drive on for another 200yards beyond the entrance, and spend your stay at the Mother Ivey's Bay site.

A group of us have been going here and staying on the beach field for the past 3 years and are going again this summer. The beach is fantastic, and we save a small fortune on car parks as it is only 2 minutes walk. I hope the pool is ready for this year for those dull days (but not too many). Everything else on this site is fab and we can't wait for this year's hols.

I and my family have been to Harlyn on and off both static and camping for nearly 20 years. During this time, it has developed, albeit not a lot. The once ample shower and toilet facilities are now sadly lacking and in need of a major facelift, the swimming pool has been going to "open this season" for the last couple of years - hopefully this year it will. The clubhouse has now become small for the amount of holidaymakers on the site, but as always the entertainment is first class. I shall not be visiting this site again as the last visit we had (August bank holiday 2002) was marred by a dozen or more drunken yobs over the weekend, and despite many complaints by campers, they were allowed to continue their antics on several nights, resulting in an all out riot on one occasion, which was rather frightening for those around with young children.

I have spent the last 12 years (over weekends) holidaying at Harlyn Sands with my family. The site is situated in a beautiful part of Cornwall with lovely beaches just a short walk away. Whilst the site can sometimes become noisy, and improvements to the tourers' facilities could be made, I think on the whole it is a very friendly and enjoyable place to stay. If you prefer a quieter site, with pretty little flowerbeds, you would probably be better off staying at Mother Ivey's Bay next door, but as the previous respondent said, you will probably end up wandering across to Harlyn Bay's evening club facilities!

My name is Chris Churchward, and I work at Harlyn Sands. It is the best holiday park I have ever been to. I had never heard of it until I got transferred from Plymouth to here. I love it at Harlyn. It is a beautiful place for all the family, and it has a great beach, which is very popular and clean.

The staff at Harlyn, including me, are very nice, and I have an email address that you can contact me on: XxChrisCross2003@aol.com.

I am going back to Harlyn Sands to work in April, then back for good on 1st June.

There is a swimming pool which has opened for 2003, which is a very good idea for Harlyn Sands, which will be good for the children and some of the staff.

I will love you people to look at this and send your views to me at the above e-mail address [or better still, via this website!].

Thanks a lot.

We would like to say Harlyn Sands is the best place to go. Everyone is so nice, the staff are great, there is never a dull moment, always lots to do with live entertainment every night, and the food is lovely. While we were there, we made lots of friends with other people on their holidays. Also had a good laugh with the staff, and Wes, who is the owner's son, he is so good with the kids, so we would choose here every time, and that's why we're going this year as well.

Me my parents my brother and sisters loved it at harlyns we go every year and the staff there are realy nice me and the other kids loved it .Its that great im going again tommorow for the weekend

I have been visiting this campsite since I was born, and I am now 16. I really enjoy going down there. There is Newquay near by, a beach and plenty to do in the evenings. There are also day activities put on by the site for kids during the day, varying from jungle bungle to crab races. If it is raining, there are films put on in the club.

I admit that the music can be loud, but it just adds to the atmosphere, everyone is friendly and made to feel welcome, I have made so many friends over the years that I don't know what to do with myself over winter when it is shut. I have taken many friends down to stay with me for the weekend and all of them have agreed with me and can't wait till I take them again.

The toilets have been improved over the past year and when the swimming pool is finished it will be another plus point. However if you are looking for a quiet holiday with nothing to do and lots of snobs you would be better off at Mother Ivy's around the corner. I have a fantastic time there every weekend and summer holiday.. I’m not saying that it's perfect cuz i know that it isn't, but i just hope that anyone who goes there enjoys it as much as all the people I know!!!

My family and I have just spent Easter at Harlyn Sands. The toilets seemed that they were never cleaned. My husband and 5 year old son said that they were all completely blocked up. This had them both retching every time they went in there. Outside the only toilet block on the site was a septic tank area still being constructed (with no proper safety barrier around it). The "games room" was an absolute tip. The rubbish skips had not been emptied, and it was a rat problem waiting to happen (if they were not already there). The swimming pool that was said to have been "New for 2003" was still under construction.

I had made a booking to spend our summer holidays there. Needless to say, I am going to cancel. On learning this in the site office, the staff became rude and unapologetic. I am also writing to the Cornish Tourist Board and the Camping and Caravanning Club (to which it alleges to be a member).

I also think it sad that employees feel they have to defend a place they work. If it is that good, it should be able to defend itself.

(Visit date October 2002)

If you didn't bother to try out the club then you have missed the best part of the holiday here! I used to love trying different sites each year, until we found Harlyn Sands in 1996, and have never been anywhere else since. Every year, I panic that it may have changed hands or style, but heave a sigh of relief when I find it unchanged. My children would put themselves into care if we suggested going elsewhere. The fact that the swimming pool has been a 'work in progress' for the last 225 years is all part of the charm. What else would the visiting cabaret have to rib the owner about???

(Visit date July 2003)

Further to my previous submission - we've just returned from this year's (2003) holiday, and guess what - the pool's not finished yet! But what the heck, the beach is still as lovely, looks like most of the place has had a spruce up, most of the staff have returned for another year (usually a good sign) and we've already booked for 2004.

Accommodation, caravan excellent. On site evening entertainment very good. My only complaints about this site are that the children’s facilities are in a very poor, and in my opinion dangerous condition. The playground apparatus in particular is falling to bits, the arcade is full of non-working machines that the site staff refuse to admit responsibility for.

I’ve been going to Harlyn Sands for the past 6 years and I think its brilliant and I can’t wait to go again in 2004. Some of these reviews are spot on when they say the clubhouse is crowded and loud, but to me that just prove that the entertainment must be high quality and there is a very welcoming atmosphere. The staff are fantastic, always helpful and friendly, they are always approachable and happy to chat to the guests and make their holiday pleasurable. I’m hoping to see all the staff return next summer.

If any of you got the 2004 calendar Harlyn sent out then it just proves how beautiful the place is.

One more reason that makes Harlyn Sands superior has to be Wes- He is a legend!!!!

Keep it up guys!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I loved Harlyn when I went there and I went when I was thirteen and the year after and due to illness I could not go this year. However I am planning on going as a celebration of the completion of the GCSEs and I don’t think it matters how many diggers there are the staff there are so intent on making the stay enjoyable that the bad bits (if any) don’t seem as bad, and the paying for the showers Mark are the whole experience of the holiday and wouldn’t be a holiday with out it!

Just a quick note to say that the swimming pool is finally finished - and after spending so many hours in it that I went wrinkly, I can honestly say that it has been worth the wait! The water was warm, everyone was having fun, there were balls and rings in during the children's sessions, and later there was a session for the adults who fancied a swim in peace. The kids’ pool was just as popular! Not only does Harlyn have a club, an arcade, a restaurant, a chippie and a beach nearby, it also now has an amazing indoor swimming pool - anyone who doesn't enjoy their holiday obviously hasn't appreciated the place.

My family have been going to Harlyn every year since my daughter was 1 and she's now 8. We love it. The beach is the main pull for us as its fantastic for kids; my kids love it in the rock pools with their nets looking for crabs and fish. The clubhouse can be noisy but it's a very relaxed atmosphere and my kids love the games each evening and the fancy dress competition each week.

There is a kids play park which could do with updating but overall not too bad as it keeps the kids occupied for hours, they don't complain. We have been there in a tent, touring caravan and a static. The pitches are quite large but we go in a static now as its a long way for us to go and takes FOREVER with the caravan.

Going back again in a fortnight, kids looking forward to wearing their wetsuits and getting on their boogie boards.

Having just returned from a week’s holiday at this camp, I thought I'd have my say. We stayed in the cheapest caravan, which was spotlessly clean and in a good position for the children’s playground. The music from the club was noisy, but as we were part of that noise and were so tired after the full days which we had had, this wasn't a problem. The staff onsite were extremely friendly and helpful and the site is clean and tidy. The SWIMMING POOL is now open!!!!!!!!!!! We spent many a happy hour init, and the children enjoyed the water slide. What a good idea to have the main pool only 1.3metres deep all over. The admission price to the pool is £1.50 each and is run in 1hr 30 mins sessions, with a maximum of 40 people, so it never gets too crowded. Another good idea is that the caravans are checked and your £40 deposit returned before your departure. This encourages people to look after them as should be. The shop hires out wetsuits for children costing £2.50 a day. This is well worth it as the sea was freezing!!!!!!!! My final comment is that this is a super family site, surrounded by beautiful beaches with plenty to keep you busy for 1 or 2 weeks at least!!!!

I'm sure we will return soon.

Thank you to all at Harlyn Sands.

A very well kept park, clean and tidy.

Toilet and washing facilities could have been improved upon as camping in a tent they only had 2 sinks and it gets busy as I found waiting in a line for others to finish.

The club, although small, has sky TV and some entertainment, could have done more for the kids.

Getting to Harlyn bay can be a bit tricky as the road to Padstow and back is mainly a single track and you get caught up a lot dodging the wing mirrors of other cars.

Took 5 minutes 1 day to do 200 yards as got stuck with lorry coming the other way.

Tent pitches quite large but, turnaround of people is amazing saw 1 pitch have at least 3 changes in the time we were there.

Oh we did have one family turn up on our last night, who were so noisy at 2 am that it kept us and others awake.

We were ok for the rest of the week so i guess you can't tell who you will get next to you!

A lovely beach within several hundred yards the small one and then Harlyn bay another 5 minutes walk away.

On the whole worth the visit, family of 4 on run to the sun weekend for 7 nights cost us not much more than £100.

Definitely would go back to the park again at some point.

Adding my comments to Harlyn Sands, a couple weeks ago, we were caught there in heavy winds and the staff were out working into the early hours of the morning, helping everybody take there awnings down. Not very many sites would have been so helpful, they were even supportive to some campers who were amateurs by housing them in some staff statics, clubhouse stayed open later, with teas and coffees, we felt safe and not alone.

The facilities were fine, it is a family park, with bags of family entertainment, they even run sandcastle competitions, crab races and even the last duck standing competition, which i have never seen before in my life.

I complained about the charging for showers, now i don't mind paying the 20p because it was proved to me that when they are free, people take a lot longer.

I look forward to my next holiday at Harlyn Sands.

We have been going to this site now for 35 years, and obviously things have changed a lot, we even have tarmac on the widened lane, whic